Baldor Grinder off Ebay- A Few Questions please....

[HMF]

Hey Guys,

Some of the "pundits" on another forum told me I absolutely must have a grinder to grind HSS toolbits, as opposed to a belt sander. The HF carbide grinder which mocks up the Baldor #500 is almost $200 now, so I looked on Ebay for a #500 that was not hundreds of dollars and was not being sold by Reliable.

This is the one I got. Cost me $180 plus $60 shipping. It's old and was repainted (repainting is always a red flag for me). It's 3 phase, but that means I could hook up a VFD to it for speed control as well as 1-3 phase conversion.

 

[HMF]

I was hoping that, if the HF/Grizzly/Enco machine was a duplication of the Baldor #500, the parts would fit.

Baldor charges a small fortune for parts, and they are as rare as hens teeth on Ebay.


Best,


Nelson

 

[HMF]

I found the grinder in a 1955 catalog:

 

[HMF]

No answers for you bro., but I will say, you lucky dawg!

ONLY lucky if this dang thing works!

A new one sells for the outrageous price of $1000

Best,

Nelson

 

[HMF]

Ha, doesn't matter as long as the bearings are good in the motor.

Check out this article:

http://prowave.blogspot.com/2007/05/baldor-500-grinder.html

His is a 1953 vintage- couple years older. He replaces the bearings and restores it. Beautiful job.

Of course, that kind of restoral job is beyond me.


Best,


Nelson

 

[randyjaco]

Hey Nelson,

You might look to HF for your parts. If they will fit, HF will sell you the parts pretty cheap, but you will have to wait several weeks to get them.

Something else. That will make a much better carbide grinder than a HSS one. With a VFD and a pair of diamond wheels, it will be a super Carbide machine.

Randy

 

[HMF]

Hey Nelson,

You might look to HF for your parts. If they will fit, HF will sell you the parts pretty cheap, but you will have to wait several weeks to get them.

Something else. That will make a much better carbide grinder than a HSS one. With a VFD and a pair of diamond wheels, it will be a super Carbide machine.

Randy

Randy,

It's a pleasure to see you back.

I got the HF manual for the carbide grinder, and circled the parts I would need. The pain is that they are sold in individual parts rather than assemblies, but they aren't too steep in price. I don't mind waiting.

IF I have to replace the motor bearings as in the link I found (http://prowave.blogspot.com/2007/05/baldor-500-grinder.html), I have no clue where to get new bearings or how to do this. I'm hesitant to open up a motor for fear of ruining it, and in this case, the motor is everything. Never done this before.

Considering starting a new topic in the electrical section on "replacing bearings in motors".

I understand that IF I can replace the bearings, the motor will last me for years.

Any of this correct?

Best,


Nelson

 

[HMF]

Dave:

Here is the HF refurb that you are referencing:

[video=youtube;lSi3lucyRQo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSi3lucyRQo&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/video]

[video=youtube;9m3Q5-syUWk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m3Q5-syUWk[/video]

[video=youtube;2OiAQzRRWmg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OiAQzRRWmg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/video]

[video=youtube;FKJw93IuPjk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKJw93IuPjk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/video]

[video=youtube;pDf5y_xvHqk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDf5y_xvHqk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/video]

The other site is also very interesting.


Best,

Nelson

 

[wawoodman]

Nelson,

Very worst case you can go to a motor shop and have them replace them if you bugger it up.


Dave

Dave's right. Some 35 years ago, I had a boss who told me, "Never be afraid to take it apart. You can always pay somebody else to put it back together!"

 

[HMF]

Mike,

Obviously, you haven't seen the amount of stuff sitting in pieces in my shop- a Heavy 10 SB Lathe, and a Van Norman #12 mill. I'm trying to keep the new stuff in one piece...LOL

Seriously, I'm willing to give it a shot if I can get some instructions.... I can always pay Walter to reassemble the motor for me.

Best,

Nelson