10" x 1 1/2" Wet Grinder Antique - How to use?

[Doug Hobkirk]

I bought an old (Montgomery Ward Powr Kraft! OLD!) grinding wheel. Is this practical to use for sharpening? It seems like it's pretty much over-the-top, but I learn lots here.



I have not plugged the motor in - the insulation on the wires has dry rot!
I have a variety of 1725 RPM motors and several pulleys, so I am pretty sure I could get it to spin quite slowly.
The wheel spins easily and true (although I did not measure it - just my gut feeling).
I included a picture of the only damage on the wheel.


As a point of reference, it is probably worth $45-50 on eBay.

292906 292907

THANKS

I also bought a Disston saw clamp with a ball joint. WOW! What a cool tool. I was thinking this will probably be worth LOTS! Wrong - probably $25 (it's the No. 1, 9" wide).

[Mike Cutler]

Doug

It looks plenty practical too me, messy, but I'm certain that with the right motor and RPM it will work as well as anything else. 1725 off the motor will need to be stepped down, or you'll be sling water everywhere. I know I'd personally like the speed to be slower myself.

$45.00 on eBay eh?? I bet that wheel would cost you more than that to replace.

[Dan Hintz]

Due to the age of the equipment, I think it's safe (no pun intended) to say the motor isn't protected against water incursion... I would feel very unsafe using that without being plugged into a GFCI circuit.

That aside, use is the same as any other wet grinding stone. I'd say look up the Tormek system and take some cues from their user manual.

[Doug Hobkirk]

I took it apart.



The bearings are excellent, and everything came apart remarkably well - no frozen shaft lock set screws, the axle came out quite easily, etc.
There wasn't even much rust on the inside of the reservoir.
The motor is a 250 RPM Xerox motor. The 1.25" and 3" would mean the wheel turns at 100 RPM.
But before I disassembled it, I did verify that the wheel had very little out-of-round (I used a screwdriver held on the tool rest)


And, FWIW, I run everything on GFCI circuits.

How do I get the rust stain off the wheel?

[Ronald Blue]

I was going to comment last night that the wheel likely could not stand anywhere near the rpm's that 1725 at the motor would deliver. If you want to learn what a grinding wheel exploding can do however..... The 100 rpm's sounds about perfect. It also isn't going to sling the water across the room at that speed. Let us know how it works. Looks cool and useful.