Luther Grinder resurrected - Thanks George!

[Joe Bailey]

Some here may remember my post a while back regarding my Luther No 51 hand crank grinder. [http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?168641-A-little-help-from-the-machinists-among-us-please]
Sawmill Creek contributor and Elder Statesman George Wilson volunteered to make me the necessary parts. He did so, and my grinder is now fully functional. (This from a man who doesn't even like hand-crank grinders). Thank you George - the parts are perfect!
Have a look:
http://www.roscoprint.com/forum_pix/GW08.jpg
http://www.roscoprint.com/forum_pix/GW09.jpg
http://www.roscoprint.com/forum_pix/GW07.jpg
Not pictured is a brass bushing George made to bring the grinder's shaft up to diameter to allow the use of a modern grinding wheel.
George, if you're ready for some paying jobs, I have more than a few tools around here which are only one or two obscure fasteners away from being fully functional.
Thanks again.

[harry strasil]

Now you know why the Blacksmith was indispensable in the old days. You say Machine Shop, but that comes from the local Smith who started acquiring and building his own machines to make his job and life easier.

Excellent Work, George!

[george wilson]

Nothing fancy,Harry. Free work does not get polished. I may not like to USE hand crank grinders,but I would not want to prevent others from letting themselves be tortured, worn out and exhausted by them!!:)

[harry strasil]

George, I was given an old timers collection of I believe there were 70+ hand grinders, only two were the same and I kept one and donated the rest in his name to one of the local living history museums I frequent. I keep the one I kept in my demo shop trailer in case I need to do an emergency regrind on something. The nice part is when out demonstrating, immediately I get the grinder out and set up, there is a group of people, grownups and children requesting to power it. I always debate for a bit, then select usually a young girl about 10 or so to do the honors. My first wife got me to letting girls help if they ask, because she was a bit of a Tom girl. And she liked to watch the young boys and grown men drool, watching the girl do her thing. BTW, I most generally won't let grownups help if they ask unless I know them, because grownups do things the way they want to, and children most generally follow orders because they don't want to flub up in front of others who wanted to be the one chosen.

PS , one of the most unusual requests I have had to use the grinder is when one of the female reenactors where I was demoing was sent to me by the demo blacksmith to shorten her hat pin. I am not sure what the hatpin was made of, but it was one hard pin, I use the edge of the grinder wheel to grind a groove in it and then snapped it off, then ground a nice taper and stoned the grind marks off so it wouldn't hang up in the hat material. LOL

[harry strasil]

Besides George, hand grinders are relatively easy to convert to foot power, especially this model with the side mounted crank, just remove the handle and cut a replacement flywheel out of heavy steel plate add a pitman pin, fashion a footpedal and pitman(even a rope will work) and pump away. Sometimes a counterweight must be added.

[george wilson]

Harry,I used to do the same thing when I was in public in the instrument maker's shop. I got kids to turn the big sandstone grinding wheel. It was so inefficient,it would take over an hour to grind a plane iron.

The hat pin was most likely made out of music wire,plain high carbon steel,at least 1080.

[george wilson]

When doing restoration type work on old objects,I try to leave the finish on new made parts like what it would have been on the original device,as well as I can tell from the nature of the rest of the object.

[Harlan Barnhart]

Nice save Joe and Mr. Wilson.

Joe, how does that thing work with the wheel perpendicular to the crank? It looks awkward to me but I may be missing something.

[Joe Bailey]

Nice save Joe and Mr. Wilson.

Joe, how does that thing work with the wheel perpendicular to the crank? It looks awkward to me but I may be missing something.

I honestly believe it's meant to be a two man job - I have heard and read of more than a few accounts wherein the apprentice cranks while the master sharpens. I have actually had my nephew crank this for me (shades of Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence). What you may not realize is that there is a wingnut on the backside, (see original post [http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ong-us-please] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?168641-A-little-help-from-the-machinists-among-us-please])) which, when loosened allows the entire thing to be rotated to any desired angle. When turned 90 degrees the side of the wheel is parallel to the bench top and you can utilize the side of the wheel.
What's really unusual about this one (to me at least) is the smooth action delivered by the worm gear, turning in ball bearings, lubed by an oil bath.