Loading…
33
A near miss with my old forge blower in Tacoma last month
I was working on a set of fireplace tools and the motor on my old Champion blower started making a high pitched whine. I shut it down and found the bearings were completely dry, the housing was almost too hot to touch. If I hadn't caught it, I'm sure it would have seized or sparked. Has anyone else had a close call with an older blower like that?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
ray_patel276mo ago
Oh man, that sound is a real alarm bell. I had the exact same thing happen with my old Buffalo blower. It was that same high pitched scream right before the motor locked up tight. I got lucky and caught it, but the heat had already warped the housing a bit. Now I make a point to oil the bearings every few months, even if it seems like overkill. It's scary how fast those old workhorses can go from fine to finished.
8
murray.gray6mo ago
Yikes, that hits close to home. My own lesson came from a bench grinder I ignored until it started singing like a teakettle. I was so proud of myself for finally adding oil... right as a wisp of smoke curled out. The bearing was already toast, just a dry, gritty lump. Now I'm paranoid and oil everything that even looks like it might spin.
4