Mystery buffer

Aaron B · Jul 2, 2015

M.G.C. Hobart Bros. buffer?

I picked this up at an auction some years ago, and am now getting ready to run. Alas, there's no tag or identification anywhere. Any thoughts on the maker, horsepower, etc? All the picture I can find for Queen City, etc. show a square column, not round. Perhaps the round base is a transplant??

-Aaron

Georgineer · Jul 2, 2015

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm intrigued by the wheels, which aren't like any I've ever seen (except on a lawn mower). Can anybody say what they are used for?

George

Aaron B · Jul 2, 2015

It was set up as a backstand belt grinder. I missed the back rollers in at the sale as they had them separated from the grinder itself.

SouthBendModel34 · Jul 2, 2015

Aaron B wrote: "I missed the back rollers in at the sale as they had them separated from the grinder itself. "

To which I say: what a bummer!

Judging from the title you've given to the thread, you intend to use this as a buffer. What RPM does it turn? Seems to me a backstand belt grinder would run slower than a buffer.

John Ruth

L Vanice · Jul 2, 2015

SouthBendModel34 said:
Aaron B wrote: "I missed the back rollers in at the sale as they had them separated from the grinder itself. "

To which I say: what a bummer!

Judging from the title you've given to the thread, you intend to use this as a buffer. What RPM does it turn? Seems to me a backstand belt grinder would run slower than a buffer.

John Ruth

There is a relationship between the RPM, the wheel diameter, and the material to be sanded or polished, just as turning and milling have similar relationships. Surface speed is what you want to think about.

Larry

DocsMachine · Jul 2, 2015

Aaron B said:
It was set up as a backstand belt grinder. I missed the back rollers in at the sale as they had them separated from the grinder itself.

-Would you be interested in selling one or both wheels?

Doc.

Aaron B · Jul 2, 2015

I am going to keep the contact wheels for the moment, as I may return it to being a backstand grinder in the future. Pending making or finding tail pulleys.

I guess I term it a "buffer" instead of "grinder" in light of the longer shafts, and lack of tool rests. The mechanical tachometer says it runs at 1800RPM nominal.

Right now it's going to be set up with a 12" Bear-Tex wheel, and a 12" flap wheel. Just need to fabricate a set of hoods, and get the VFD wired up. Probably should knock it apart for a bearing change too, but not sure if I'm that ambitious right the moment.

Any thoughts on a good source for adapters and flanges? The Bear-Tex wheel has a 5" bore which I'll need to adapt to the 1¼" shaft. A set of Norton bushings look to be about $140, eek! I'll probably end up turning my own.

-Aaron

SouthBendModel34 · Jul 2, 2015

A source for adapters & Flanges? The nearest lathe !

JoeE. · Jul 2, 2015

I believe I've got the twin to that thing.
Will have to check to see if it's got a readable tag on the motor. Mine has guards around the wheels. Wire wheels..

petersen · Jul 2, 2015

"M G C"......Motor Generator Corporation.

Division of Hobart Bros. Co. Troy Ohio.

Likely to be mod.83 ...3HP 1750 R P M

Aaron B · Jul 2, 2015

JoeE. said:
I believe I've got the twin to that thing.
Will have to check to see if it's got a readable tag on the motor. Mine has guards around the wheels. Wire wheels..

Pictures?

petersen said:
"M G C"......Motor Generator Corporation.

Division of Hobart Bros. Co. Troy Ohio.

Likely to be mod.83 ...3HP 1750 R P M

Thanks. Google isn't revealing anything, must not be a common machine.

If it's indeed 3HP then the VFD plan just went out the window. Time to explore varying the voltage balance on the RPC.

-Aaron

SouthBendModel34 · Jul 6, 2015

Is this the sort of grinding wheel flange that you had in mind?

Asron,

My last comment might have unintentionally come across as sort of brusque.

If I understand your posts correctly, you wish to mount grinding wheels with a large hole in the center. I found a helpful unscaled drawing with a Bing search:

Just be SURE to use stout wheel guards, because the centrifugal disintegration of any grinding wheel will kill or maim. At any given RPM, the bigger they are, the more potential energy they carry! The guards are a MUST; safety glasses ain't gonna stop a big chunk of rock headed toward your eye at high speed.

<Begin Edit> The current practice with grinding wheel guards is to include an adjustable "gate" at the top of the guard. The guard is adjusted to within about 1/8" of the rotating wheel. I believe this is required by OSHA in any shop with multiple employees.

I don't want to sound like I'm on some sort of a rant, but I'm reminded of a shop poster I saw many decades ago:
"The world will leave you far behind
if you goof and end up blind!"
Please be careful with this grinder conversion. <End Edit>

John Ruth

Aaron B · Jul 6, 2015

John, no umbrage taken.

I'm a firm supporter of proper guarding.

The plan is to run a flap wheel, and a Bear-Tex convolute wheel, maybe a wire wheel in the future, but no stones. Seems to me that buffer style guards would be most appropriate for these.

On a side note, running wire wheels with a conventional bench grinder guard and rest scares the piss out of me. I know at least one guy who lost a finger with that setup.

-Aaron

magicmaker · Jul 6, 2015

AaronB,
I have an old back roller from a belt grinder I picked up years ago. It has rust all over it but could clean up and work just fine. The roller still rolls freely - bearings feel good. If interested, I could take a pic of it. You could place it behind one of the wheels to fit a standard belt size and you would be in business.
Jim

SouthBendModel34 · Jul 24, 2015

Aaron B:

In Post #7, you mentioned that you might want to return your buffer to being a backstand grinder in the future.

Well, you can thank Shandit66 for discovering this web page wherein U.S. Electrical Tool offers backstands and related items:

U.S. Electrical Tool Grinder Accessories

Even if you did not buy the backstands from U.S. Electrical Tool, there's at lease a picture of what you'd have to build.

John Ruth

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