How about a thread about CL and FB scores and deals you've actually picked up on old iron?
Saw this arbor press on FB last weekend for $150. I have a little baby one and the typical HF hydro but many times could have used a bigger arbor press. No problem getting my money back if I end up flipping it. No markings on it. Presumably an import. From the size, I'd say it's somewhere in the 3 to 5 ton range. Needs a straightening job on the handle...or a new one, and a paint job, but its serviceable as-is.
Then last night I see this grinder pop up. Seller didn't know anything about it and the data plate was missing off the motor, but I could tell it was a Baldor. From the pics I assumed it was a typical 7 or 8" model. I was hoping for single phase, but 3 phase wouldn't scare me away. I went and picked it up around dark thirty in a methy part of town. No plug on it so I couldn't test it, but the bearings felt good and baldors don't generally let the smoke out. I didn't get a chance to look it over very well, but for the price, I took the chance.
Got it home and started poking around. It is 3-phase and I was able to read the numbers on the wires and compare it to the baldor diagrams I found online and confirm it was low voltage - 230v. Even better, once I took the side covers off, I realized it was actually a 10" model and from what I can tell that means it's 1.5 HP!
I had a spare cheap chinese 3hp 110v VFD laying around that I bought to try out on one of my mills and/or the lathe I've been restoring. It didn't seem to work well for those, but worked perfectly on this one. Came right to life. Super smooth and quiet. The stone it appears to be a 1/4" one meant for a surface grinder, but I pushed a piece of 1/4" scrap in to it and couldn't come close to stalling it.
I need to order or make a couple pieces for it - missing one of the rests and I should probably get the eye guards back on it.
Paid $100 for it. I'll probably drop another $60 in parts to clean it up. The cheap VFD was like $125, but I already that. Not bad for a beast of a grinder that costs about $1k new.
It'll go well next to my other spinny machines. I picked up the Baldor buffer for basically free from a woman that was cleaning out her late husband's shop. The place was pretty well picked over and she said several people looked at it and plugged it in and it didn't work. I bought a bunch of other stuff and she said I could just take it with me. Took it home and opened it up and found one of the switch terminals broken off. $5 toggle switch later and it works like new. I still to order some real consumables for it - probably a deburring wheel and some scotchbrite discs.
I paid real money for the carbide grinder on ebay, but that was because I really needed one and they don't pop up locally very often. I'd love to find a Baldor, but those seem to fetch a hefty premium when they do appear.
Saw this arbor press on FB last weekend for $150. I have a little baby one and the typical HF hydro but many times could have used a bigger arbor press. No problem getting my money back if I end up flipping it. No markings on it. Presumably an import. From the size, I'd say it's somewhere in the 3 to 5 ton range. Needs a straightening job on the handle...or a new one, and a paint job, but its serviceable as-is.
Then last night I see this grinder pop up. Seller didn't know anything about it and the data plate was missing off the motor, but I could tell it was a Baldor. From the pics I assumed it was a typical 7 or 8" model. I was hoping for single phase, but 3 phase wouldn't scare me away. I went and picked it up around dark thirty in a methy part of town. No plug on it so I couldn't test it, but the bearings felt good and baldors don't generally let the smoke out. I didn't get a chance to look it over very well, but for the price, I took the chance.
Got it home and started poking around. It is 3-phase and I was able to read the numbers on the wires and compare it to the baldor diagrams I found online and confirm it was low voltage - 230v. Even better, once I took the side covers off, I realized it was actually a 10" model and from what I can tell that means it's 1.5 HP!
I had a spare cheap chinese 3hp 110v VFD laying around that I bought to try out on one of my mills and/or the lathe I've been restoring. It didn't seem to work well for those, but worked perfectly on this one. Came right to life. Super smooth and quiet. The stone it appears to be a 1/4" one meant for a surface grinder, but I pushed a piece of 1/4" scrap in to it and couldn't come close to stalling it.
I need to order or make a couple pieces for it - missing one of the rests and I should probably get the eye guards back on it.
Paid $100 for it. I'll probably drop another $60 in parts to clean it up. The cheap VFD was like $125, but I already that. Not bad for a beast of a grinder that costs about $1k new.
It'll go well next to my other spinny machines. I picked up the Baldor buffer for basically free from a woman that was cleaning out her late husband's shop. The place was pretty well picked over and she said several people looked at it and plugged it in and it didn't work. I bought a bunch of other stuff and she said I could just take it with me. Took it home and opened it up and found one of the switch terminals broken off. $5 toggle switch later and it works like new. I still to order some real consumables for it - probably a deburring wheel and some scotchbrite discs.
I paid real money for the carbide grinder on ebay, but that was because I really needed one and they don't pop up locally very often. I'd love to find a Baldor, but those seem to fetch a hefty premium when they do appear.
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