New to me Rockwell planer

[Curtis Horswill]

I just picked up the Rockwell planer via Craigslist. I don't need another planer, but I like to restore machinery and this one stood out as one that I have never seen before, nor could I find much about it on the internet. I believe it is an Italian SCM built planer badged as a Rockwell, but I could be wrong. It has 350 mm long blades, adjustable bed rollers and a 5 hp single phase motor. It is definitely rough right now, but have already torn it down and start to clean everything up. I am going to repaint, clean, and possibly install a Byrd head.

Here are a few before pictures, hopefully in a couple weeks I will have most of it done. Has anyone here seen one of these before? It is definitely very heavy and well build. I restored a PM 100 planer this summer and this Rockwell has to be at least 10 times easier to work on.


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[Bob Vaughan]

That shows up in my Rockwell 1981 catalog as a 22-325, 13-3/4" x 7-7/8" capacity, 4.8 HP 3 phase motor, and adjustable bed rollers. The stock number didn't show up in my 1979 price list and my next price list is 1984 and it isn't in there either. Manuals for those SCM machines are often hard to find.

That looks like it can be made int a fine planer. The table moves up and down on a single post in the middle IIRC.

[Bill Orbine]

That's a lotta little planer! Sweet!

[Curtis Horswill]

Just thought I would update this thread with some pictures of the progress on the planer, hopefully not long now and it will be making chips.
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[Matt Day]

Nice work! 5HP 13" planer - probably not going to bog that down!

[Mike Wilkins]

Is that the hammered paint from the big blue store? I have used that in restoring some older machines and love it. Nice industrial-looking finish. You are going to have a really nice heavy duty machine when done.

I have read all the rage in many forums on the Byrd heads for jointers/planers. Not sure of the advantages, but I retrofit a Disposa-A-Blade system on my 4 knife jointer/planer machine and love it.

[Curtis Horswill]

Yes it is Rust-Oleum Hammered Deep Green, I sprayed the larger pieces with my Apollo HVLP and used rattle cans on the smaller stuff. I really like the finish as well, seems to hold up really well.

I decided against the Byrd head, just too costly. For now I am installing the original knives, but will upgrade to ESTA knives in the future.

[Curtis Horswill]

Just a final couple pictures, got everything done except installing the knives and fabricating a dust hood.
Since I have a phase converter already, I went ahead pulled the motor which wasn't original and installed a 7.5 hp 3 phase Baldor motor.
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[Kerry Wright]

Beautiful job!