Workshop Uses for Garbage Disposal?

[N Hurst]

I have a "new" garbage disposal (a cheapo Insinkerator Badger1 that I got during a white goods pickup recently) that I don't want to install in my home (we're on a septic, and we've been fine without one since we moved in), and it really isn't worth the effort in trying to sell.

I've done a search on the rec for some ideas, but I was wondering if anyone had any others. I'd especially be interested in opinions on if it can effectively be turned into a mini lathe. I assume the motor is a TEFC induction motor, (advertised 1/2HP), so I don't think I could just install a "dimmer" type switch to regulate the speed.

The other ideas I saw mentioned here were:

1 - Stone/glass grinder 2 - Sharpening system base

So to what useful purpose can I put this thing other than weighing down my garbage can?

Thanks!

-Nathan

[Lew Hodgett]

None.

It has an intermittent duty motor.

Lew

[Bob]

None. I think its a waste of time. The motor is a single purpose intermittent duty motor and certainly not a TEFC motor.

Bob

[Leon]

Keep in mind that other than intermittent use, most come with instructions to not run the motor unless the water is running.

[N Hurst]

Thanks, yall, for the replies. I'm still learning about all the different kinds of motors our there. I guess I'll have to keep my eye open for another junky table saw like the one I found and gave away a year or so ago. Or I could save up for a couple of months and buy a real lathe, but where's the fun in that??

Leon, I think they say to run water when running the disposal because otherwise all the ground up gunk would never leave the disposal, and just sit there and rot. I don't think it provides any service to the motor or anything like that.

I'd check the manual, but this one didn't come with one. :-)

-Nathan

[flip+]

that should be for after you are *finished* in the workshop.

[Swingman]

Most GD's benefit from, if not require the water as a coolant for any long term use/longevity. Just try running most models without the water flowing for any length of time and you'll quickly see this is the case.

I routinely disable/unplug newly installed GD's in new houses because of this very reason. Electricians are famous during trim out for firing up a circuit without checking to see if any appliances are attached and "on" and this is guaranteed to either fry a newly installed GD when no water is running, or cause the thermal protection switch to trip within minutes.

While the newer GD models have thermal cutoff switches, this was not always the case and it was easy to burn out a motor quickly with no water running.

[Aaron Perkins]

replying to Leon, Aaron Perkins wrote: The motor can be separated from the disposal side if water made it into the motor it would certainly short out. So I believe water is not needed to run motor. I have yet to see a electrical motor unsealed needing water to run it.

[DerbyDad03]

First, you are replying to something that was posted over a decade ago.

Second, you misunderstood Leon's post. He did not say that the motor needed water to run it, he said "most come with instructions to not run the motor unless the water is running."

Similar to the motor in a car, it doesn't need water to run, but it sure does like something to keep it cool, thus *keeping* it running.

[Markem]

Water lubes the chopping parts also

[DerbyDad03]

And washes the stuff down the drain.

[Clare Snyder]

The PRIMARY reason is to keep the seal from running dry and burning out. The second is to keep the damned thing from plugging up. Needs to keep the crap being chewed in a "slurry" - without water it just compacts in the outlet.