OT: Sort of Should I salvage my dryer motor

[JAW]

Puff Griffis woke up and had the following words of wisdom ....:

Someone just posted pictures of a homemade lathe, that looked as if it had a used motor powering it. Just a thought.

[Todd Fatheree]

My knowledge of dryer motors is small. Out of curiosity, what is the HP/speed of the motor?

todd

[Leon]

There may be some uses for the motor but I doubt it would be strong enough for any practical wood working aplication. Maybe a small home made stationary disk sander.

[Robert Galloway]

My experience with dryer motors is: They don't have a complete case, there's often some exposure of the windings. They don't have a handy mounting base. They're specialized to being mounted in the dryer. You can work around this with a little ingenuity but... They are usually around 1/3 horsepower. You can find 1/3 horse motors a dime a dozen with a good case and mounting foot or at least a good case and you can weld a couple of angle irons to them for mounting. For sure, look inside your dryer and make sure what I'm saying is or isn't true in your case. If you've got one of those funky looking motors, it's not worth the time to try to make something useful out of it when you can get one ready to go for peanuts.

bob g.

JAW wrote:

[Norman D. Crow]

I'm guessing it's likely a 1750 RPM, probably 1/4 or 1/2 HP. Good chance it's also a double ended shaft. Save it! Buy some arbor adapters that mount on motor shaft with set screws, makes a relatively servicable bench grinder. Make a 10" disc sander. Put a fan blade on it, mount it in a box with some furnace filters for a shop dust filter.

That's all I can come up with for now. Of course, there's always applications using belts . . .

[Puff Griffis]

I don't have any large power tools YET . My large pieces are a bench top = table saw, drill press, scroll saw and router table but I do plan on = expanding as soon as my money flow's with a bit more regularity. Here is = my question. I have an old Kenmore dryer that is destined for the dump = should I salvage and store the motor for future use ? If so what would = it be useful for ? I know the question is a bit broad but I sure don't = want to get rid of something I could use later. Puff Griffis

[Richard Cline]

It all depends on how much room you have to store junk. There is a remote possibility you will find a use for the motor.

Dick

[J T]

Sun, Oct 17, 2004, 12:24pm (EDT-1) [e-mail] (Puff=A0Griffis) should I salvage and store the motor for future use ?

Yes

If so what would it be useful for ?

Who knows, who cares? If it runs, save it, come up with a use later. Use it to weigh down glue ups. Swap it to someone. Sell it in a local bargain trader. Use it as a boat anchor. Take it apart, and use the wiring for something. Give it to someone who wants it, and gain points. Sell it in a pawn shop. Include it in a yard sale. Paint it and give it to your wife. Paint it, and give it to someone you don't like. Make a Rube Goldberg device, and use that to power it. Use it as a door stop.

JOAT Flush the Johns.

- seen on a bumper sticker

[Andy Dingley]

You should certainly take a look at it. Motors are often handy - it can drive a polishing mop, honing wheel, wire brush etc. and this takes little more than a plywood base and a couple of "pigtail" adaptors on the shaft ends. It's unlikely to be powerful enough to drive large machinery, but you never know.

When stripping motors, make sure you collect any pulleys (both !), belts, mounting brackets, connectors, wiring looms, start capacitors etc.

I don't know about US driers, but washing machines are often _not_ a good source of motors. They tend to be open case designs, need a large open fan running next to them to stop overheating, and they can be electrically complicated to provide reversing or multiple speeds.

[George]

Certainly. All kinds of ways, naysayers notwithstanding, of mounting it. Plumbers tape, straps, homebrew cutouts.

It'll power mandrels for grinding or buffing just fine. Out of the way below the dust, too. Drum sanders, flex shafts, graywater pumps for the garden - uses are endless.

[Frank Campbell]

Definitely save it, you must have a friend that has a squeaky clean shop with no clutter that gives you a rough time about all the junk you collect everytime he comes over. He will likely be over to ask you if you have an old motor eventually.

[AAvK]

I don't have any large power tools YET . My large pieces are a bench top table saw, drill press, scroll saw and router table but I do plan on expanding as soon as my money flow's with a bit more regularity. Here is my question. I have an old Kenmore dryer that is destined for the dump should I salvage and store the motor for future use ? If so what would it be useful for ? I know the question is a bit broad but I sure don't want to get rid of something I could use later.

"If I had it I would"...make a metal cover for it, get a fan for it if it doesn't have one, set it up bolted to a bench top or on a wooden base with a step V-pulley on the shaft belted to a raised mandrel on a block, on which is another V-pulley. Then set up a wooden T-track on which is a tail stock and make a small wood lathe, or no tail stock and make a bowl lathe. Then there are accessories to buy that attach to the spindle. The hight of the mandrel determines the swing distance. Another option is, the mandrel can hold grinding and buffing discs at the same time as being a lathe. But, if you use it definitely make a dust cover for it, bolted down around it on the same mounting base. With the fan attached I would be getting hot air out of the motor so as not to be blowing saw dust into it. But I don't have the space in which to do any of it, just my thoughts on the idea, hence the quotes.

Alex

[Prometheus]

Make one of those fighting robots with it.

[Robert Galloway]

OK, like I said before. I hear all these suggestions about covers and mounts. Give it a look. If you can place it in service without a major project, by all means. Am I in an unusual situation? I've had a number of folks give me motors that are ready to go. 1/3 hp and 1/4 hp motors are a dime a dozen. Don't waste your time augmenting one that's not immediately suitable. You've got better things to do with your time unless this is a real tour 'de force.

bob g.

AAvK wrote:

drill press, scroll saw and router table but I

my question. I have an old Kenmore dryer that is

what would it be useful for ? I know the question

have one,

[bridger]

drill press, scroll saw and router table but I do plan on expanding as soon as my money flow's with a bit more regularity. Here is my question. I have an old Kenmore dryer that is destined for the dump should I salvage and store the motor for future use ? If so what would it be useful for ? I know the question is a bit broad but I sure don't want to get rid of something I could use later.

if the motor runs true (no wobble in the shaft) and quiet by all means salvage it. ya never know when you might decide to build yourself a lathe or bench grinder or something.

[AAvK]

I was NOT talking to you. no on was either. You don't like, call the cops about it.

Alex

[AAvK]

Thank you all for the responses. Sad thing JT didn't mention using it as a lawn ornament. Puff

What are you going to do with it? What's your favorite idea, out of all the suggestions? (BTW no doubt more will come)

Alex

[Puff Griffis]

Thank you all for the responses. Sad thing JT didn't mention using it as = a lawn ornament. Puff

[mac davis]

drill press, scroll saw and router table but I do plan on expanding as soon as my money flow's with a bit more regularity. Here is my question. I have an old Kenmore dryer that is destined for the dump should I salvage and store the motor for future use ? If so what would it be useful for ? I know the question is a bit broad but I sure don't want to get rid of something I could use later.

If the motor runs and doesn't need work/parts, pull it out..

Lots of free plans on the web for building your own disk sander, buffing wheel, etc...

[Puff Griffis]

I am thinking about a sanding station. I should be able to make one with = a little effort. Puff

as a lawn ornament.

all the suggestions?