# Almost a collector's item: Griswold #2 Grinder w/pics



## forluvofsmoke (Aug 1, 2010)

My wife's Dad picked this up at a consignment house and gave it to me a couple weeks ago when we were up visiting during our family reunion. I finally got a chance to take a closer look at it tonight...OK, OK, curiosity finally got the better of me and I decided to MAKE the time to take a closer look at it...LOL!!!

What do you think about this little gem?














Casting/part number of the body (453):







Casting/part number of the collar...nearly hammered beyond recognition (454):







The dreaded mismatched hand-crank from an old enterprise stuffer...possibly a #35 (hence the title of this thread):







Overall, it appears to be in good mechanical/functional condition, including the work table clamp. I think with some fine steel wool, a wire brush, elbow grease and possibly naval jelly (rust removing gel), it could be brought back from it's current state of hibernation to a useful life...I'll just need to hunt down the hand-crank. The only problem I can foresee at this point would be the ~3/16" grinding plate, which is pretty fine for the type of sausages I currently make, being uncased loaves...I need a coarser grind for that:







I did a bit of online searching this evening for info at antique sites and just found some general info about the company's roots in Erie PA from the 1800's up until it's takeover in the late 1950's ('57 as I recall)...very interesting reading, and part of the reason for my thread.

This small piece of history (in the form of the cast iron Enterprise crank) took me way back down memory lane, to the childhood days of homemade venison summer sausage, ground with a #32 powered by a 1/2 HP motor with belt drive (not just a finger nipper...it would have taken an arm if you'd let it). We stuffed the sausage with a huge Enterprise vertical...maybe 30# capacity. I'm not sure of the model, but it seemed like a very big and very heavy giant to the 5 or 6-year old (me) that was standing there watching the whole process.

Does anyone have an idea when this particular #2 Griswold may have been manufactured?

Thanks for any input or comments you may have.

Eric


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## Bearcarver (Aug 1, 2010)

Eric,

I can't answer any of your questions, but it does bring back memories. This grinder looks a lot like the one my mother used to clamp to one of the cellar steps, and crank away. Don't know what happened to it----Probably the youngest sister again. LOL

Bear


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## mballi3011 (Aug 1, 2010)

Ha I have one on the shelf in the outdoor kitchen I'll have to look at it. I know it's old


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## dilberto (Jul 28, 2014)

Eric, that one appears it was used in the 1940s. I have the same exact one, complete with crank handle and spare grates. it's for sale, too!


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## daveomak (Jul 28, 2014)

Eric, afternoon......   HEY......   DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO THAT FINISH......    It is plated in tin, and steel wool will scrape it all off....  even harsh soap or a dobey (nylon wool) could take the finish off....  tin is very soft and can be damaged easily....


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## Bearcarver (Jul 28, 2014)

Yes Eric,

What have you found out about this in the last 4 years, and did you get the needed parts?

Bear


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## daveomak (Jul 28, 2014)

*4 YEARS !!!!!!!*












THUD.gif



__ daveomak
__ Jul 28, 2014


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## venture (Jul 28, 2014)

Dam old Bear sure knows how to ruin a good thing?

What I get for clicking on an interesting thread without checking the date?   
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Good luck and good smoking.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 29, 2014)

Hey guys!!! Thanks for the info...especially on not scrubbing off the rust...I didn't think about the tinning and damaging it with abrasive material. I did keep in mind not to use soap, as it is cast iron. I have not done anything with it yet...it's still in the brown paper bag I received it in. I'm just hanging onto it until I can find a matched crank for it, then I may settle into cleaning it up and putting it to use.

This is just one of those many things that's been put on the back burner while I'm busy with everyday life. Something deep down inside me just itches for the nastalgia of turning the crank and watching meat wiggle through the plate of a (apparently) ~70-something year old hand-grinder.

I hadn't tried digging up info on this since I posted this (man, that was a while back), and have since bought a manual grinder (that I haven't used for quite some time...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...) Maybe if things settle down a little here I may have a chance to seek out some auctions and other possible sources for parts or complete units...I just may stumble into a crank someday.

Thanks again for the info, guys...and for the reminder to be watching out for parts so I can have a complete unit.

Eric


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## bluewhisper (Jul 29, 2014)

This is my rig, a 1950s Chop-Rite #10. I remember trying to turn that crank when I was  5 years old, with my father and grandfather laughing at me.













koefta_grinding.jpg



__ bluewhisper
__ Jul 29, 2014


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