Because my OE led tail signals failed, I ordered new ones with amber led signals instead.




Why do my images reorient themselves as they see fit?


I was going through some stuff I had stashed away and found some classy old ****. A (very) antique pair of dividers, and a very fancy old Brown and Sharpe 0-1” micrometer. What makes it fancy, is that it’s frame is made from Stainless Steel, and it has carbide anvils. Also, it is graduated in “tenths.” This was a very expensive tool for the machinist who bought it new. Probably cost him a week’s pay.

Dividers are an archaic layout tool. A lot of prints were made 1:1 back in the day, so the machinist would take a measurement direct from the print and compare it to his part. You could also use it for reverse engineering a part to copy it. If you needed to layout bolt holes or find the center of something. Any number of uses.




Some of my recent haul of Iron.

All of the century motors are about 100-110 years old and will be stripped of paint and treated with a brand new coat of black enamel like they had when they were new.

From left to right:

A large frame 2HP century repulsion start/induction run motor(RSIR). It weighs over 300 pounds. This one runs at 1150ish rpm, and has a ****load of startup torque. With a shower of sparks from the commutator(totally normal) the motor spins up with an immense noise and inrush current. Once the speed is high enough, weights attached to levers on the rotor fly out lift the brushes up off the commutator with a loud crack, simultaneously dropping the short ring onto the commutator to make it run in induction mode. After this happens, it’s totally silent.

The next one is also a Century RSIR motor, but one frame size down. It is also 2HP but runs At 1750rpm. This one has a mild vibration in the rotor. I’ll be taking it apart to put it in the machine to sort that out.

The next one is a bit of a mystery in that the voltages are strange. I don’t remember off hand, but it might be designed for marine use. It is rated at 1.5hp RSIR

The last one is a 1hp motor, and I can’t quite get to the leads to fire it up. They’ve been cut flush at the box. RSIR

The big one on the bottom is a western electric (I think, can’t remember) 3hp. It is the biggest single phase motor I’ve ever had.

The shaft with step pulleys on the far right is called a jack shaft, and it gives some different speeds on the old lathe.

I also moved the lathe today into this building, but didn’t get any pictures of that ****show. That old ******* is heavy.

 

On the subject of Century Electric, they made motors of all sizes. They are mostly known for their small frame split phase motors used in fans and workshop tools like table saws and the like; they have a unique sound as they run. In my opinion, the best sounding electric motors, if you’re into that kinda thing.

Don’t judge me... I’m weird.


A Century S6 “Invincible” split phase perched on my mantle, next to a General Electric 1905 “Pancake” desk fan. The “pancake” refers to the shape of the motor, as they are colloquially known.

My grandfather’s Century S3 16” table fan. I remember this running in my room as a child. It’s been in the family for about 70 years.