Photo Index - Hammond Machinery Builders, Inc. - Model VH-6WP

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Hammond Machinery Builders, Inc.
Kalamazoo, MI

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Sander
Machine Size:	6 x 60" belt
Submitted By:	Larry Hampton

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Model VH-6WP
Date of Manufacturer:	1952
Serial Number:	5256
Last Updated	5/5/2016 3:29:57 PM

Comments:

I purchased this in October of 2015 at a Denver industrial auction for $59.18. It was quite dirty, and paint had been previously applied over an impressive thickness of rust, presumably due to water used during grinding in its previous life in a production facility. I found more rust and bits and pieces of metal inside the machine.
Restoration was straightforward. It was difficult to disassemble due to the rust, but eventually I was able to take the thing apart, clean and polish it, and reassemble. It was necessary to replace the platen, which had worn dramatically over the years. The belt had damaged the edge of the table, and I shall grind that and/or surface it with a piece of plate steel.
I bought this machine without inspecting it, but I got lucky and it runs quiet and smoothly. It has a beautiful 3ph 2hp motor that weighs a million pounds, typical of that era. Despite its poor external condition, I could tell that it had been cracked open and serviced within recent years. Considering the little use it will get and the good condition of the bearings, I chose not to replace the bearings in the motor or in the drive/idler pulleys. I used Hammerite hammered light bronze and Rusteolum hammered brown, and found some hospital bed casters at ReStore, where I volunteer. Klingspor made the belt, which is of a length that I could not find ready-made.
The Hill-Curtis Company began in 1881 and became Hammond Machinery Builders in the 1920s. It exists now as Hammond Roto-Finish. The company is well-known for making the Hammond Glider Trim-O-Saw, historically a print shop machine and now favored for precision woodworking.

Photo 1:

Comments: Final form
Source: my shop

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Photo 2:

Comments: as purchased
Source: my shop

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Photo 3:

Comments: I couldn't make this tag look good because the paint was damaged. So I just removed the paint; looks much better.
Source: my shop

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Photo 4:

Comments: The tracking and tension controls
Source: my shop

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Photo 5:

Comments: quite a mess
Source: my shop

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Photo 6:

Comments: v-belt cover
Source: my shop

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