Desoutter Portable Grinder Refurb

[Dieselman 63]

Just as I finish one 1950s grinder, I thought I’d start another! Today I got a 6” Desoutter grinder, ‘portable’ at 9kg The plan is a full strip down, clean the insides, polish the outsides and use it!

The good points - the motor works, none of the steel screws were seized or broke (though all needed impact driving off), all the castings are complete and not broken.

The bad points - the switch is stuck on, one Bakelite brush cover shattered when I tried to remove it, it’s very oxidised and dirty all over (appears to have worked outside, clay in places).

 

[Dieselman 63]

I’ve managed to fully disassemble the machine. It was a bit tricky in places but I got there. The brushes have loads of life left in them! The stator is a press fit, bet that will be easier to put in than it was to take out! The rotor is still stuck to a few spacer plates for the air cooling system, I’ll have to work out how to free them... the switch is one of those big old school types. I’ll try to fix it before buying a replacement.

Lastly is a picture of me holding the thing once I’d got it out of the box - it was heavy! You can get a sling for these and I might try and get my sister to sew one!

 

[pedrobedro]

There were a couple like that on a fettling job I had many years ago. One of the lads was using one inside a casting and the stone jammed, it spun his hand round and took his thumb off against the lip of the casting. It was reattached but he never regained the use of it.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Those were always used on our titanium plant with a wire wheel, very good robust machines,

 

[Dieselman 63]

Those were always used on our titanium plant with a wire wheel, very good robust machines,

I plan on using it for just that! Or a polishing mop if I can do that somehow.

There were a couple like that on a fettling job I had many years ago. One of the lads was using one inside a casting and the stone jammed, it spun his hand round and took his thumb off against the lip of the casting. It was reattached but he never regained the use of it.

Yeah honestly the thought of a 6” stone on the end frightens me! That must have been awful to witness.

I went to the fluorspar mines in Matlock (I think) and they had pneumatic rock drill from the late 1800s in the mine and hoses everywhere. The drill bits were about five feet long and the machine about the size of a microwave oven. If the bits snagged, the machine would spin uncontrollably and throw the operator across the mine. Super scary.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Just as I finish one 1950s grinder, I thought I’d start another!

You're a real glutton for punishment! Keep the updates/progress reports coming .

 

[gordon stephenson]

Can't remember the name of the wire brushes but they had the bristles crimped and embedded in hard rubber at the hub end.

 

[Dieselman 63]

You're a real glutton for punishment! Keep the updates/progress reports coming .

Who can complain when they run as good as they look?

 

[Dieselman 63]

Can't remember the name of the wire brushes but they had the bristles crimped and embedded in hard rubber at the hub end.

Well there you go, I have learned something

https://www.pferdusa.com/products/208f/index.html

 

[500e]

Did some work in a shop where a fitter was killed by a BIG drill, happily drilling then seized handle spun round & hit his head

 

[Dieselman 63]

Did some work in a shop where a fitter was killed by a BIG drill, happily drilling then seized handle spun round & hit his head

I’ve been reading a book from the 1930s with factual accounts from the coal mines of Yorkshire, they use the same rock drills as I saw in Derbyshire, which apparently sound like a machine gun at full pelt in a 3-4ft high tunnel. Such awful working conditions - pitch black too even with the lamps, the dust filled the air.

 

[500e]

Read a book years ago about tunnelling & rock drilling in the US & Europe ( Simplon tunnel) some of the rock drillers in the US were using 2 hammers one in each hand with aprox 100 strokes to the minute, makes us a bit wimpy.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Read a book years ago about tunnelling & rock drilling in the US & Europe ( Simplon tunnel) some of the rock drillers in the US were using 2 hammers one in each hand with aprox 100 strokes to the minute, makes us a bit wimpy.

The effort that went into work back then was immense. Over here, early railways were built without explosives and sometimes without horses. Rails and sleepers were delivered by ship, and carried across land. In winter the rails were so cold they could strip the skin from workers hands if they slipped.

‘The road to Wigan Pier’ by George Orwell is quite enlightening, worth a read.

 

[Maker]

That'll look great all shiny. Did you see The Black Box's post on polishing?

 

[eddie49]

Can't remember the name of the wire brushes but they had the bristles crimped and embedded in hard rubber at the hub end.

Well there you go, I have learned something

https://www.pferdusa.com/products/208f/index.html

I have bought this type of encapsulated/embedded rotary wire brush in USA. They were known as "mule skinners"....sounds pretty graphic!

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Nice machine but I think it’s fair to say that ones gonna hurt you!

 

[Dieselman 63]

Nice machine but I think it’s fair to say that ones gonna hurt you!

We shall see if I can get it back together first!