Or Another Box of Parts?

I am still working on the belt grinder.

As I lamented a day or two back, I found a really nice Mitsubishi TEFC motor for peanuts, and the Post Office broke it. It’s a mystery to me why people who transport other people’s things are so careless; it seems like those jobs bring out the ape and vandal in about half of the folks who take them. Look out an airplane window, and you can pretty much count on seeing a sullen twenty-something throwing suitcases just for fun. That’s a fact of life. The only solutions are heavy-duty packaging and damage claims.

The Mitsubishi was a 2-horse motor, intended to replace the open 2-HP motor I already had. I did not want metal filings and bits of abrasive going into the motor and killing it, so I had to get something that was enclosed. The Mitsubishi looked like a good deal. It was very cheap, and it was Japanese. Americans make better stuff than most people in the world, and the Japanese make stuff better than we do.

Once it was busted I had to go back to Ebay and search. The 2-HP offerings were not too bad, but they were limited. I had a thought: why not try 3-HP? That would expand the possibilities.

I was afraid it was too much motor for a belt grinder, but I Googled around and asked questions, and it turns out 3 is just about optimal. My VFD’s are rated for 3 HP, so there is no reason why I can’t move up. With effort, it is possible for a human being to bog a 2-HP grinder down somewhat. This doesn’t happen as easily with more power. Also, and I don’t know why this would be true, you can get more life out of belts with a bigger motor.

I can’t guarantee that last part, but it’s what I read. Something about bearing down on belts being better for them than light pressure. Maybe they load up less?

It sounds crazy.

I looked for brands that were well-made yet which didn’t receive the attention they deserved. You can find bargains that way. In the end, though, I went with an American-made Dayton motor. The price was great, and it looked nearly new. Now I’m hoping American Daytons are better than Taiwan and China Daytons. Not that I have had any problems with my late-model Dayton grinder, which is from one of those countries (I forget which).

The Dayton has a 182T frame, which has a different bolt pattern than the 184-frame Doerr I’ve been using. I’ll have to make a new platform. Also, a 182T frame has a bigger shaft, so I’ll have to bore out the drive wheel I bought, and then I’ll have to broach a keyway into it.

I found out what the “T” in motor frame names means. It means “thick.” It probably doesn’t really mean that, but if you see a “T” in a frame designation, it means the shaft is thicker than it would be without the “T.” A 182 frame has a 7/8″ shaft, like my drive wheel. A 182T has a 1 1/8″ shaft.

I deeply, deeply regret using Dupli-Color water-based Bed Armor truck bed paint on the first platform. It looks bad, it grabs dirt and grease, it peels, and I just found out it has another problem. It’s glue.

If you paint something with Bed Armor, and then a few days later you bolt a motor to it, the motor becomes attached to it permanently. It’s ridiculous. I had to remove the old motor from my grinder platform, and I found I couldn’t pull it off. I had to lift the motor, platform, and grinder together and put them on the floor. Then I was able to get the motor and grinder loose by pulling while standing on the platform. The paint where they had been sitting looked awful when I tore them off.

I have been wondering whether I could get away with cutting out a circle of air conditioner filter material and taping it over the air intake on the old motor, to stop crud from going in. I’ve learned that some people use pantyhose for this. But it would look stupid, and it might cut down the air flow too much, so why not get a motor that works without filtration?

I’m selling the Mitsubishi. The seller didn’t ask for it back, so I’m Craigslisting it. I figure I can get $50 for it. That will bring the effective price of the Dayton down pretty low.

As long as I’m talking about things no one cares about, let me walk back my rave review of Rust-Oleum Forged hammer finish paint. I still like it, but I learned something about it: you can’t put pressure on it for quite some time after it dries. Days after my motor’s paint job dried, I left the power cord looped over the top of the motor for a day or two, and the paint sort of tore. I don’t know how long it has to cure, but I would give it at least two weeks before putting pressure on it again. I sanded out the messed-up bit and sprayed over it with no problems, so the paint is very forgiving.

I intend to use the grinder the way it is until the new motor gets here. Then I’ll make a new platform and paint it, and I’ll bore out the drive wheel. Sounds like a day’s work.

It’s going to be cool, having a 2×72 grinder handy. It will change my life. There is no end of the problems you can solve by ripping material off of things with abrasive belts.

I’m hoping to finish off the knives I’m making. Shouldn’t take long at all. Then off they go to be hardened. I will post photos.

That’s it for this Wednesday. Pray my new motor arrives in one box.