Saw an Antique Brown & Sharpe grinder today. Single large wheel was
about 24 " diameter. 3" thick. Maybe used to be hand operated by a big
person. Rotated in a tub that could be filled with water. Tub was cast
with the Browne & Sharpe name on the side. Maybe 500 pounds. total.
Definitely old. Perhaps 100 years. Looked to be powered later in life
by a 3 HP motor. Had an anvil at each side of the grinding wheel.
Definitely not the precision grinder thet we are all used too.
Reminded me of the foot power grinders om my childhood. 70+ years ago.
But the wheel is big. Real big. No handwheels or crank so perhaps this
was all removed when a motor was added.

Sorry but I did not have my camera with me.

Any leads would be appreciated.

Bob AZ

Hey Bob,

Gee, from your description, it could be a "Blanchard" type. Is the
spindle vertical? And with no adjustments, it may have been used to
smooth castings. I've seen something like that in a foundry where
they make fire hydrant valves. It had two bars as "stops". The raw
castings were put in one section, they came to rest against the
"first" stop bar, they were ground away on until they fit under the
bar and passed into the next section where they were flipped over and
ground away again until they fit under that bar and then taken out as
they came around. If the operator missed one, it just went on through
again, but of course nothing was ground any more as it passes under
both bars.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:55:25 -0800 (PST), Bob AZ
wrote:

Saw an Antique Brown & Sharpe grinder today. Single large wheel was
about 24 " diameter. 3" thick. Maybe used to be hand operated by a big
person. Rotated in a tub that could be filled with water. Tub was cast
with the Browne & Sharpe name on the side. Maybe 500 pounds. total.
Definitely old. Perhaps 100 years. Looked to be powered later in life
by a 3 HP motor. Had an anvil at each side of the grinding wheel.
Definitely not the precision grinder thet we are all used too.
Reminded me of the foot power grinders om my childhood. 70+ years ago.
But the wheel is big. Real big. No handwheels or crank so perhaps this
was all removed when a motor was added.

Sorry but I did not have my camera with me.

Any leads would be appreciated.

Bob AZ

Gee, from your description, it could be a "Blanchard" type. �Is the
spindle vertical? �And with no adjustments, it may have been used to
smooth castings.

Brian Lawson,

You describe it well except the spindle is horizontal.

Thanks
Bob AZ

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:55:25 -0800 (PST), Bob AZ
wrote:

Saw an Antique Brown & Sharpe grinder today. Single large wheel was
about 24 " diameter. 3" thick. Maybe used to be hand operated by a big
person. Rotated in a tub that could be filled with water. Tub was cast
with the Browne & Sharpe name on the side. Maybe 500 pounds. total.
Definitely old. Perhaps 100 years. Looked to be powered later in life
by a 3 HP motor. Had an anvil at each side of the grinding wheel.
Definitely not the precision grinder thet we are all used too.
Reminded me of the foot power grinders om my childhood. 70+ years ago.
But the wheel is big. Real big. No handwheels or crank so perhaps this
was all removed when a motor was added.

Sorry but I did not have my camera with me.

Any leads would be appreciated.

Bob AZ


If this is a single wheel mounted vertically on a sawhorse like frame
it sounds like what every farm was equipped with years ago. Initially
driven with a crank or treadle and used to sharpen scythes, sickles,
mowing machine cutter bars and all the other cutting implements used
on the farm.
See : http://wichita.craigslist.org/clt/567499338.html
for example without water trough.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:remove underscores
from address for reply)

On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:34:20 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:



If this is a single wheel mounted vertically on a sawhorse like frame
it sounds like what every farm was equipped with years ago. Initially
driven with a crank or treadle and used to sharpen scythes, sickles,
mowing machine cutter bars and all the other cutting implements used
on the farm.
See : http://wichita.craigslist.org/clt/567499338.html
for example without water trough.

The water trough was normally half a tire
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:22:26 -0500, Gerald Miller
wrote:

On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:34:20 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:



If this is a single wheel mounted vertically on a sawhorse like frame
it sounds like what every farm was equipped with years ago. Initially
driven with a crank or treadle and used to sharpen scythes, sickles,
mowing machine cutter bars and all the other cutting implements used
on the farm.
See : http://wichita.craigslist.org/clt/567499338.html
for example without water trough.

The water trough was normally half a tire
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Usually after the original rusted out because the kids left water in
the trough, and the bottom of the wheel got soft, and the kids got
thumped for using the grinder without telling anybody :-)

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(Note:remove underscores
from address for reply)