Old But Still Going Strong

freedhardwoods · #1 08-09-2015, 06:27 PM

I think my little grinder was my grandpa's. It's been around as long as I can remember. It has the old, oil cap bearings.

I was at an auction 30 years ago and they had this big grinder. Nobody would bid on it. I said $5 and took it home. It runs on a flat belt and weighs 300 lbs.

I made belt guards for both of them.

bocephus1991 · #2 08-09-2015, 06:36 PM

That's pretty cool! One on the left is like one my grandpa had, it's around somewhere. Looks like the big one will grind just about whatever you want. It's cool you got to get a piece of of your family's history.

ol'George · #3 08-09-2015, 10:46 PM

You guys are killing me, a lot of my equipment is flat belt driven.
Grinder, Lathe, drill press, shaper.
Geese, it ain't that old --or is it?

Yosemite Sam · #4 08-09-2015, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ol'George

You guys are killing me, a lot of my equipment is flat belt driven.
Grinder, Lathe, drill press, shaper.
Geese, it ain't that old --or is it?

Are the belts on this equipment attached to a big wheel outside with water running over it?

freedhardwoods · #5 08-10-2015, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ol'George

You guys are killing me, a lot of my equipment is flat belt driven.
Grinder, Lathe, drill press, shaper.
Geese, it ain't that old --or is it?

They aren't really "old", just from a time when things were built to last. I bet a lot of those perfectly good tools got thrown away when people got talked into "newer is better".

ol'George · #6 08-10-2015, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

Are the belts on this equipment attached to a big wheel outside with water running over it?

Ha,LOL, no water wheel, or line shaft, just individual electric motors with "V" belts running on the old flat belt pulleys.
The south bend Lathe was built in 1918, and was converted to use a model "A" ford transmission for speed selection.
Was lucky enough to purchase it from the original owners nephew, over 50 years ago, it does what I need to do.
That old equipment was built in different times, with different thinking.
Sure as heck not light duty/throwaway.

freedhardwoods · #7 08-10-2015, 10:04 AM

I'm guessing my big grinder was made for a line shaft because the motor mount has been added on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ol'George

..... with "V" belts running on the old flat belt pulleys.

I've often wondered how well that works. Do you get any slippage under a load?

ol'George · #8 08-10-2015, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freedhardwoods

I'm guessing my big grinder was made for a line shaft because the motor mount has been added on.

I've often wondered how well that works. Do you get any slippage under a load?

No slippage really, and I take my time, no need to run things like a production shop.
On the old drill press, when she bites in with anything over an inch or so, she will throw the belt, but I consider that a safety device, Ha,LOL
Now my Bridgeport is modern, she was built in early 70's
I use static phase converters that I built to run the 3 phase motors.
it is not 100% as far as hp rating, but they work.
Nothing special just old capacitors from various things, to balance the 3rd leg.
There was a time when a lot of old stuff was had for scrap prices.
Now even with scrap down in price, most are worth more in scrap than usability.
When the market went south 7-8 years ago a lot of small shops went belly up,
equipment was a cheap and a lot of it went unsold and eventually scrapped for pennies, of left to rust in some warehouse.