Restoring the old motor

Jeff Horton

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The Heart of Dixie
I thought I posted photos but I can't find them. This is an unknown motor that was powering a Greaves Klusman 24" jointer.

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The machine is being restored by Keith Rucker the founder of OWWM.org., for use in the Georgia Agrarama Museum. I don't know details about the museum but I am under the impression it is a working museum. The machine is destine to be line shaft driven once again so the motor was surplus.

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Friend of mine that donated the jointer to Keith gave me the motor. It is a very neat looking motor but in sad looking shape. Nice thing is it runs! It his 3 phase and I working on getting 3 phase in the shop so I have not heard it run. He hooked it up and said it was so smooth and quite he thought it was dead till he walked over to it and to his surprise saw it running.

I have been working on it off and on for a few weeks. All the other projects are at a stopping point so it's time to get this one done while I wait on the parts for the RpC to come in. I worked on the bell ends yesterday and got them cleaned, primed and painted.

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Went to motor shop and talked to them about doing some work on the windings and he told me to do it myself, that it was going to cost way to much. Nothing like an honest man! Gave me some advice on varnishing the windings and how to repair the leads. So this week I hope to get that done and hopefully will be ready to start putting the motor back together.

Jeff
 
Looks great Jeff, you are the king of the Old Arn round these parts! :thumb:

BTW, if you can, name the repair shop and the honest fellow who gave you that good advice.

Cheers!:wave:
 
Maybe these guys.....?

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Nothing to add, but I got this motor recentely which came off a Yates-American 8" jointer, circa 1930s (J-31). You might remember a holdfast I forged and posted a pic of here for woodworking, it was trade for this motor, along with another I haven't forged yet...

FWIW, Louis Allis was the first company to put motors on woodworking machines around 1907-1908. Yates-American used them almost exclusively, along with some others, but Louis Allis was the primary maker.

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Jeff, your motor's looking good!
 
Stu,

I haven't powered it up, so not sure, but I would be VERY surprised if it didn't work.

It's rare to find these old motors that have been swapped out for single phase to not run.

The person I bought it from replaced it with a single phase motor.

I have another older motor, that pre-dates this one by at least 10 years or more, it's a 1 1/2 HP GE motor. It's about twice as big as this one, easily. That will go on my Crescent 8" Jointer, and is similar era.

I have a special spot in my heart for Yates-American equipment of any type, to own it is to love it.:thumb: I couldn't pass up an opportunity for an older Louis Allis motor, if you were looking for one it would be like pulling teeth to find.:huh:

PS - I think I'm coming to Japan in November, my company is holding a conference that I'll most likely be presenting at.
 
Alan, that looks like an Oliver tag on that motor.

The 5hp I am going to use on the bandsaw is an old Allis Chalmers. I didn't even know they made motors till I got this one. It's not special other than than being cast iron and huge!

And yea, I love the Yates American tools. Still would like to swap my J-Line for true YA lathe. They have the best styling of any lathe.

Jeff
 
Jeff,

I don't own any Oliver equipment, but yes, they do have plates like Yates-American motors did, and were Louis Allis motors in many cases as I recall. Most all of the large manufacturers used those motors, for the industrial equipment. By industrial I mean, Yates-American, Oliver, Tannewitz, etc...the heavy cast iron stuff, not sheet steel.

Even the Junior Duty Line is quite hefty, IMO, and even that stuff is is more industrial than much of the sheet steel machines.

The Y-series machines are really good stuff, and anything with a B-xxxxx serial number is worth having in any shop.

A No. 12 or a No. 13 lathe would be the cat's meow...:thumb:

If you hadn't noticed, I'm always on the lookout for Yates-American machines. Not to the point I'm like Mr. Cheeshead running around trying to figure out if I have the first machine, I hope I never get like that...I just like Yates-American.
 
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Cleaned and painted the center section of the motor. Just this morning I revarnished the motor windings. You just got to love that industrial green. :rofl: My other other choices were clear. - The winding will show and were just to nasty looking so they needed some color. Other choice was red. Just wasn't sure about red with the green center ban. Would have looked like Christmas decoration.

Now I wonder if green was such a good choice.:eek: Will wait till I get it put back together before I pass judgment.

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man jeff that color scheme looks like some of the kids cars i see on the road:eek: ....how`d you go about varnishing the windings? did you have to dip `em or brush? or something else?.....it`s lookin` good..(all except for that awfull green;) )........have you got your converter yet?
 
:rofl: It is ugly isn't it Todd? Well there is method to my madness. It's not the green I had hoped for but now that it is together, it's much better. And add some sawdust and oil from the bearings on there, it will darken up. ;)

I sprayed it. I found the varnish at Grainger and McMaster Carr. I had to order some parts from Grainger for RPC so just got it from them. As for the RPC I have most all the parts now and will be putting it together this next week. Still looking for one item on EBay. Trying to save some money. But it is close! I am ready to see these run and get back to building with wood and not metal.

Here is all put together. It need to get the lift over to pick it up. I can't lift it off the bench!

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I think it looks cool.

It has that retro styling to start (retro, like 100 years old!! :rofl:) so I think the wild color goes well, in an off the wall sort of way........;) :D

Isn't there supposed to be a long round thing sticking out of one end?
 
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