5 Attachment(s)
Home From Road Trip: Parks Planer is Parked
Got home from the road trip with the Parks Planer. It is a bit bigger and heavier than I imagined a 12" planer would be. I've attached some pictures. The first are of the front and back of the planer. As you can see it will take some TLC.
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The next are the left and right side. Also, I've included a picture of where the throw-out bearing handle normally goes. This transmission has been modified so the transmission is always in gear. This picture also shows the rust that I will have to contend with inside the transmission.
How I Got my Parks/Craftsman Planer - Off Topic
This may be of interest - hope so - if not stop reading. In the mid 1970's I wanted a planer in t6he worst way. The lunch box variety had not yet arrived on the market. I attended many auctions in the Wisconsin area. Farmers there usually had a side line they pursued in the winter. Sometimes that was woodworking. So when one of these died his estate auctioned off his tools. Many of my hand tools come from this type of source.
I also attended auctions of commercial establishments such as boat building businesses. Every time a planer came up it went through my price ceiling like a NASA rocket. My ceiling was $200. seem to low? Remember I'm talking 1975.
Well one day I had the opportunity to attend the auction of the Horlick Malted Milk plant in Racine Wisconsin. Thewy had some tablet presses that I thought might be something my candy factory could use. That was not the case, but:
When the auctioneer got to Horlick's maintenance shop VOILA! old iron. Lathes powered by overhead shafts, all kinds of goodies, and a 12" Parks!!
When it came up for sale it went up to my $200 ceiling pronto. When the only bidder against me bid $225 I quit. I noticed he'd been bidding on everything (by way of machine tools). I went over to him and asked if he were a dealer and he said he was. I asked him if he would take a quick $25 profit on the planer right then, and he said yes. So I got my planer for $250 for which I've been thankful lo these 30 years.
This may be a technique some of you can find useful at an auction.