What should I build out of an old electric motor?

Before scrapping the old washing machine, I harvested the electric motor. I can't think of any way to repurpose it, but I'm sure that someone here can give me an idea of how to put it to good use. Any suggestions?

Wow, not only do I not have an idea, I feel like an idiot for not asking myself the same question before. I've scrapped plenty of washers, and I didn't even think of that.

(Now, every time I scrap a microwave oven I harvest the capacitor and the microwave emmitter)

Buffer.

Dr. Hess wrote: Buffer.

I thought of that, but the mounting bracket is cast into the housing and would make it tricky to mount. Also, I just bought a Harbor Freight buffer for $39.

Rotating bicycle repair stand?

Electric merry-go-round/carrousel for your daughter?

DIY tire-balancer?

Cut a 3' disc out of plywood, paint this design on it, and take turns seeing who can watch it the longest without falling over and/or passing out. Add alcohol when that gets boring?

Make a giant shaker rig for cleaning/peening parts.

All you need is a motor, pulley, offset shaft and old washer drum!

Why didn't you scrap the motor?

Use it to move Rudolph and the other reindeer pulling Santa in his sleigh for a neat Christmas display. You could put an appropriate size flywheel off the shaft, then a drive arm to give you linear motion. Wire in a light switch dimmer to control the speed. As for the reindeer you can get the patterns, trace them onto plywood, then cut and paint and you have some cheap reindeer. You could put one of those blow mold lighted Santas in whatever you use for a sleigh.

That's if your into Christmas displays. Otherwise you could use this idea for a Halloween display or something.

Ooh, electric go cart maybe?

Grizz wrote: Why didn't you scrap the motor?

Actually, the guys who delivered the new one hauled away the old one. I plucked the motor out before they got to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kexWGNBUVGI

low-rent Prius

Knurled wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kexWGNBUVGI

now that there is funny

Woody wrote:

Grizz wrote: Why didn't you scrap the motor?

Actually, the guys who delivered the new one hauled away the old one. I plucked the motor out before they got to it.

I was gonna say, electric motors go for a decent bit when it comes to scrap.

Bigass rock tumbler/ball mill?

generator

Oh, that's not bad......generator in GRM-sourced windmill.

Helps if you give the motor specifications like HP and rpm, that is important information for how you can use it.

Bench grinder/wire wheel. I have one i use this way and it is great. Use it to clean parts and things.

Didn't someone here make a welder from a pair of old motors? I recall there was a thread about "what things have you fabbed" and who ever it was that posted the homemade welder was declared the winner by virtue of having fabbed the thing used to fabb everything else.

Figure out some way to turn it back into a vibrator?

My dad used his old one with a reduction gear and a home-fabbed drum and a bag of kitty litter as a low-budget brass polisher. Only really useful if you re-load your own ammo.

ronholm wrote: Figure out some way to turn it back into a vibrator?

Industrial marital aid?

HappyAndy wrote: Didn't someone here make a welder from a pair of old motors? I recall there was a thread about "what things have you fabbed" and who ever it was that posted the homemade welder was declared the winner by virtue of having fabbed the thing used to fabb everything else.

I think that was alternators.

I like the parts cleaner rock tumbler idea with maybe a homer bucket. I have seen plans for those online

I have thought about making a pottery wheel with the one I had, but using it to power a belt sander,bandsaw, drum sander would work also.