Making Bench Tools From Electric Motors

[cabinetman]

I've made several bench type tools out of electric motors that I picked up really cheap from garage sales and flea markets. On some you can mount directly on the shaft (if it's long enough), anything from buffing wheels to grinding stones. If the shaft isn't long enough, mount motor on a piece of plywood, put a pully on it and mount pillow blocks with an arbor, spaced the distance of a belt from the motor. You can vary the speed of the remote arbor by up/down sizing the pully on the motor, and up/down sizing the pully on the pillow blocks. Anyone done something similar to this?



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[charliex]

Memories.

Many years ago I made a 2 x 4 stand with a 1/2 horse motor mounted on a low shelf. The top, made of ply had a notch for the belt to pass through and fit into the stand with a belt sander mounted on it. I eventually made another top with a 8" bench grinder mounted on it. I can honestly say that it worked but I will not say well enough to continue with the Idea. If I recollect the major issue was vibration, it walked around the shop and made more noise than a thrashing machine. (mothers expression). It was almost the equivelent of the belt drive system I have seen in shops from the days of yore. A dedicated, "designed for it" motor on each tool is a far better system.
Thanks for asking.
Chas

[mleichtle]

I built a spindle sander with a plywood box, 1/2 hp motor, and a huge bolt with a bearing from sears. Total cost was about $30. It worked well for about a year, then it developed a vibration that I couldn't fix without a total rebuild, so I used it for heat and bought the rigid sander.

[Workman]

I have a 4" jointer which sits right next to my 13" Delta thickness planer. They are both on a double thickness MDF shelf with a slot cut for the pulley joining the motor and the jointer. The jointer is very handy for taking out "high spots" and squaring edges before a board goes to the BT3 for ripping. I've used it a lot. No idea what make the jointer is - came to me with a bunch of other items from my father's shop. He might have gotten it from his father's shop for all I know. I did put a link belt on it which removed any vibration. I also keep the knives sharp. Just for your information, in the 50s my dad had a shop with a number of pieces of equipment all in a line that had pulleys that could be engaged and disengaged from a drive shaft driven by a single large electric motor. Safety was something that happened later I think, but he kept all his fingers!

[gsmittle]

My dad had a grinder for years that was a pair of pillow blocks and a motor, belt driven. I have a couple of motors (including the one from the former grinder) and I plan on using one of them to make the drum sander featured in Shop Notes a couple months ago.

The other I'm not sure how I'm gonna use, but I'll think of something...

g.

[Pappy]

Haven't tried it, but I am thinking of building an edge sander that would give me a platen over 2' long.

[MoldnMaker]

I've tinkered with electric motors, but haven't built anything you could call a tool.

But my uncle made his own grinder and table saw with electric motors. The table saw was one scary looking rig, since not only did it cut wood it was made out of it. He passed away, but I think the saw is still at my grandmothers somewhere. I know the grinder is. I'll see if I can find it and get pics.