After getting out of the clink this summer I was in serious need of mental distraction. Lucky for me, the ex and one of her friends had something.
Her friend's father had dies several years ago, her mother a couple of years ago and their house had stood empty since. Her father was one of those Depression Era guys who kept everything. He also had a brass foundry (also laying fallow). At home he had a mini-foundry that he used to make artisan brass works (hose bib handles shaped like animals, sculptures, and the like).
So her friend hires me to clean up the place. 3 20 cubic yard dumpsters of trash in the yard, there was a garage completely packed full of boxes and crap. After digging the garage out enough to move around I found an entire shop worth of industrial tools: 8" bench grinder, 20" Delta/Rockwell metal/wood bandsaw, 17" Delta/Rockwell drill press, DeWalt Radial Arm Saw, double arm polisher, Delta Unisaw, several bench and pipe vices, cutting torches and a MIG welder, shop air compressor, and a shit-ton of hand tools. A treasure trove of 1940s and 1950s cast iron shop tools. That are heavily used, rusted from years of un-use.
After finding these beauties, I asked her if she would be willing to trade some of my work for some of these tools and she agreed. While I have done contracting and architecture pretty much my whole life, I've never been much good at electronics/electrical or mechanical work. Sure, I can pull wire through a house and wire up outlets...but electrical motors? I can change my oil and spark plugs, but break down an engine? But looking at all these classic tools that you just can't buy anymore — sure you can buy a 20" band saw, but not one that will be here in 50 years...
Now I have a new hobby.
The first one I decided to undertake was the Dayton Electric 8" Bench Grinder. Plug was toast, switch was toast, she was in pretty sad shape.
Here she is prior to any work.
After the breakdown, paint stripping, de-rusting.
I then gave it a coat of primer and two coats of paint. Replaced the switch and power cord and all internal wiring, replaced the bearings, balanced the shaft runnout, greased her up and reassembled. Started right up and cleaned up a beat up old chisel just like she should.
And completed
Next on the list is the band saw.
Her friend's father had dies several years ago, her mother a couple of years ago and their house had stood empty since. Her father was one of those Depression Era guys who kept everything. He also had a brass foundry (also laying fallow). At home he had a mini-foundry that he used to make artisan brass works (hose bib handles shaped like animals, sculptures, and the like).
So her friend hires me to clean up the place. 3 20 cubic yard dumpsters of trash in the yard, there was a garage completely packed full of boxes and crap. After digging the garage out enough to move around I found an entire shop worth of industrial tools: 8" bench grinder, 20" Delta/Rockwell metal/wood bandsaw, 17" Delta/Rockwell drill press, DeWalt Radial Arm Saw, double arm polisher, Delta Unisaw, several bench and pipe vices, cutting torches and a MIG welder, shop air compressor, and a shit-ton of hand tools. A treasure trove of 1940s and 1950s cast iron shop tools. That are heavily used, rusted from years of un-use.
After finding these beauties, I asked her if she would be willing to trade some of my work for some of these tools and she agreed. While I have done contracting and architecture pretty much my whole life, I've never been much good at electronics/electrical or mechanical work. Sure, I can pull wire through a house and wire up outlets...but electrical motors? I can change my oil and spark plugs, but break down an engine? But looking at all these classic tools that you just can't buy anymore — sure you can buy a 20" band saw, but not one that will be here in 50 years...
Now I have a new hobby.
The first one I decided to undertake was the Dayton Electric 8" Bench Grinder. Plug was toast, switch was toast, she was in pretty sad shape.
Here she is prior to any work.
After the breakdown, paint stripping, de-rusting.
I then gave it a coat of primer and two coats of paint. Replaced the switch and power cord and all internal wiring, replaced the bearings, balanced the shaft runnout, greased her up and reassembled. Started right up and cleaned up a beat up old chisel just like she should.
And completed
Next on the list is the band saw.
