Growler

[ldj]

Any one have instructions on how to use a armature growler. This one has a light bulb instead of a meter and it has only 2 wires.

 

[David G]

Light bulb was for continuity, rotate armature in mount should keep hacksaw blade down as you rotate.

Been 50 years, what I remember.

 

[David G]

continuity is between probes.

 

[DoubleO7]

Growler: have filled with beer of your choice.
Consume beer at your leisure at home.

 

[Billy Shafer]

The one I used had a hacksaw blade. But like you. That was a long time ago.

 

[Janicholson]

Place the armature in the "V" turn on. A strip of steel (hacksaw blade) will pull down and chatter. As the armature is turned from on its axix 20
degrees or so, the saw chatter should stay the same. The two wires are used to check contenuity. All commutator bars should connect (seems strange, but
it is physics, not logic) each should be tested against the others (time consuming, but easy). there should be no connection to the steel of the
armature and commutator bars. Jim

 

[M-MAN]

If it's an old one like mine don't use
the light bulb to check continuity. Use
a meter instead. The bulb function makes
the growler a live conductor. Not a
problem long as you touch with just the
leads but if your hand touches your
gonna get a good shock.

The growler function just attracts the
hacksaw blade. Don't plug it in until
you are ready to use it. More than a
minute or two without an armature on top
is supposed to kill it.

 

[teddy52food]

If the hacksaw blade pulls down, the armature is bad.

 

[ldj]

(quoted from post at 20:40:51 09/09/20) If the hacksaw blade pulls down, the armature is bad.

Why use 110v? It would be safer to use 12vDC.

 

[John Garner]

My understanding is that the lightbulb
works as a current limiter; the lower the
bulb wattage, the lower the current.

 

[6cylpower]

I don't use the leads either, a shocking discovery!

Also works as a demagnetizer. Place your item on one of the V's, turn on power, slowly pull item away a good distance, then turn off power. Repeat if necessary.

 

[David G]

Ah yes,

My dad would put one probe on the shaft and other on commutator.

Old...... memories.

 

[wore out]

(quoted from post at 15:20:16 09/09/20) Any one have instructions on how to use a armature growler. This one has a light bulb instead of a meter and it has only 2 wires.

Agreeing with what a couple of others have said, the light bulb and test leads are used to rule out shorts, the growler function is separate.

Some suggested 12 Volts would be safer, perhaps so, but the coil(s) in the in the polepieces woulld have to be wound accordingly and AC power would stil be needed to make the "growler function" work.

 

[Steve@Advance]

I wonder about the shock hazard too.

But there was one in dad's shop I played with many times as a kid, don't recall ever getting shocked.

Evidently there is an isolation transformer, otherwise touching the leads to the case would cause a short to ground or give a false light.

But still, if you went lead to lead it would give a good shock, but guess I never tried it to see!

 

[David G]

I am reading different stories on the hacksaw blade.

Is pulled down good or bad?

I just don't remember.

 

[wore out]

(quoted from post at 06:57:03 09/10/20) I am reading different stories on the hacksaw blade.

Is pulled down good or bad?

I just don't remember.

If there's a shorted winding the blade vibrates vigorously.

There's no steady "pulled down" effect as it is alternately attracted and repelled by the changing magnetic field from the AC current much like the moving part in a buzzer.

 

[teddy52food]

If the blade pulls down , the armature is bad.

 

[560Dennis]

Yum !

 

[4520BW]

Fill with beer, drink, repeat! O wait
wrong type of growler!

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 10:08:45 09/10/20)

(quoted from post at 06:57:03 09/10/20) I am reading different stories on the hacksaw blade.

Is pulled down good or bad?

I just don't remember.

If there's a shorted winding the blade vibrates vigorously.

There's no steady "pulled down" effect as it is alternately attracted and repelled by the changing magnetic field from the AC current much like the moving part in a buzzer.

..or you could say that it 'growls' at you when it finds a shorted winding.

 

[David G]

Thanks

 

[Repairman60]

The unit we used in our shop is a
Christensen Model 10. I believe the test
light is for insulation resistance test.
We used the test light to confirm no
short from commutator to steel of
armature. It is normal to see a faint
glow of the light depending upon
armature. If the light is bright then you
have a short. Touching the test leads
together will give a bright light.
Depending upon resistance of the short
the light can be from the faint glow to
bright. This is testing for a breakdown
of insulation. No sparks when touching
leads so I am not sure what voltage is on
the leads. Cannot say I ever touched both
of them so I do not know if you would get
a shock or not as some have stated. I do
not think there is much voltage on the
leads. A high pot tester on the other
hand will light you up! To growl the
armature you want to hold the blade
centered on armature and turn the
armature, if the blade is moved toward
either of the stacks, upright metal
parts, you will feel vibration. If blade
is centered and it vibrates there can be
a short across two bars of the
commutator. This can be carbon from the
brushes in the slots, a foreign piece of
conductive material, or if the commutator
has been turned, a sliver of copper. Just
because the blade vibrates it does not
necessarily mean the armature is bad it
may just need cleaning and retesting. I
have seen grease and carbon burn between
the bars of the commutator. The other
test to make is taking an ohm reading
from bar to bar. Should always have about
the same reading from bar to bar. Shorted
bars would mean wires touching internally
if bars are clean and no visible material
in slot. An open connection would
indicate a broken wire or bad connection
of wire to bar. Visual examination will
usually show you something if you know
what you are looking for. We tested
thousands of armatures over the years in
fact so many the stacks are no longer
flat on our growler they are grooved as
we mostly tested the same size armature
for years. Most of the motors we repaired
ran 8000 and 10000 RPM and started and
stopped multiple times a day. They took a
beating.

 

[dr sportster]

Snap-On still sells new growlers I have one .Continuity lght instructions lettered on unit Nice new red unit I think I paid 200

 

[Papaw8]

I have two one is a Marquette and growls at armatures. The other is a brunette and growls at me.

 

[Repairman60]

Papaw8 I have no idea of what you speak of... ...I also have been known to lie like a rug!