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Antique Brown & Sharpe Grinder

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

Reply to
Bob AZ
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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 Laws>Saw an Antique Brown & Sharpe grinder today. Single large wheel was

Reply to
Brian Lawson

You describe it well except the spindle is horizontal.

Thanks Bob AZ

Reply to
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 :

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example without water trough.

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

Reply to
Bruce in Bangkok

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

Reply to
Gerald Miller

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)

Reply to
Bruce in Bangkok

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