DocsMachine
Titanium
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2005
- Location
- Southcentral, AK
I have an old Van Dorn (Black & Decker) valve and tool grinder that I'm trying to refurbish/restore.
Except that I think I have the only one in existence!
According to Google, there is zero information on this unit online. According to Black & Decker, it was obsoleted and no longer supported as of 1954 or so. There are no photos, no catalog pages, no references whatsoever to this machine.
I can find pictures of B&D's as far back as 1938, but not this machine, and there are no references to "Van Dorn" valve grinders that show this particular machine.
Now, it's pretty complete, thankfully. Needs a good cleaning and some new spindle bearings, an oil pump and almost certainly some minor repairs, but the previous owner had the motor rewound already, I have a boxful of stones and dressers, the dresser fixture, the rightside stem-dressing assemblies, the cabinet in good shape, and so on. Both axis- work head and grinder head- travel smoothly.
However...
The work head has a couple of unique aspects; first, it's an air chuck. That silver flapper on the back is an air valve, which clamps the valve stem. I have not pressurized it yet. Second, it can take up to 1-1/4" valve stems (!)- but uses unique collets, different even from other contemporary Black & Decker valve grinders.
I have one collet, about a 5/8" or so. Probably has a clamping range of about a quarter inch, it's pretty open.
I would really, really like to find a manual for this thing- at least for the work head and it's motor.
I would also like to confirm the collet dimensions; I think the one I have is the correct type, but I don't know. It fits, but the work head has a huge space for collets, and I have only supposition to go on.
Better yet, I'd love to get any one or all of the rest of the collets, if at all possible, as well as other nose cone(s)- this one's about 11/16", so there must be larger ones for the larger collets.
Last and probably least- but still very useful- I'd love to see some other photos, ads or catalog entries of this machine. Mine's been repaired at least once (the oil catch tray in front had it's hinge replaced- steel riveted to the cast aluminum body- and not pop rivets either!) and repainted sometime (it was slopped on with a rather indescriminate brush) and I'd like to compare notes if possible.
I'm not too worried about an actual restoration, but I would like to keep it relatively close to "stock". I have visions of making bolt-on adapters for tool grinding, but that comes later.
Any information you might have or leads I can chase, will be welcomed.
Thanks.
Doc.
Except that I think I have the only one in existence!
According to Google, there is zero information on this unit online. According to Black & Decker, it was obsoleted and no longer supported as of 1954 or so. There are no photos, no catalog pages, no references whatsoever to this machine.
I can find pictures of B&D's as far back as 1938, but not this machine, and there are no references to "Van Dorn" valve grinders that show this particular machine.
Now, it's pretty complete, thankfully. Needs a good cleaning and some new spindle bearings, an oil pump and almost certainly some minor repairs, but the previous owner had the motor rewound already, I have a boxful of stones and dressers, the dresser fixture, the rightside stem-dressing assemblies, the cabinet in good shape, and so on. Both axis- work head and grinder head- travel smoothly.
However...
The work head has a couple of unique aspects; first, it's an air chuck. That silver flapper on the back is an air valve, which clamps the valve stem. I have not pressurized it yet. Second, it can take up to 1-1/4" valve stems (!)- but uses unique collets, different even from other contemporary Black & Decker valve grinders.
I have one collet, about a 5/8" or so. Probably has a clamping range of about a quarter inch, it's pretty open.
I would really, really like to find a manual for this thing- at least for the work head and it's motor.
I would also like to confirm the collet dimensions; I think the one I have is the correct type, but I don't know. It fits, but the work head has a huge space for collets, and I have only supposition to go on.
Better yet, I'd love to get any one or all of the rest of the collets, if at all possible, as well as other nose cone(s)- this one's about 11/16", so there must be larger ones for the larger collets.
Last and probably least- but still very useful- I'd love to see some other photos, ads or catalog entries of this machine. Mine's been repaired at least once (the oil catch tray in front had it's hinge replaced- steel riveted to the cast aluminum body- and not pop rivets either!) and repainted sometime (it was slopped on with a rather indescriminate brush) and I'd like to compare notes if possible.
I'm not too worried about an actual restoration, but I would like to keep it relatively close to "stock". I have visions of making bolt-on adapters for tool grinding, but that comes later.
Any information you might have or leads I can chase, will be welcomed.
Thanks.
Doc.