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Pete012
24th Mar 2016, 06:30 PM
Hi all, I have my Repco cylindrical grinder project up for sale. I intended to finish and use this machine but I have accumulated far too many other projects and I have run out of room in my shed. The item is listed on gumtree. Lismore area.
Repco Cylindrical Grinding Machine | Construction Equipment | Gumtree Australia Lismore Area - Goonellabah | 1107913318 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/goonellabah/construction-equipment/repco-cylindrical-grinding-machine/1107913318)

jhovel
25th Mar 2016, 12:45 AM
Amazingly, this identical to my ca. 1922 Van Norman 'Wet grinder' I just restored????
The only difference appears to be the lack of the Van Norman name cast in the base and door on the foot which on yours says 'Repco' and on mine it says:
361707
Can you tell me what the blue thing is on the Gumtree photo No 7, please? Perhaps even take a couple of photos of it? Mine was missing lots of bits and still is missing the coolant system (that I'm working on now). I wish I could find athe proper tailstock for one...
I have next to no information on the Van Norman. Looking for any info I can - perhaps finding info on this Repco version might be more likely....
Can you please take a photo of the brass label on the right of the table?
Here is mine (with modern 3-phase motors and two VFDs):
361708

YBAF
26th Mar 2016, 07:10 PM
Amazingly, this identical to my ca. 1922 Van Norman 'Wet grinder' I just restored????
...
I have next to no information on the Van Norman. Looking for any info I can -

Looking at them you'd say they were related.:U

A Trove search brings up many Van Norman hits: Search results for '"van norman" grinder' - Digitised newspapers and more - Trove (http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=%22van+norman%22+grinder&s=0)

Seems Van Norman machines were to be found around the car workshops back in the 20's and 30's. A period photo of a car workshop might show a Van Norman in the background.

jhovel
26th Mar 2016, 08:22 PM
Interesting suggestion. I found 830 hits there, all of them related to 'Hercus piston grinders' and 'Van Norman boring bars' - not a single link to a 'Van Norman piston grinder', 'Van Norman wet grinder' or even a 'Van Norman grinder' of any kind. Could you let me know of any direct hits you found, please?

YBAF
26th Mar 2016, 10:24 PM
I just had a quick random pick look-see to see if anything came up. Didn't actually go through all the listings... thats your job:p

Trove can be dificult to search at times. Try diferent search word combinations including the original machine dealer if you know it. Perhaps search only the newspapers of a particular city.

One link I did keep refers to a Van Norman mill. I kept the link because it describes a 1920's machine sales shop: 13 Oct 1920 - SOLVING THE PLANT PROBLEM. - Trove (http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/159899392?searchTerm=%22van%20norman%22%20grinder&searchLimits=)

I see the boring bar machine were called a 'Per-fect-o', whilst the No2 Grinder is a 'Re-Li-O'.

jhovel
26th Mar 2016, 11:51 PM
Yes, that's my job. I looked at all 830 and came up with none :)
I did have hopes to find something.... I also tried every other combination of "Re-li-o" "Wet Grinder" "Van Norman psiton grinder" etc and all of them came up with 0 ....
Pity. All I have is a scan of an ad from 1922.... and some photos of some good and not so good restorations. I did once see a complete one, but that was before camera phones and the owner (a scrap metal dealer) had no idea what it was.
361772 361773

Strangly, I can't find anything on a Repco Piston Grinder either! I wonder if someone 'created' just one..... grinding off the name on he casting and using a Repco door of another tool?????

YBAF
27th Mar 2016, 11:54 AM
Trove is hopeless to search. I've tried a direct Trove search of Van Norman mills which I've found before and Trove wont find them again. Perhaps a google search focused on Trove might get better results

Via Trove, there were two war surplus? (If war surplus they could have been older machines compulsorily acquired by the military during WW2) "grinding machines" auctioned in Melbourne in 1947. Perhaps a post sale search of the dealers sales lists may bring up a more descriptive reference. 06 May 1947 - Advertising - Trove (http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22424439?searchTerm=%22van%20norman%20&%20rowlands%22&searchLimits=)

Oldneweng
27th Mar 2016, 01:45 PM
I keep meaning to get photos of mine for comparison. I just did.

361777

I am not sure whether I can be much help tho. One thing I can help with is "the Blue thing". It is a coolant pump. Not visible in this photo except for the pulley. The rest is in the cast reservoir.

361778

The only information I have been able to get off this grinder is the name "REPCO" on the door in the base. Let me know if you think I can supply any information from my grinder.

Dean

jhovel
27th Mar 2016, 06:59 PM
Thanks Dean. That proves at least that Repco made them, rather than a one-off.
It also shows me a bit some of the cooland system. More photos of the coolant tank would be helpful. I will try not to reinvent the wheel, but not necessarily make a replica of all the parts that were missing on mine. That's how I went about the reto so far. I want to use the grinder, not own a faithful restoration machine.

Oldneweng
27th Mar 2016, 09:32 PM
Ok Joe. I can provide pictures for free. :D

Have to be tomorrow.

Dean

Oldneweng
28th Mar 2016, 08:00 PM
361809

The coolant tank as requested Joe. Complete with spider webs.

361810

The wheel guard and coolant nozzle, just in case. If you want anymore details just holler. I have measured up the coolant tank. Like I said before it is one cast piece. It has tabs sticking out the sides to bolt down.

Dean

Pete012
2nd Apr 2016, 10:46 AM
Hi Guys, sorry about my absence from this thread since I posted it, I forgot that I put a posting up. The similarity to the other two machines is amazing, they must have come from the same patterns, when I first got this machine I posted on this forum asking for information about these machines, which didn't result in a lot of information, also searches of www also proved fruitless. I also have the coolant tank which I didn't take a photo of. My plan was to fab a new one out of aluminium as the cast iron one is very heavy.
Here is a photo of the brass tag.361864
I have a heap of other photos which I didn't post, would be happy to send them to you if you need. PS I have reduced the price on the grinder to $600.