The small things

[Brian Holcombe]

I have wanted a nice grinder stand for as long as I can remember. I never gave it much priority since it felt like such a luxury to purchase a cast iron stand when any old thing will do but As a teenager interested in metal work, those gorgeous Baldor grinders on nice cast iron stands always called my attention (weird kid, I know).

A baldor grinder was offered to me a four years ago and I bought it. The stand was a junker but I kept using it. Finally I intended to throw it out, only to have my dad rescue it from my attempts to dispose of it.

I replaced that junker with a heavy thing I built for a large belt sander when I was a teenager. The belt sander stand must be 80lbs, it is 3/4 thick plate with 1/4 wall tubing but it’s one heck of an eye sore.

This year I decided finally, I’ll buy one. Well I waited, it ‘arrived’ I walk outside...no stand!?! Check my neighbors and no stand to be found. I tracked down the ups driver and he says ‘yup, delivered it’....huh? Well he was kind enough to help me look for it....no stand. We give up after checking all the houses on my side of the street. Finally, I give up and decide to call ups and file a claim. Ten minutes later a ring at the door. Ups driver with box in hand, he delivered it across the street but it was haunting him so he went over all of the houses in my neighborhood.

Twenty years and a saga later:

https://brianholcombewoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_5196.jpg

[Lisa Starr]

Glad you finally have your stand. My UPS driver is like your's...a good guy that will do his best.

[Phil Mueller]

Congrats on the new stand, Brian. And as for the UPS driver, I believe most folks are just far more decent than the general news would have us believe.

[Bill Carey]

Congrats on the new stand, Brian. And as for the UPS driver, I believe most folks are just far more decent than the general news would have us believe.

Agree 100% Phil.

[Joe Calhoon]

Brian
I have been looking for a sturdy stand for mine also. Most new ones are imported and hard to figure out the quality. Can you share the brand of this one?
Thanks
joe

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks all, it was encouraging. Nice to see someone concerned about doing their job well still even when overworked and quite busy.

Joe,

Happy to, this one is from Baldor, made in USA. I bought it from Mile-X Equipment who had excellent pricing.

[Jim Becker]

That looks great! Congrats!

Until about two years ago, we had the same UPS driver since we moved in to our property in late 1999. Al was awesome and would have done the same thing you describe...he would have looked for that thang until he found it! Sadly, it was time for him to retire after 35 years with the company, repeated extensions after he wanted to leave at 30, bribes of always having a helper on the truck during busy times and significant raises. He was worth it and became not just the "brown truck driver", but also a friend. They have to have a rotation of several people to make up for him at this point...one person can't seem do what he did. LOL

[Steven Harrison]

It is the little things. Surround yourself with what makes you happy and it helps with the inspiration and process. Also, I'm a sucker for industrial metal objects. I just added a new to me metal cabinet from an estate sale and I'm in love. I've been looking for one for a while, I mean not since I was a kid, but I understand the excitement of adding another piece to the puzzle. Glad you were able to avoid a disastrous delivery!

And, any woodworker with Instagram who isn't following you is missing out. Fantastic work.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thats a fun story Jim, thank you for sharing.

Thank you, Steven! Much appreciated. For certain, part of the romance of industrial work for me is the machinery.

[John K Jordan]

That looks great! Congrats!

Until about two years ago, we had the same UPS driver since we moved in to our property in late 1999. Al was awesome and would have done the same thing you describe...he would have looked for that thang until he found it! Sadly, it was time for him to retire after 35 years with the company, repeated extensions after he wanted to leave at 30, bribes of always having a helper on the truck during busy times and significant raises. He was worth it and became not just the "brown truck driver", but also a friend. They have to have a rotation of several people to make up for him at this point...one person can't seem do what he did. LOL

A good UPS driver is so appreciated! Ours waves and honks when we pass on the road. He even stopped once in town when he recognized my car and had a package for me - he came looking for me in the store where I was shopping! Always pleasant, always helpful. I save a bottle of honey for him every year.

Brian, that looks like a fantastic stand. And I really like the design of the grinder - gives lots of working room around both sides of each wheel.

The stands I have are welded from square tubing and flat steel plate. I got one from an estate sale with a base of solid steel plate 14" square and 2" thick. Zounds, difficult to move! But it's sturdy.

JKJ

[Dave Cav]

Nice looking grinder. I bought anice 3 phase 7" Stanley grinder and CI stand at an auction years ago, only to find out when I opened it up the windings were burnt out. The local motor shop wanted around $150 to rewind it so I just stuck it in the rathole. A few years later I was considering a new grinder, and given the cost of a good 8" grinder I decided to go ahead and have the old Stanley rewound. I installed a VFD on it and converted the lights to LED and it works great.


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The thing on the right is some sort of knife/chisel grinding fixture which I've subsequently removed.

[Brian Holcombe]

Very nice, Dave!

[Bruce Wrenn]

You only hear the bad stories about delivery drivers, though every day thousands make their rounds without any problems. Once I ordered a saw blade. Somehow shipper put wrong zip code on label, so it was going to another town. Driver taking it there, recognized my name (he had been our driver for several years.) He diverted from highway about a five mile round trip, and delivered the blade. Now that's service

[Tom Bender]

So what will you do with the replacement when it comes? Chances are they will not want it back.

[Brian Holcombe]

There is no replacement coming, trying to get through on anyone’s 800 number this time of year took long enough that the driver found it before anyone would take my call.