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Thread: Little Mortiser... Tiny Gloat

  1. #1
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    Apr 2005
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    Little Mortiser... Tiny Gloat

    This is my new little mortiser. Just managed to wiggle it out of the east after all the dust settled. Very Long story.

    This is an oliver 91 mortiser that I got with some damage. The back fence was cracked in two and then brazed back together. A machine grinder redid the fence face to true it up. Also the main pedal is completely bent to heck.

    This mortiser is otherwise in excellent shape unlike some olivers I have seen lately! At least I can use it without having to machine a basket full of new parts. I will make a new mahogony pattern for the rear fence and the foot pedal. The pedal stem is a weldment which is easy to remake. The only use I have found for mahogony lately is in making patterns to replace cast iron parts on older, industrial machines. You haven't lived until you restore a dealer queen machine! The good news is that I know of a cast iron foundary in PA run by amish folks who actually charge fair and reasonable prices. I guess that is what happens when you take away the companies email and telephone and other expensive, non cash producing fringe bennies.

    This machine was virtually never used and was found still sitting on its pallet from oliver. Note that it has the bolt on main ways and not the integral cast on main ways. It has only a 3 HP motor instead of 5 ponies and the table does not tilt like many full feature mortisers. It does; however, have a jacobs chuck instead of the pesty collet collar used by older mortisers. I hate those and I just cut off the collar and machine a jacobs taper onto the rotor shaft and install a ball bearing jacobs chuck.

    This bad boy should arrive any day now at my favorate transit hub for pick up. The best thing about this machine is that it can punch 1/4 inch square holes. My other mortiser works on a different principle and the smallest square hole it can cut is 3/4 x 3/4 inch. For stickley spindles, this is a godsend.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Had the dog not stopped to go to the bathroom, he would have caught the rabbit.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Dev, nice find! I assume that it is 3ph.

    You should be able to restore the foot pedel by heating it up with a torch and bending it back.
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    "It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone."
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  3. #3
    Dev,

    Good luck with getting this 'ole girl running as good as new! It does look like quite the machine!
    Jeff Sudmeier

    "It's not the quality of the tool being used, it's the skills of the craftsman using the tool that really matter. Unfortunately, I don't have high quality in either"

  4. #4
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    Is it 3 phase?

    .......... A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y..............

    I run a phase converter off a standard 2 pole single phase breaker. After running 3 phase for a few years, there is no way that I would go back to running single phase. Its sooooo much better and with all the phase converter plans on ebay and on the net, its too simple and too cheap to allow the old excuses to remain. Food for thought. The number one cause of motor failure in woodworking machines is burn out induced by malfunctioning starting circuits. In three phase, all this junk is not required! Three phase is cheaper, simpler, more reliable, and has better hp and loading characteristics for the same volume.

    Using heat on the pedal may be the way to go. As long as it looks brand new with a new coat of paint, I will be happy. Its just a very simple part.
    Had the dog not stopped to go to the bathroom, he would have caught the rabbit.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    Sterling CT
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    hey dev

    nice machine.... wow... the foot operation is really very nice. I have a decent one, but it is only hand operated which is sort of a pain... congrats

    lou

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Snata Rosa CA
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    90

    Nice

    Nice "tiny" machine Dev, sent you a private message.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Hebron, KY
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    Where do you find old tools like this? Is there a web site or some publication that has listings of these great old tools?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
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    Dallas, TX
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    Funny how your eyes can play tricks on you. When I read your subject line I thought it said "Little Monster...Tiny Gloat". I thought maybe you were bragging about a new addition to the family. Anyway, congrats on the tiny mortiser. Feel free to store it in my shop if you don't have the room for it.
    There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures, right next to the mashed potatos

  9. #9
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    John Branam... You should join the OWWM group on yahoo groups. Many of its members also belong to this group. Then check out the various online auctions as well as ebay. As I recall, I first found this mortiser on woodweb back in the year of 2000. As I said, its a complex story. But its vacation days in Brooklyn are over! The www.owwm.com contains a repository of pictures and marketing flyers and manuals for thousands of vintage machines. Also note that I rebuild many of these and machine my own parts on metal lathes and milling machines. The US government bought thousands of machine tools. I actually bought my old oliver shaper as surplus only to find that it was never used. Just painted. As mentioned, once you break the 3 phase barrier, a whole new world opens up for you. And the majority are using home made phase converters to do it. This equipment is surplus. So are tons of electrical items such as 3 pole breakers, 3 phase motors, 3 phase service centers. Look up the used or surplus electrical supply house in your neck of the woods. The woodweb always helps. Just recently, I saw a 3 phase, 20 inch porter 300 belt driver jointer in MI for sale. And it was a late model from about 1960. Today, I think I saw not one but two general 350 saws from about 1997. Most likely three phase. There are also used machinery dealers all over the internet. Just remember to ignore their continous jabber and work on getting their prices down and inline. They can smell fresh meat and will take advantage of it. They are harmless once you figure out that your not fresh meat. And then keep at it. Buy only good values and good machines. If it does not fit well, let it go. There will always be one more machine on the horizon. Well that covers your question as deep as I am allowed under forum rules to cover. I hope that I did not violate any forum rules in answering your questions to date. Good Luck.
    Had the dog not stopped to go to the bathroom, he would have caught the rabbit.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Hebron, KY
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    Thanks for the info.

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