What to do with electric motors

[Michael Cochran]

I have accumulated a few electric motors and need to put them to use. I know what I wanted to do with them but after doin some lookin and none of them are all that big. I have two small 1/3 hp motors and a much larger much older 1/3 hp that currently has a grindin rock and a drill chuck mounted. I also have a large 1/4 hp with a 1/2" v belt 3" pulley currently mounted. I'd love to put these to use especially the big heavy older ones so I need some suggestions. I thought about making a buffer usin one of the smaller 1/3 motors but the others I'm at a loss for.

[Glenn]

Tumbler?,  Fan? (summer is coming I am told), Build a band saw for cutting metal. Lots of possibilities.

You can gear the motors up or down with pulleys to get the speed you want if you have the power to do it.

[Michael Cochran]

Fan is a great idea for one, I'm embarrassed to say I couldn't think of that. Will a band saw really work ok with a 1/4 hp motor? I'd love to have a metal bandsaw so I definitely need to look for parts in my resource pile out back.

thanks for the suggestions, Glenn, you've gotten my gears turnin a little bit now.  

[stan]

Hi Michael, just a thought before you build anything you should look into what kind of motors you have. Example a motor out of a washing machine can drive a fair load whereas a fan motor from an outdoor a/c unit can only drive the size blade it was designed for and would not be suitable for hi torque applications.

[NickOHH]

Yup I'm with Stan some are 1725rpm some are at 3450 if you end up with a 3450 instead you need twice the hp you would otherwise. 

[Michael Cochran]

I know the big old motors are 1725 rpm and I'll have to look at the newer 1/3 hp motors to see what they are. I forgot about the washing machine motor I've got kickin around somewhere lol and now that I think about it I have one more big old motor but I don't know anythin about it so I'll have to take some notes tomorrow afternoon so I can see what they are.

I do know that the older 1/3 hp motor is a Packard and the 1/4 is a Wagner 110/220v.

I'm still lookin for an old treadmill motor for a belt grinder. I'm also thinkin I'm gonna have to look for other sources for good electric motors.

[Frosty]

I made a rack with rollers, welded a lift lug in a 55gl drum with the clamp on lid. The drum rests on the rollers with a belt around it and down to a 1/3hp. motor on a hinge board. It turns the drum about 30-35 rpm. so long as there isn't too much in it. Makes a fine tumbler.

Of yeah, I almost forgot I found a gallon of bed liner touch up paint at a garage sale and painted the inside of the drum with it. Quieted it down considerably and sharp steel hasn't worn through the drum.

Frosty The Lucky.

[DSW]

I'm a bit surprised that worked without any "ribs" in the drum. Thing I have often found with smooth drums is that the material "slides" vs tumbles. Maybe your higher speed and larger diameter carries the material up the sides enough that it falls back down. The ones I've done were all smaller than a 5 gallon bucket on average.