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Thread: Got an old grinder here

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
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    Milwaukee, WI
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    Got an old grinder here

    Hey everyone,

    Found this old grinder from Luther Grinder MFG Co. that I believe used to be in my grandfather's workshop. Seems to work pretty well. Turns smoothly and overall seems to be in pretty good shape so I think I'd like to try to bring her back into service in my shop. All of the bolts were easy to turn and the whole thing comes apart easily with one exception.
    IMG_0804.jpgIMG_0802.jpg

    It looks like there is a piece that is broken on the top of the case which is visible in the following picture. I can't tell if that's damage or if it's supposed to be open like that for lubrication or something. As you can see in the pic, someone shimmed a small piece of a beer can in there and I really don't know what that was for. The case closes up tightly and everything still functions without the shim.
    IMG_0806.jpg

    The only problem I'm having right now is that I don't really know how to get the old wheel off.
    IMG_0808.jpg

    If anyone has any tips on what tools/methods to use to remove the wheel, as well as any restoration tips in general, I'd love to hear them. Hoping to get this thing cleaned up, get a new wheel on it, and add it to my sharpening station.

  2. #2
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    It is impossible to tell from the pictures, but it is possible the nut holding the wheel in place is left hand threaded.

    I recall seeing round wrenches with two protruding ears for what you fastener appears to be. Don't recall where it was. Often it is possible to jerry rig something to do the job. In the old days of vehicle repair my tool to remove such nuts was often a punch and a hammer. Tapping the punch on the outside perimeter of a nut was often the easiest way to get it to come off. With care this can be done without damaging the nut.

    The punch has to be held at a low enough angle to drive the nut. It may help to grind a sharp point on the punch.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #3
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    If you're going to scrap the old wheel, then maybe breaking the wheel is the best way to remove now. Once out of the way, all will be revealed, maybe.

    Hard to tell from the picture, but the opening's edges appear to be original, or at least nicely cleaned up. If there is no other lube point available, then that may have been where the oil was poured in. My guess is the beer can was severing as a shim, probably to give clearance for the bearings or shaft guides.

    Not that I've seen many of this hand grinders, but this is the first with the crank at 90 deg to the wheel's shaft. Seems that would be a bit more award to operate and hold the part being sharpened.

  4. #4
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    Looks as if you might need a spanner with two pins that will fit the recess in the nut that holds the wheel. Kinda hard to see the nut really well.
    Bill
    On the other hand, I still have five fingers.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
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    Missouri
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    Owen, you can sometimes find an open end wrench that will fit across those slots nose first or use a crescent wrench that will fit in the slots again nose first. Then use a crescent wrench on the handle of the wrench fitted to the nut. Plenty of some kind of rust buster, work gently probably lots of grit in there. Looks like an oil hole across from that opening. Someone may have opened it up to use grease instead of oil. That grinder has lots of oil holes, looks like.
    Jim

  6. #6
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    In picture #1 I noticed a good sized hole between the crank and the adjustment lever(?). Could there be a corresponding hole in the shaft to lock rotation?

    In picture #3 I noticed a small hole next to the tool rest hanger. That hanger appears to traverse both sides of the main shaft housing. That hole should be for oil.

    I'd reckon the housing caught a blow and chipped. I'd use a bigger piece of beer can to enclose that gaping spot on top of the grinder. You don't want grit on the innards.

    Interesting design, I like the wrap around tool rest for face grinding. Thanks for showing it to us

    With the crank 90 degrees to the spindle I'd get a helper to spin it while you stand at the tool rest to perform the magic.

  7. #7
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    Aug 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Pallas View Post
    Owen, you can sometimes find an open end wrench that will fit across those slots nose first or use a crescent wrench that will fit in the slots again nose first. Then use a crescent wrench on the handle of the wrench fitted to the nut. Plenty of some kind of rust buster, work gently probably lots of grit in there. Looks like an oil hole across from that opening. Someone may have opened it up to use grease instead of oil. That grinder has lots of oil holes, looks like.
    Jim
    It does look like there is a little bit of residual heavy grease inside the case so you may be right about someone having modified it

  8. #8
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    For some reason my memory is saying the 90º differential was for sharpeners used for scythe and cycle bar sharpening.

    That may be totally off the mark.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    For some reason my memory is saying the 90º differential was for sharpeners used for scythe and cycle bar sharpening.

    That may be totally off the mark.

    jtk
    You may be right about that Jim. I've seen a few of them in this area, farming area, mounted vertically with the crank on the bottom. Never saw one in use or asked about it.
    Jim

  10. #10
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    I agree with Jim. It is a grinder for sharpening those pyramid shaped scythe(sp???) bars(IZZAT THE RIGHT WORD???) It has the wrong type wheel on it,too. They probably still sell those wheels that come up to a sharp peak in the middle,and are pretty wide for their diameter. They fit between the pyramid shaped teeth. You don't want the correct wheel anyway. With the crank at that odd 90º angle,it might not be usable as a bench grinder anyway. Personally,I HATE those grinders. They were the only thing I had as a kid on those old fashioned light houses I grew up on. Hard for a 4 or 5 year old to hold something with one hand and try accurately grinding while turning the crank. Especially with those old, gray ewheels! Had to be careful: might accidentally remove some small bit of metal while furiously turning the crank!! Those light houses even had old wooden planes in the garage. And,not in good shape after many years near the salty sea.

    I am no farmer,but that is what I think it is. And,the hole is just plain a hole where somebody must have dropped it when it was taken apart,breaking off the corner. The best way for you to fix it by simple means is to get the surfaces of the crack good and clean. Maybe hit them with a file,and build up the missing material with J.B. Weld. That stuff is hard as blazes when hardened up,and should serve just fine as a patch repair,with no mechanical stress on it. I advise building it up in layers and be sure to keep the grease and oil off the J.B. while you are gradually building it up. It is sticky as can be and unless you back up the broken area with stiff paper,you might not be able to keep the JB from sagging. In fact,I recommend just that. Paper won't hurt anything it touches inside the mechanism.

    Do try the left hand thread possibility on it. A few years ago I made a free nut for a member here,but his grinder was the CORRECT type for sharpening tools. Might have been a L.H. thd. Can't recall. I think it had an odd thread of about 20 TPI. Odd for its diameter. I sawed a bit of the top off of my milling machine's draw bar to get an easy piece of hexagonal steel. The draw bar was amply long enough anyway. Didn't feel like digging through my 2 or 3 tons of metal bar stock to find another source!
    Last edited by george wilson; 02-17-2017 at 9:32 AM.

  11. #11
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    I think you all may be talking about a "sickle bar" mower. We had those when I was a kid, but the more modern type that have serrated triangle shaped teeth you can remove and replace individually if you hit something and mess one up.

  12. #12
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    Milwaukee, WI
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    Yeah, I was/am initially skeptical to the orientation of the crank. I do have another grinder from Carborundum Co that is in a more typical orientation of a bench grinder I guess. But it is in much rougher shape. It does not crank. Will go about a half turn and then gets stuck. So I figured the Luther grinder would be easier to get back into service. If the crank orientation makes it too difficult to use for my application though, maybe I should just open up this Carborundum and see if I can figure out what's going on in there.

    IMG_0988.jpg

  13. #13
    Hi George

    I'm the guy for whom you made those grinder parts. Thanks again.
    Here are a few photos for those wondering what we're talking about.

    best made 001.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Joe Bailey; 02-17-2017 at 8:01 PM.

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