Stopped by the pawn shop to day and picked this up for 3 bucks.

Its a General Electric motor. No idea on the age, any info? Ime not sure but I think the metal caps are for a oil bath, is it even got one there? How do I check it?

I plugged it up an it seems fine, just runs a little slow for the rpm stated or so I think.

No idea of the age except it is somewhere between old and not very new. I wouldn't call it an oil bath. Any that I have had I lifted the caps and put in a couple drops of oil twice a year. To much oil is as bad as none. I am sure someone can provide better info on servicing. I always used motor oil which I doubt is whats recomended.

I just noticed that I can't see a set screw holding the sander to motor. Check and make sure there is one. If that sander comes off while running your shop could get crowded in a hurry.

Quote from: Neals on March 03, 2012, 04:56:04 PM
I just noticed that I can't see a set screw holding the sander to motor. Check and make sure there is one. If that sander comes off while running your shop could get crowded in a hurry.

Yeh theres 3 threaded wholes on the shaft 2 have some sort of allen screw on it. I already planned on getting a third.

From the look of it, the style of the tag and the toilet seat oilers, I'd guess 40's or 50's. Great score! You sure got your money's worth.

Age is about right. The oil hole leads to a chunk of felt that holds the oil. Motor oil is ok, but a bit heavier than what originally went in there. If it hasn't been oiled in a long time, you can over oil it once to saturate the felt, don't keep over oiling it tho, the oil, if it gets onto the windings degrades the insulating varnish. (5W20 would probably work, 3in 1 is a little thin, but was sometimes used for high speed motors, I'd go heavier than that tho.
Be aware that if you disassemble that motor it may never work again, don't ask how I found that out ;P The armature alignment is kinda touchy in those motors....

If it's running slow it probably needs oil, there is no capacator in those, there is a second shading winding, they do sometimes get cooked, but usually the motor dies when that happens.

Other than that, those motors are close to indestructable....

(Probably came off of a fan, they used thousands of them for fan service)

Quote from: rusty on March 03, 2012, 09:17:01 PM
The oil hole leads to a chunk of felt that holds the oil. Motor oil is ok, but a bit heavier than what originally went in there. If it hasn't been oiled in a long time, you can over oil it once to saturate the felt, don't keep over oiling it tho, the oil, if it gets onto the windings degrades the insulating varnish. (5W20 would probably work, 3in 1 is a little thin, but was sometimes used for high speed motors, I'd go heavier than that tho.

Or just go to a real hardware store and get a little bottle of the right lube: SAE 20 electric motor oil. Put in one drop per day per bearing until the felts saturate (motor spins faster/better). Then use one drop per bearing per year.