My old grinder was made by Craftsman some 50 or 60 years ago. I picked up for next to nothing, and it does the job. Modern grinders usually come equipped with eye shields, something I’d recommend for the numerous safety reasons.

What I use it for

I use my grinder almost every time I’m in the shop. Sometimes I’ll use it to clean up a part that’s rusty, dirty or rough. I also grind down welds, shape sheet metal and polish hardware with it’s wire wheel. I can use it on:

• Sheet metal
• Aluminum
• Angle Iron
• Nuts and bolts
• Custom tooling

Where to get one

Dewalt makes a nice 8″ unit that is currently on sale at Amazon.com. It has the eye shields, 8″ wheels and plenty of power. Here’s the details on how to get it during the sale:

A punch is a metal tool that is cylindical along it’s length with a flat end. You can buy them in different sizes, depending on the size of the item you need to punch out. I saved myself a few bucks and made my own out of a standard framing nail. Using my bench grinder, I formed the end to be able to fit inside the holes that the pins are inside. Then, using a small hammer, I placed the punch behind the pin and tapped it out from behind.

Of course, not all tags can be reached from behind so you’ll have to try alternate methods for those. I’ve found that very thin putty knives can sometimes get underneath the head of a pin, and if worked gently enough can slowely coax the pin out. Care must be taken though to not break off the head. If that does happen though, all is not lost. Almost all of the holes for pins are drilled all the way through, so you can use a tap to push the broken pin all the way through the hole and out the other side. Then, get a replacement pin and you’re set!

• No excess material is removed – using abrasives to remove rust often removes some of the steel or iron as well.
• No caustic chemicals – the by-products of electrolysis are not really hazardous (with the exception lead, if your parts have lead-based paint on them).
• Cheap – the cost of electrolysis is a lot lower than sandblasting, chemical stripper, etc.

Come along while I explain the materials needed and the process.

Basics

Rust is chemically known as Ferrous Oxide. Basically, it’s formed by oxidation. Electrolysis is the process of reversing this oxidation.Basically, the parts you want to clean are placed in a solution, then electrical current is applied to the part and a piece of scrap metal that acts as a ‘receiver’ for the rust. This scrap piece is referred to as the Anode and over time it will be slowly worn away by the process, so only use something you don’t care about. I use re-bar for my anodes and have found that the slenderness and price make them perfect.

Materials

• Water
• Plastic container/bucket/barrel
• Sodium Carbonate (aka Washing Soda)
• 12 volt car battery charger (non-smart type)
• Scrap metal Anode (I really like using Re-Bar for this as I can cut it to length and it’s easy to find)
• Wire brush

Step 1: Mix the solution

The first step is to mix the solution. My main tank is a 50 gallon plastic barrel, which I fill mostly with water then mix in a couple cups of the Washing Soda. There has been debate about the best mixture ratio but most people concede that it doesn’t really matter. After you pour in the washing soda, you want to stir it really well to get the best mixture that you can.

Step 2: Attach everything

Proper setup of the wiring is critical. If you wire it backwards, your part to be cleaned will end up more rusty. The correct method of connecting the power is to connect the Negative (-) wire from the battery charger to the part you want to clean. The Positive (+) part get’s attached to the Anode.

Since the Anode ends up getting all rusty and corroded during this process it’s prudent to keep your Positive battery charger terminal out of the water. Since I use lengths of rebar for my anodes I usually make them tall enough to stuck out of the water a bit, then I can click the power terminal to the part that is not submerged.

For the connection to the part, it’s probably best to run a wire from your charger terminal to the part underwater.

A very important note: The anode and the part can never be touching while the power is on. If they touch at all, this short circuits the process. You don’t want that to happen, so make sure they don’t touch when you have the charger on.

If all is in place, and the anode and part are not touching, go ahead and turn on/plug in the batter charger. You should see the amp meter on the charger jump a little. After a while you’ll start to see some bubbles collecting at the surface of the water. This is good, it means that the process is working.

Step 3: Clean the anode(s)

After your part has been ‘cooking’ for a while, you’ll want to turn off the charger and inspect the anode. Usually after a little while it gets really cruddy, from all of the rust being transferred to it from the part. The more dirty it is the less effective it will be, so you need to clean it off with a wire brush often. The timeframe for this just really depends. Experiment with it and you’ll find a duration that works for you.

Step 4: Dry and wipe clean

After a while, once the process has run it’s course, you’ll want to disconnect power and pull your part out of the solution. You’ll know that it’s finished when there is no more red rust or paint and the surface is covered in a black sheen. That black stuff is Ferric Oxide, the neutralized version of rust. After you get your part out you’ll want to get it dried off to prevent it from rusting again. I use my air compressor for this, blowing the water off with a air nozzle. Sometimes I’ll even go so far as to dry it off with a rag. If you aren’t planning on getting to the part for a while you might want to coat it liberally in DW-40, although you’ll have to clean that off before you paint the part.

Sometimes after drying, there will still be some black ferric oxide on the part. This is really easy to remove, either by wiping down with a rag, steel wool, or a wire wheel.

I purchased both of these Delta Heavy Duty shapers from a gentlemen in a town a little south from where I live. Included in the deal is a full wall cabinet full of tooling: 3 wing cutters, spindles, slip-knife cutters, spindles, wrenches, etc. These shapers are great machines capable of a wide array of work. They are big enough to handle large work but not so heavy you can’t move one if you really have to.

The one thing that really requires work on these shapers is the spindle cartridge. That’s the piece that the motor drives, and is what holds the removable spindles. The bearings go bad after so many years, and they are put together in such a way that doing it yourself is really hard, if not impossible, because of the preload and fit that is necessary for proper function. I know a guy in Texas that I’m going to send mine to, he’s very experienced with these and charges a real fair price to take it all apart, put in new bushings, bearings, then preload and get it dialed in. If you are interested in the same service, you can find the info and have your spindle rebuilt here.

It’s 10″ blade capacity allowed it to be used as both a hobbyist as well as production machine. The heavy cast-iron internal castings are strong and resist flexing or deflection.

I finally came across one locally at the price I wanted. It’s show here with the table removed for transport. It’ll be used alot in my shop, that’s for sure. In my opinion, the unisaw is the best in it’s category. The only other saw I’d ever get is an Oliver but that’s a whole other animal, both in it’s weight as well as restoration cost. The bearings on the unisaw are considerably cheaper than on the Oliver saws.

These saws were equipped with both single and 3-phase motors, so if you don’t have a phase converter, be sure to check the motor’s phase before you purchase it.

The important thing when looking at these sanders are the spindles. They are made in several different sizes, each one holding sandpaper roll. Depending on your work, you may only ever need one or two. I was lucky enough that mine was complete with all of the spindles that Max makes for it, as well as the 3 original throat plates and wrenches. The spindles can run up a huge bill, several times more than the actual sander, so try to get a machine that has the spindles that you need.

The original throat plates are also very valuable too, although replacements can be made easily from wood or a synthetic such as plastic.

When inspecting a similar machine, be sure to check the trunnions for cracks, it’s a common problem that will cost you a bundle to get repaired.

If you’re going to restore any machines or motors, you’ll end up needing one of these. Sure, you could go down to your local machine shop and have them use theirs, but you’ll have to do that every single time you need something pressed. If you buy your own, then you’ll be set for any future projects.

Commonly called an Arbor Press, or a Bearing Press, it’s uses are actually alot more varied than just bearing-related projects. You can bend/straighten metal, use dies to cut and fold sheet metal, etc etc.

What I use it for

• Pressing out motor bearings
• Stuck shafts or collars
• Broaching
• Straightening bent shafts.

Where to get one

You can try Craigslist or any other listing service, or you can buy one new. Harbor freight has some, as well as industrial outlets. Of course the easiest and quickest place to get one is Amazon.com. They have a Palmgren 2-Ton unit just like mine for a nice price:

For delicate polishing, cutting, grinding, and sanding operations there really is nothing better than a Dremel tool. I got my Dremel Multi-Pro last year for Christmas and I’ve used it a ton this year. I got a couple extras that were really helpful to have.

First, I got the keyless chuck to replace the standard one. Having to mess with the wrenches for the standard chuck is a pain. The keyless chuck only takes about 10 seconds to install, and then whenever you want to change the bit, it’s a 2-second job. For a few bucks you can’t go wrong.

The other extra I got was the super-accessory assortment which has pretty much everything you’ll need for a while. It’s a lot less stressful when you’re in the middle of a project to reach into the kit and grab a new cutting wheel than to have to stop what you’re doing and drive to Home Depot.

What I use it for

Polishing machinery tags, trimming babbit bearings, cutting off frozen bearings, sanding down metal surfaces, etc. It’s one versatile tool!

Where to get it

I bought mine off Amazon, which was the cheapest place, not to mention they have great service. Here’s the link for the Dremel tool plus the extras I got:

I picked up this little welder several years ago and have not regretted it one bit. It’s a great tool to have and can weld most of what a normal person needs. I’ve used it to weld up car exhaust systems, machinery stands and more.

Since it doesn’t use gas like a MIG welders, it’s cheap and easy to use. Another nice thing about it that it runs on the standard 110 volts, instead of 220, so you can plug it in anywhere.

How I use it

Combined with some heavy leather welding gloves and a welding mask, I can mate pretty much any ferrous metal that I need to. Future projects that I’m going to use this for are:

• Fabricating a clone t-square fence for my Unisaw table saw
• Making custom rolling machine stands, for a fraction of the cost of the commercial units
• Repairing and modifying Delta paw-foot stands

Where to get one

Amazon has a great deal right now on reconditioned units for $137.00 – which is a steal. Here’s the link to get it:
Campbell Hausfeld RBWF200000 115 Volt Wire Feed Welder

Update: I’ve sold this machine. It’s going to a good home!