As a motor manufacturer in Racine, WI. I thank you. I love seeing these motors being used. I may have other parts for these motors and some more of these motors lying around my shop if you’re needing any other parts.
LOL. What's with Racine and electric motors? I was born in Racine, but was moved to Bay Area as a kid. Sooo I notice when I see Racine mentioned. I've noticed Dremel was made in Racine, and at a thrift store rand across a "massager" by Vibrosage Beauty Appliance Corp.
@@xtiansimon Chester Beach (a talented electrical engineer), Louis Hamilton (hired as the advertising manager), and Fred Osius (who founded United States Standard Electrical Works Co. in 1904 - the company's main product was a massage vibrator) founded Hamilton Beach Manufacturing Company in in Racine, Wisconsin in April 1910. They designed a universal motor and used it in household appliances like fans and portable vacuum cleaners. The motor became really popular, and in 1913, Beach and Hamilton left the company, formed Wisconsin Electric Co., and specialized in electric motors for power tools. In 1929, they changed the name to Dumore Manufacturing Co.of Racine, and Racine Universal Motor Co. was one of the many companies that adaptated their universal motor for other appliances like clippers. At the time, Racine had a high concentration of engineers and inventors, plus a skilled workforce, and lots of facilities in place for producing prototypes, so it became a center of sorts for small motor manufacturing from the 1940s to 1960s. Albert F. Siebert founded Milwaukee Electric Tool in nearby Milwaukee in 1924.
My husband is addicted to your videos. He is quite handy himself. He brought this video to my attention. I am in the process of restoring a 1910 Singer sewing machine. Hubby pointed out the origin of the motor. As a resident of Racine, I reminded him of the many things that used to be manufactured here. While working on my sewing machine, the foot pedal for the motor that someone updated the machine with was also manufactured in Racine. Nice job on the restoration.
The problem with these old jewellers lathes is that most of them are incomplete. I ended up buying three to make one relatively complete set. The others have been in their boxes for years. I put them up for sale 3 days ago, maybe someone else can use them to complete theirs...
@@thecaptain5865 this ones got lots of torque for the tough jobs, this one gots all the speed, this one works really well at the really low speeds, this ones kinda torquey, runs decent at low speed and gets fairly fast too. oh and this one is the only one that works with this attachment... that i thought about using about 30 times last year but never bothered to pull out and set up.
Awesome restore! A safety note, being that its a metal-enclosure and it plugs directly into mains voltage it might not be a bad idea to upgrade the power cord to a 3-prong design. The third ground wire would simply be connected to the metal enclosure of the motor body and the pedal. That way if any wire comes loose inside either metal enclosure and touches the metal, the current safely drains via the ground plug and not an unsuspecting person. edit: A helpful tip I learned for working with tiny parts in a shop: Sweep your floors before working. That way if you drop something tiny you aren't sorting through everything to find it.
Also, he has the three cords meeting with open connections. I'm sure he intends to put a box around that, but it would have been easier and cleaner to run the cord to the plug into the foot switch, do all the connections inside the box and then a cord to the motor.
Love the pre-sweep tip. I also have a built in bench so I've inlaid a magnetic strip in the floor just inside the front edge so that there's always a chance the small screws get captured before rolling deep into the corners!
After all that mains voltage wiring, and baking field windings (with shitty old cotton covered rubber), it would be foolish NOT to test the insulation resistance (500V DC) AND connect safety Ground/Earth to the speed controller and motor. Clearly, these components are not double insulated and being so old a death trap sooner or later.... likely sooner. This is what you get when non-professionals fiddle with mains powered equipment.
Always love your videos and shop vibe. Also love how you embrace and talk about your ADHD, as a 60yr old man with ADHD I strongly identify with your stories about your childhood and life. One of my traits is playing the same music repeatedly when working so I almost fell off my chair when you started singing Hamilton which is one is my go to shop streams. Thanks for being you
Just a note on wiring this up. You should make sure you have the line voltage going to the switch, and not the neutral. (On a 2-prong plug, if it's a polarized cord, one side should be fatter then the other, the fat end is neutral, and the thin end is line!). It will work either way, but this will ensure that you are switching the voltage and if for some reason the motors power goes to the chassis when the switch is OFF, you are not going to immediately electrify it and possibly get a shock. Also it's not a bad idea on an old switch and motor to ground the metal chassis and use a 3-prong plug for safety. Just attaching the ground wire to the metal chassis is usually enough to add a bit of safety and can usually be done without any external change to how it looks. This will ensure no matter how it's wired (or the outlet you are plugged into is wired), if the chassis ever gets power it has a safe path out of the device!
Am I the only one that finds it funny that the HOT prong is smaller then the NEUTRAL??!! I learned that many years ago, but it never made much sense to me. I always figured that the hot is drawing the amperage and should be the larger terminal, not so. Maybe when something is not in use, it's more important that have a larger connector to neutral, or ground to return unused electricity, but, WDIK??
@@atcmadness4351 I was told it was done for safety on the outlet. The smaller hole mean less random stuff can be shoved in the hole. Now with mandatory outlets that have shutters in it, it's less of an issue then in the past.
The thing is that the switch reverses the polarity going to the motor rather than killing the power outright, so a 3-prong plug (and possibly even a 3-conductor wire to the pedal) is definitely the way to go.
@@TehFreek Clearly, you don't know what you are talking about. It's an AC motor - there is no "polarity". The switch changes the connection between brushes and field windings to change direction of rotation. The inclusion of a safety Ground/Earth should be mandatory. The primary resistance speed controller box and motor are NOT double insulated construction. Adam SHOULD know better, rather than set a poor example. Crappy yanky two pin plugs come in a 'polarised' format to ensure the Active conductor is the one that is switched or fused (not the Neutral). And who in their right mind would fit a 3 pin plug as you suggest, without using the Ground, anyway? Only a hack who knows SFA would do such a thing... and such fools should keep their hands off such equipment.
Thanks for the memories. My Dad was a watchmaker in the Flood Bldg in San Francisco for over 40 years. I remember years ago rewiring the motor and pedal on his lathe in the exact same way plus replacing his carbon brushes too! For me, it was the spring and cap that popped out of my hands.
Wonderful watch for me! I repaired the vacuum cleaners for 3 years in a small town. The owner was a genius with eidetic memory for most things. His passion was vintage vinyl records. We are still friends. Your smile Adam... I share that same satisfaction. Average pace was 3 vacuums a day for three years five days a week. Making is such a blast! Vintage restoration is just to top! All my best sir!!!
Bruce here: when you were talking about the scary part reassembly I was reminded of working as a tool mechanic in a small hardware store. Sometimes a good amount of time would go by before repair parts arrived so the boy I sure hope I can remember how you go back together moment began. Thank for the great video.
Not long ago i found a Makita 7-1/4" Circular Saw (model 5007NB) thrown in the trash. The only issue was the wire falling apart. I opened it and fixed the wiring. It work just like new!!! A $180 tool for free was a nice deal.
I really like the technique of showing a little bit of real-time work, and then doing a timelapse of the rest. I think it provides a good perspective on the scope of the project. Having some real-time sound over the timelapse is pretty neat.
LOVE vintage motors, especially miniature ones. The old ones were built just like the bigger industrial ones, nicely rounded with feet etc. Very rewarding to restore! Some of these lathe motors came with mechanical brakes.
Wow, what paint is ready to handle in 20 minutes! That's the longest part of all my restore projects...is priming, drying, painting, drying. 20 minutes would be a huge game changer for everything.
Back in the 60s and before to get the crackle finish, you would paint the item with your desired color then wait for it to flash off "a desired amount of dryness" then you would take a spray bottle with your desired water particle mist (fine mist but not too fine) then sprits the item lightly with Acetone then let dry. 😊 it's a really fun process to learn.
The mill restore is done by Hand Tool Rescue, a fantastic channel that I found through Adam. I believe he uses magnetic trays, which makes it look more precarious than it actually is. Love that Adam is trying some restore stuff too 😊!
Since you brought it up, yeah... while I was watching you dissamble the motor, I was repeatedly thinking "I would never dare do it so casually, I would at least note down every step so I could follow it later in reverse". But I guess that's where years and years of experience come into play, and like as not also just a certain degree of talent/insight, plus the security of knowing that if something were to go wrong, you have all the right tools to fix it.
I'd love to see a motor cleaning video - I've got 2-3 fans which have gotten so dusty over time that they won't work any more. I'd love to see the best way to pull them apart and clean out the motors, and possibly put them back together in a way that is more dust-resistant in the future.
My tip for finding tiny parts on the floor is to get a powerful flashlight and shine it across the floor at a low angle, so the lost part casts a shadow.
I recently learned that is why my Hoover vacuum cleaner has a light on the front. It’s not for vacuuming in the dark, it’s so that you can see all the little things you are going to suck up.
The nameplate would have been retained by drive pins. They have a coarse spiral on the stem and just tap in. To remove, you either gently pry up the plate, or cut a screwdriver slot and unwind them.
OR, remove the field windings and bump the pins out from inside, just enough to grab em with side cutters. Pry up the plate ruins the soft Aluminium nameplate that could have been left on and simply masked up for painting. Baking the field windings and VIR wire, while drying paint (SMH) is asking for trouble.
What a lovely singing voice Adam! I used to live near your Myth Busters space in SF and always wanted to ride my bike down there (but would never intrude!) Love your channel 🧩
I refurbish antique and vintage domestic sewing machines, including the motors and controllers. That is one big ol' honkin;' motor, but it still runs so smooth and quiet!
Watching Adam makes me feel better about my strange ways of working things out. Mutter to yourself, ask yourself questions you already know the answer to (yes I've already unplugged it but check again), something fell on the floor I heard a small tink 3 minutes ago, I swear I just put that thing right there..
I used to sell the vht stuff at a paint shop i worked at, got nothing but great reviews from the customers and when i used some of their high temp paont to touch up my smoker it went brilliantly
Most makers and model builders I know seem uncannily good at finding tiny dropped objects. I play Warhammer and I can't tell you how many times I've dropped heads I cut off of sprues, but I've never lost one. I don't know if we're just able to track it by sound or what's happening, but it always amazes me.
Love your video, i love to restore these old motors, i have a lot of old bodine, general electric ect... motors and various equipment that i pickup at Purdue University's Salvage building, i went to Purdue from 75-78 and used to stop by the salvage shop everyday after class and later when i worked after work for at least 35 years and have hundreds of projects that keep me busy since i retired in 2019. I see that you have a set of the Wiha screwdriver with the red tips, in our rc model airplane club we love these German made screwdrivers and i made a point to get their 50 piece masters set before i retired, thanks for your videos and loved you guys on Mythbusters all those years.
I have been watching your videos for a while now during work and I absolutely love them. Ranting about drawers or design or how things are put together speaks just right to my heart. But this morning … That spray can mixer … i need that! Can you or someone else spill the beans on that one? I also love how the can is so tightly in it! Wonderfull! I hope someone comments on what that is or how it was made …
The best shop advice I was ever given was that when you drop a screw on the ground (at least if it's a hard surface) is to never try to LOOK for it with your eyes, you'll miss it bouncing off every time. Listen with your ears and hear where it goes. Vastly higher success rate.
I just love watching people hold things in their hands while they're drilling them. So smart! Especially when they're leaning right over a bench vise. That just adds to it for me. Remember, a moment of indiscretion can lead to a lifetime of consequences.
I just love seeing old 'stuff' being given a new lease of life by someone. I can just imagine that motors had such an interesting life or two up til now, and just as its getting ready to go to that junkyard in the sky, its plucked up out of nowhere, and hey presto, another story to tell... Fantastic.
17:06 And this is exactly what most people should do, most of the time. Once you take the same thing apart a few times though, it just ends up slowing you down.
One-sixteenth horsepower. As I'm watching, I'm trying to estimate the efficiency of the motor. I've been disappointed in many of the small motors I've collected over the years, some run quite hot, and heat is the enemy of electrical equipment. It all comes down to the weight of iron and copper used, so there has always been a big incentive for manufacturers to scrimp on materials. Given how good of shape this motor is in (assuming it was used normally and not a replacement part sitting on a shelf most of it's life), I suspect it is quite efficient and runs cool. I'm jealous, actually. Side note: I hope you have GFI breakers in your shop ...
It's good to see I'm not the only one to wonder why something isn't working then find out I forgot to do a crucial step and losing small things in my work area and use some strong words trying to locate said small thing I lost. Also, wire nuts are the best. I'm Canadian and since it was a Canadian invention, we refer to it by the name, "Marrette." I guess because a fellow named Marr invented them. I think they are superior to Wagos that Europe uses due to the fact that you have more surface area contact than you do with Wagos and the fact that we have been using them in North America for so long it's just incredibly reliable. The motor looks beautiful and sounds quite beautiful as well. Please tell us if you are going to demo this motor, would love to see it running a lathe. That's one thing that's missing that Hand Tool Rescue does.
When I used to do computer repair I used ice cube trays to sort the small parts at each stage. Each group got it's own "cubical" and I always knew which screws to use for the next step when putting it back together.
Hey Adam, as a lover of watches have you ever considered machining your own watch case and bracelet to work with one of the abundantly available off the shelf Seiko movements? Could be the grounds for a great ‘1 Day’ build?!
Being a fan, I would rather watch a longer video, to hear him talking. To listen to all the self discussion, and figuring out what direction to go. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but would love longer videos.
We publish longer videos for our Tested members, because indeed our UA-cam analytics shows that most people don’t want a video that drags on too, too long …
Never knew what it was called but I love the old school crackle finish found on commercial industrial stuff. As a young kid in the mid to late 70's I used to see a ton of things coverd in this finish. There were various colors as well: Olive Drab, Grey, Brown and Black. I recall a lot of items in school had this finish.
This is a great restore project. Rebuilding electric motors is tricky business. For instance, some old electric motors used cloth connection insulation. This old insulation will turn to dust if the vanish used to seal the windings starts to flake off. BTW - Adam do you have a sand blasting chamber? Sandblasting makes cleaning off the old parts so much easier. Depending on your needs they do make a nice little lab sandblaster chamber if you do not have the need to do very large parts. I can’t wait to see your restoration video of the jeweler’s lathe.
I just searched this thread for "sand blast" because I had the same thought. I have a blast cabinet filled with glass beads that I have used for a LOT of parts cleaning over the years. Sitting on top of that cabinet is my bench grinder/wheel, the two devices go together for me.
For info, tinning wires that will go in screw connectors (clamp or wire nut) is a bad idea, it's against regulations / code in many places - the tin can flow over time under the pressure, and the connection come loose and start arcing. I agree with using a three pin grounded plug & cable as well, with any metal cased AC powered device.
Not me screaming at my tablet while watching you try to take the foot pedal apart. 😂 First time I’ve actually known what to do in one of your videos because I service and restore vintage sewing machines.
Beautiful restoration, Adam. Only thing I would have done differently, is add a nice piece of wood to the inside of the pedal lever, to give it more rigidity and mass, so it can last even longer.
Good job. Love restoring old, well made early 20th century equipment. The adage, “They don’t make em like that anymore”, is so true. Adam, I found after changing motor brushes, to manually spin the armature before applying power helps get the carbon brushes kind of burnished in so to speak.
Hi - yes seating the new brushes is critical for making the motor to work correctly, especially if you put a heavy load on the motor at the start. It would help if you can turn the armature with a hand drill or the like to break in the brushes before applying power.
Quick safety tip for repairing high voltage stuff: I always use a passthrough RCD plug between the wall plug and what I'm working on. It avoids the 100% inevitable brain fart electrical shocks from forgetting to unplug or slipping a screwdriver tip. Just remember an RCD is a backup to, not a replacement for, the usual safety guidelines like unplugging the device while active conductors are exposed.
10:33 a cylindrical one is better + item held securely in a vise or bolted down to something held in a vise. The conical or ball types have different speeds in various parts of the bit (and while it may seem as it doesn't matter) that's how they get you. At that size and RPM, it really counts.
I've got a Swiss made star watchmaker vintage lathe. Complete. And a parts lathe I need to take the original complete one apart, clean the oil out if the bushings and put it Back together with new spindle oil
I realize it is just a spring, but wouldnt it make sense (since the spring looked to be rusty around the 18:17 mark) to have run that and any other small part through some evaporust before putting it all back together?
I love when Adam said "we guna tin you up" Reminded me of when Gonzo was shot out of the cannon on one of the muppet movies, the other gonzo dude said "we guna blow you up baby!" Hilarious! Great resto Adam!
3 minutes in, I am invested now in which is better for the crackle finish XD I always loved that finish on old stuff, it looks nice and has grip well not being a pain to clean. I would love to do it on stuff i make or even to refinish some stuff!
Amazing Restoration! You can get "Modern" "Vintage" cloth wrapped wire cords that look vintage but meet all of todays safety codes. This would look so much better with a black (or red) cloth wrapped wire.
I love using that wrinkle paint. Apply a nice wet coat and it shrivels really well. It's available in red, too. The motor would have looked good in a "hammered" paint as well. A lot of industrial motors use it.
As a motor manufacturer in Racine, WI. I thank you. I love seeing these motors being used. I may have other parts for these motors and some more of these motors lying around my shop if you’re needing any other parts.
LOL. What's with Racine and electric motors? I was born in Racine, but was moved to Bay Area as a kid. Sooo I notice when I see Racine mentioned. I've noticed Dremel was made in Racine, and at a thrift store rand across a "massager" by Vibrosage Beauty Appliance Corp.
@@xtiansimon Chester Beach (a talented electrical engineer), Louis Hamilton (hired as the advertising manager), and Fred Osius (who founded United States Standard Electrical Works Co. in 1904 - the company's main product was a massage vibrator) founded Hamilton Beach Manufacturing Company in in Racine, Wisconsin in April 1910. They designed a universal motor and used it in household appliances like fans and portable vacuum cleaners. The motor became really popular, and in 1913, Beach and Hamilton left the company, formed Wisconsin Electric Co., and specialized in electric motors for power tools. In 1929, they changed the name to Dumore Manufacturing Co.of Racine, and Racine Universal Motor Co. was one of the many companies that adaptated their universal motor for other appliances like clippers. At the time, Racine had a high concentration of engineers and inventors, plus a skilled workforce, and lots of facilities in place for producing prototypes, so it became a center of sorts for small motor manufacturing from the 1940s to 1960s. Albert F. Siebert founded Milwaukee Electric Tool in nearby Milwaukee in 1924.
@@xtiansimonThat kind of motor really gets the heart Racine.
@@HermanBelmerit's people like you what cause unrest 🤣
My husband is addicted to your videos. He is quite handy himself. He brought this video to my attention. I am in the process of restoring a 1910 Singer sewing machine. Hubby pointed out the origin of the motor. As a resident of Racine, I reminded him of the many things that used to be manufactured here. While working on my sewing machine, the foot pedal for the motor that someone updated the machine with was also manufactured in Racine. Nice job on the restoration.
Your husband would like Hand Tool Rescue
Is your husband Vincent, the top comment? 😂
@@ValkyrieTiarano, he never comments on videos. 😊
@@frankpowell1778he has rescued (refurbished) many hand tools. I believe he has seen quite a few of the rescue videos.😊
My husband is from Racine and his family have been long time residents there. (Although we moved south where it’s warmer. 😉)
"Just an extra that I ended up with" as he moves a SECOND jeweler's lathe off the bench. Love these projects.
Yeah I noticed that flex
There's a fine line between "collector" and "hoarder" - makers ride that line HARD😂
The problem with these old jewellers lathes is that most of them are incomplete. I ended up buying three to make one relatively complete set. The others have been in their boxes for years. I put them up for sale 3 days ago, maybe someone else can use them to complete theirs...
@@thecaptain5865 this ones got lots of torque for the tough jobs, this one gots all the speed, this one works really well at the really low speeds, this ones kinda torquey, runs decent at low speed and gets fairly fast too. oh and this one is the only one that works with this attachment... that i thought about using about 30 times last year but never bothered to pull out and set up.
TIL 'having only one of something = out of stock' can apply to machine tools.
Awesome restore! A safety note, being that its a metal-enclosure and it plugs directly into mains voltage it might not be a bad idea to upgrade the power cord to a 3-prong design. The third ground wire would simply be connected to the metal enclosure of the motor body and the pedal. That way if any wire comes loose inside either metal enclosure and touches the metal, the current safely drains via the ground plug and not an unsuspecting person.
edit: A helpful tip I learned for working with tiny parts in a shop: Sweep your floors before working. That way if you drop something tiny you aren't sorting through everything to find it.
Also, he has the three cords meeting with open connections. I'm sure he intends to put a box around that, but it would have been easier and cleaner to run the cord to the plug into the foot switch, do all the connections inside the box and then a cord to the motor.
I love that too about sweeping.
Love the pre-sweep tip. I also have a built in bench so I've inlaid a magnetic strip in the floor just inside the front edge so that there's always a chance the small screws get captured before rolling deep into the corners!
After all that mains voltage wiring, and baking field windings (with shitty old cotton covered rubber), it would be foolish NOT to test the insulation resistance (500V DC) AND connect safety Ground/Earth to the speed controller and motor. Clearly, these components are not double insulated and being so old a death trap sooner or later.... likely sooner.
This is what you get when non-professionals fiddle with mains powered equipment.
I agree!
Always love your videos and shop vibe. Also love how you embrace and talk about your ADHD, as a 60yr old man with ADHD I strongly identify with your stories about your childhood and life. One of my traits is playing the same music repeatedly when working so I almost fell off my chair when you started singing Hamilton which is one is my go to shop streams. Thanks for being you
Hey, if you try to keep paint out of holes, try either foam ear plugs or silicon vacuum port plugs! Both work wonders and come in all sorts of sizes
Just a note on wiring this up. You should make sure you have the line voltage going to the switch, and not the neutral. (On a 2-prong plug, if it's a polarized cord, one side should be fatter then the other, the fat end is neutral, and the thin end is line!). It will work either way, but this will ensure that you are switching the voltage and if for some reason the motors power goes to the chassis when the switch is OFF, you are not going to immediately electrify it and possibly get a shock.
Also it's not a bad idea on an old switch and motor to ground the metal chassis and use a 3-prong plug for safety. Just attaching the ground wire to the metal chassis is usually enough to add a bit of safety and can usually be done without any external change to how it looks. This will ensure no matter how it's wired (or the outlet you are plugged into is wired), if the chassis ever gets power it has a safe path out of the device!
Am I the only one that finds it funny that the HOT prong is smaller then the NEUTRAL??!! I learned that many years ago, but it never made much sense to me. I always figured that the hot is drawing the amperage and should be the larger terminal, not so. Maybe when something is not in use, it's more important that have a larger connector to neutral, or ground to return unused electricity, but, WDIK??
@@atcmadness4351 I was told it was done for safety on the outlet. The smaller hole mean less random stuff can be shoved in the hole. Now with mandatory outlets that have shutters in it, it's less of an issue then in the past.
The thing is that the switch reverses the polarity going to the motor rather than killing the power outright, so a 3-prong plug (and possibly even a 3-conductor wire to the pedal) is definitely the way to go.
@@TehFreek Clearly, you don't know what you are talking about.
It's an AC motor - there is no "polarity".
The switch changes the connection between brushes and field windings to change direction of rotation.
The inclusion of a safety Ground/Earth should be mandatory. The primary resistance speed controller box and motor are NOT double insulated construction. Adam SHOULD know better, rather than set a poor example.
Crappy yanky two pin plugs come in a 'polarised' format to ensure the Active conductor is the one that is switched or fused (not the Neutral).
And who in their right mind would fit a 3 pin plug as you suggest, without using the Ground, anyway?
Only a hack who knows SFA would do such a thing... and such fools should keep their hands off such equipment.
Thanks for the memories. My Dad was a watchmaker in the Flood Bldg in San Francisco for over 40 years. I remember years ago rewiring the motor and pedal on his lathe in the exact same way plus replacing his carbon brushes too! For me, it was the spring and cap that popped out of my hands.
Wonderful watch for me! I repaired the vacuum cleaners for 3 years in a small town. The owner was a genius with eidetic memory for most things. His passion was vintage vinyl records. We are still friends. Your smile Adam... I share that same satisfaction. Average pace was 3 vacuums a day for three years five days a week. Making is such a blast! Vintage restoration is just to top! All my best sir!!!
Bruce here: when you were talking about the scary part reassembly I was reminded of working as a tool mechanic in a small hardware store. Sometimes a good amount of time would go by before repair parts arrived so the boy I sure hope I can remember how you go back together moment began. Thank for the great video.
Yep that's a daily worry for me 😅
I love that when the video footage is fast forwarded the sound stays on at a normal speed instead of replacing with music
Not long ago i found a Makita 7-1/4" Circular Saw (model 5007NB) thrown in the trash. The only issue was the wire falling apart. I opened it and fixed the wiring. It work just like new!!! A $180 tool for free was a nice deal.
Thank you for keeping this train on the tracks. Mythbusters was a huge part of my childhood
I really like the technique of showing a little bit of real-time work, and then doing a timelapse of the rest. I think it provides a good perspective on the scope of the project.
Having some real-time sound over the timelapse is pretty neat.
LOVE vintage motors, especially miniature ones. The old ones were built just like the bigger industrial ones, nicely rounded with feet etc. Very rewarding to restore! Some of these lathe motors came with mechanical brakes.
Wow, what paint is ready to handle in 20 minutes!
That's the longest part of all my restore projects...is priming, drying, painting, drying.
20 minutes would be a huge game changer for everything.
I love how Adam routinely invites us all into his shop to watch and learn. Thank you.
I love wrinkle/crackle paint... however, my favorite is the hammered finish paints!
The fact that Adam has soo many random things within his reach that are VERY specific is amazingly organized chaos.
Back in the 60s and before to get the crackle finish, you would paint the item with your desired color then wait for it to flash off "a desired amount of dryness" then you would take a spray bottle with your desired water particle mist (fine mist but not too fine) then sprits the item lightly with Acetone then let dry. 😊 it's a really fun process to learn.
The mill restore is done by Hand Tool Rescue, a fantastic channel that I found through Adam. I believe he uses magnetic trays, which makes it look more precarious than it actually is. Love that Adam is trying some restore stuff too 😊!
I love hand Tool Rescue and I can’t comprehend how he keeps everything straight
This is cool, I love it when old things like this are given a second life.
Since you brought it up, yeah... while I was watching you dissamble the motor, I was repeatedly thinking "I would never dare do it so casually, I would at least note down every step so I could follow it later in reverse".
But I guess that's where years and years of experience come into play, and like as not also just a certain degree of talent/insight, plus the security of knowing that if something were to go wrong, you have all the right tools to fix it.
I'd love to see a motor cleaning video - I've got 2-3 fans which have gotten so dusty over time that they won't work any more. I'd love to see the best way to pull them apart and clean out the motors, and possibly put them back together in a way that is more dust-resistant in the future.
Noted!
So will we get the Adam does a classic film Noir detective fan rebuild ?@@tested
My tip for finding tiny parts on the floor is to get a powerful flashlight and shine it across the floor at a low angle, so the lost part casts a shadow.
Or a magnet on a stick.
@@0utpatientflashlight works with non-ferrous parts, too, though
I recently learned that is why my Hoover vacuum cleaner has a light on the front. It’s not for vacuuming in the dark, it’s so that you can see all the little things you are going to suck up.
The nameplate would have been retained by drive pins. They have a coarse spiral on the stem and just tap in. To remove, you either gently pry up the plate, or cut a screwdriver slot and unwind them.
OR, remove the field windings and bump the pins out from inside, just enough to grab em with side cutters.
Pry up the plate ruins the soft Aluminium nameplate that could have been left on and simply masked up for painting.
Baking the field windings and VIR wire, while drying paint (SMH) is asking for trouble.
Was looking to see if someone had already commented about this. Unfortunately it’s too late now anyway.
What a lovely singing voice Adam! I used to live near your Myth Busters space in SF and always wanted to ride my bike down there (but would never intrude!) Love your channel 🧩
I refurbish antique and vintage domestic sewing machines, including the motors and controllers. That is one big ol' honkin;' motor, but it still runs so smooth and quiet!
7:00 you really should look into getting a sand blasting cabinet. Love having one for clean ups like that.
Watching Adam makes me feel better about my strange ways of working things out. Mutter to yourself, ask yourself questions you already know the answer to (yes I've already unplugged it but check again), something fell on the floor I heard a small tink 3 minutes ago, I swear I just put that thing right there..
The finish looks great on those parts. Well done Mr. Savage!
I used to sell the vht stuff at a paint shop i worked at, got nothing but great reviews from the customers and when i used some of their high temp paont to touch up my smoker it went brilliantly
Most makers and model builders I know seem uncannily good at finding tiny dropped objects. I play Warhammer and I can't tell you how many times I've dropped heads I cut off of sprues, but I've never lost one. I don't know if we're just able to track it by sound or what's happening, but it always amazes me.
Oddly therapeutic video. Loved it.
oh man, I Love how deep you are getting into watchmaking. I CANT WAIT FOR MORE!! the most satisfying job out there in my opinion.
Love your video, i love to restore these old motors, i have a lot of old bodine, general electric ect... motors and various equipment that i pickup at Purdue University's Salvage building, i went to Purdue from 75-78 and used to stop by the salvage shop everyday after class and later when i worked after work for at least 35 years and have hundreds of projects that keep me busy since i retired in 2019. I see that you have a set of the Wiha screwdriver with the red tips, in our rc model airplane club we love these German made screwdrivers and i made a point to get their 50 piece masters set before i retired, thanks for your videos and loved you guys on Mythbusters all those years.
I have been watching your videos for a while now during work and I absolutely love them. Ranting about drawers or design or how things are put together speaks just right to my heart. But this morning … That spray can mixer … i need that! Can you or someone else spill the beans on that one? I also love how the can is so tightly in it! Wonderfull! I hope someone comments on what that is or how it was made …
Adam is one of those people that I could watch do anything. Such an awesome energy
But why does he refuse support special homosexual rights ?
He's no dirty mexican !
As a watchmaker, this is absolutely wonderful. ❤ Those things are damn near indestructible.
The best shop advice I was ever given was that when you drop a screw on the ground (at least if it's a hard surface) is to never try to LOOK for it with your eyes, you'll miss it bouncing off every time. Listen with your ears and hear where it goes. Vastly higher success rate.
I just love watching people hold things in their hands while they're drilling them. So smart! Especially when they're leaning right over a bench vise. That just adds to it for me. Remember, a moment of indiscretion can lead to a lifetime of consequences.
Love these repairing videos. Thank You. I was trying to tell you it wouldn't start but you couldn't hear me, I saw them in the pan
The olde stuff never wants to die.
Adam, love the miniature crates you are using they are adorable!
I used the VHT Wrinkle on my Toyota Landcruiser Valve cover. It’s been 2 years and 10K miles! Still looks great
I just love seeing old 'stuff' being given a new lease of life by someone. I can just imagine that motors had such an interesting life or two up til now, and just as its getting ready to go to that junkyard in the sky, its plucked up out of nowhere, and hey presto, another story to tell... Fantastic.
17:06 And this is exactly what most people should do, most of the time. Once you take the same thing apart a few times though, it just ends up slowing you down.
The black looks so so sick.
One-sixteenth horsepower. As I'm watching, I'm trying to estimate the efficiency of the motor. I've been disappointed in many of the small motors I've collected over the years, some run quite hot, and heat is the enemy of electrical equipment. It all comes down to the weight of iron and copper used, so there has always been a big incentive for manufacturers to scrimp on materials. Given how good of shape this motor is in (assuming it was used normally and not a replacement part sitting on a shelf most of it's life), I suspect it is quite efficient and runs cool. I'm jealous, actually.
Side note: I hope you have GFI breakers in your shop ...
JUST Beautiful sound... Adams face when it works out is priceless...
Shared your pain at 25:15. That horrible sinking feeling you get when an irreplacable spring goes flying off into uncharted corners of the room...
Adam I love your Tested videos because the energy and the glee you have while jumping into your projects gives me joy through this screen.
It's good to see I'm not the only one to wonder why something isn't working then find out I forgot to do a crucial step and losing small things in my work area and use some strong words trying to locate said small thing I lost.
Also, wire nuts are the best. I'm Canadian and since it was a Canadian invention, we refer to it by the name, "Marrette." I guess because a fellow named Marr invented them. I think they are superior to Wagos that Europe uses due to the fact that you have more surface area contact than you do with Wagos and the fact that we have been using them in North America for so long it's just incredibly reliable.
The motor looks beautiful and sounds quite beautiful as well. Please tell us if you are going to demo this motor, would love to see it running a lathe. That's one thing that's missing that Hand Tool Rescue does.
Love the brush with fate at the end.
"...more like Adam SALVAGE!"
Well done.
@@tested Uh-thank-you...
*half-bow hat-tip*
simple tape framing marks on the bench for guidance in close-ups might help you keep things in frame while working.
Damn it man!!! Every video of your's I watch I see a new Dewalt coordless tool I don't have!
When I used to do computer repair I used ice cube trays to sort the small parts at each stage. Each group got it's own "cubical" and I always knew which screws to use for the next step when putting it back together.
Brand new, exceptional loved this restoration
Hey Adam, as a lover of watches have you ever considered machining your own watch case and bracelet to work with one of the abundantly available off the shelf Seiko movements? Could be the grounds for a great ‘1 Day’ build?!
Being a fan, I would rather watch a longer video, to hear him talking. To listen to all the self discussion, and figuring out what direction to go. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but would love longer videos.
We publish longer videos for our Tested members, because indeed our UA-cam analytics shows that most people don’t want a video that drags on too, too long …
Awesome job! Love seeing things brought back to working order and looking great!!
Never knew what it was called but I love the old school crackle finish found on commercial industrial stuff. As a young kid in the mid to late 70's I used to see a ton of things coverd in this finish. There were various colors as well: Olive Drab, Grey, Brown and Black. I recall a lot of items in school had this finish.
Great bit of work. Restoration of quality older items is so satisfying. Now did I I see oiling of the bushings?
Love it, Adam! I restored my grandfather's old Thor grinder, so I gave been there with stators and rotors.
Adam does his impression of Kilroy as an intro. LOL!
This is a great restore project. Rebuilding electric motors is tricky business. For instance, some old electric motors used cloth connection insulation. This old insulation will turn to dust if the vanish used to seal the windings starts to flake off. BTW - Adam do you have a sand blasting chamber? Sandblasting makes cleaning off the old parts so much easier. Depending on your needs they do make a nice little lab sandblaster chamber if you do not have the need to do very large parts.
I can’t wait to see your restoration video of the jeweler’s lathe.
I also why he doesn't have a small spray booth as well.
I just searched this thread for "sand blast" because I had the same thought. I have a blast cabinet filled with glass beads that I have used for a LOT of parts cleaning over the years. Sitting on top of that cabinet is my bench grinder/wheel, the two devices go together for me.
For info, tinning wires that will go in screw connectors (clamp or wire nut) is a bad idea, it's against regulations / code in many places - the tin can flow over time under the pressure, and the connection come loose and start arcing.
I agree with using a three pin grounded plug & cable as well, with any metal cased AC powered device.
Not me screaming at my tablet while watching you try to take the foot pedal apart. 😂 First time I’ve actually known what to do in one of your videos because I service and restore vintage sewing machines.
Totally there with you on the obsessive categorization of all the bolts. I'll label them if there's 3 or more types.
Beautiful restoration, Adam. Only thing I would have done differently, is add a nice piece of wood to the inside of the pedal lever, to give it more rigidity and mass, so it can last even longer.
Brilliant video , great restoration .
Thanks for sharing
Good job. Love restoring old, well made early 20th century equipment. The adage, “They don’t make em like that anymore”, is so true. Adam, I found after changing motor brushes, to manually spin the armature before applying power helps get the carbon brushes kind of burnished in so to speak.
Hi - yes seating the new brushes is critical for making the motor to work correctly, especially if you put a heavy load on the motor at the start. It would help if you can turn the armature with a hand drill or the like to break in the brushes before applying power.
Quick safety tip for repairing high voltage stuff: I always use a passthrough RCD plug between the wall plug and what I'm working on. It avoids the 100% inevitable brain fart electrical shocks from forgetting to unplug or slipping a screwdriver tip.
Just remember an RCD is a backup to, not a replacement for, the usual safety guidelines like unplugging the device while active conductors are exposed.
10:33 a cylindrical one is better + item held securely in a vise or bolted down to something held in a vise. The conical or ball types have different speeds in various parts of the bit (and while it may seem as it doesn't matter) that's how they get you. At that size and RPM, it really counts.
How delightful to know that Adam can sing!! Tested: The Musical happening soon? 😅
Adam! you can sing!!! This makes me so happy
20:42 - Slight interlude while Adam looks for something that fell on the floor!
I love the soldering station.
I've got a Swiss made star watchmaker vintage lathe. Complete. And a parts lathe
I need to take the original complete one apart, clean the oil out if the bushings and put it Back together with new spindle oil
So cool. Your shop has the stuff that "tinkers" wish to have in their inventory.
Good afternoon Adam, the switch on the pedestal of the motor is for Ford and reverse.
That workbench has seen a lot of use since the video of when he first got it!
Very nice! Didn't know you could buy the crackle paint. I would have added a grounded power cord though.
Love the love for Racine, WI!
Great voice Adam! Oh and it's great restore
I realize it is just a spring, but wouldnt it make sense (since the spring looked to be rusty around the 18:17 mark) to have run that and any other small part through some evaporust before putting it all back together?
An Adam Savage motor restoration? Hell yes.
Combing the floor on hands and knees searching for a dropped screw is so relatable.
I love when Adam said "we guna tin you up" Reminded me of when Gonzo was shot out of the cannon on one of the muppet movies, the other gonzo dude said "we guna blow you up baby!" Hilarious! Great resto Adam!
My dad once painted his Ford Falcon with that style of paint. Yes, he was an odd duck.
I love that little gyroscopic screwdriver!
3 minutes in, I am invested now in which is better for the crackle finish XD I always loved that finish on old stuff, it looks nice and has grip well not being a pain to clean. I would love to do it on stuff i make or even to refinish some stuff!
Amazing Restoration! You can get "Modern" "Vintage" cloth wrapped wire cords that look vintage but meet all of todays safety codes. This would look so much better with a black (or red) cloth wrapped wire.
You did that restoration on my birthday. Sweet.
Brushes? BRUSHES?!? We don't need no stinkin brushes! Great video Adam thumbs up.
Question: something is old vintage can it have lead in the paint? You wouldn't want to use the wheel brush, right?
I love using that wrinkle paint. Apply a nice wet coat and it shrivels really well. It's available in red, too. The motor would have looked good in a "hammered" paint as well. A lot of industrial motors use it.
Another great video Adam! Love the part when your on the floor looking for a piece you must have dropped. I’ve been there before 😉