Good deals or ship anchors?

[Mark Rios]

Any ideas?

http://modesto.craigslist.org/tls/197794116.html

Would it be cheaper (and/or more cost effective) to put a 1ph motor into either of these or to set up with a phase converter?

[Scott Loven]

A lot of these old machines have direct drive motors, or motors that would be difficult to swap out. check out www.owwm.com to See if you can find any info on them. I have a 208v 3ph RAS that I am trying to figure out what to do with. It has a direct drive motor that can't be replaced. I have been thinking of an inverter also.
Scott

[Don Baer]

It realy depends on the condition of the machines. If I were to do it I'd size the phase converter for the largest machine, proubly the planer and only run one machine at a time. The planers probubly a 5 HP and the jointer is probubly a 3 HP. This would certainly cheaper then buying a new 5 and 3 HP motors.

[Rick Lizek]

Scott is correct about the built in motors factor. A staitc or rotary would be one option. Inverters don't always work with the older motors. There isn't enough information in the ad to make a call either way. More research is needed but it is possibly doable one way or another. I wouldn't be so concerned if they were babbit bearing either. Old square heads with the thick knives would be a cause for concern. The ad leaves so much important info out and with that price I'd be willing to bet they are real relics that might be best left behind.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Call the guy and ask......?

Good luck!

[Kirk Poore]

The jointer is probably FH Clement (or Frank H Clement), not CH Clement. Frank H Clement was part of the 1897 merger that formed the American Woodworking Machinery Company, so it's a pre-1900 machine and the motor won't be direct drive. http://www.owwm.com/MfgIndex/detail.asp?ID=184

The planer's nameplate (Maine Machinery, Los Angeles) isn't in the OWWM manufacturer index, so I'm betting it's a dealer name.

If these are in running condition and you have space/need for them, these are great prices. If the bearing are almost shot, you'll have some work. I would go with building a phase converter to run them. Each will probably need at least a 5 hp motor, and a single phase motor that size would be scarce for a used one and expensive for a new one--and you'll need two. Building a phase converter with a used 3ph motor would be cheaper than one new single-phase motor.

Good luck. Take care moving them, too.

Kirk

[rick fulton]

The jointer has been sold. Bummer.

[Alan DuBoff]

The jointer has been sold. Bummer.

That jointer was most likely a square head jointer manufactured around the turn of the century. Square head jointers are one of the most dangerous machines built.

Those machines have babbitt bearing most likely, not that babbitt is bad, just that it requires special care when restoring/pouring new ones.

Many of the machines made for flat belts in factories can be converted to v-belts, but it requires work.

My Crescent 8" jointer is one such machine, but was built around 1920 and has a safety head on it, rather than square head. Dana Batory states in his books that square head jointers are best kept for garden planters and conversation pieces, and that nobody should use them as working tools in their shop, they have no place for that. You can convert the head, but it's a lot of work in most cases.

For anyone who hasn't seen how large the older 24" planers are, be prepared for an experience when trying to move one. Even a 12" jointer is not for the faint at heart, but not nearly as bad as moving a 24" industrial planer built of cast iron. Bring a crane with you! Or bring some johnson bars and a lot of friends. Many of the 24" planers will be 440v also, and as noted the direct drive motors are not so easily replaced.

In short, do your homework first, rather than relying on others to do it for you. Then you can only blame yourself.

[Charlie Hans]

Scott have you thiught about having a motor shop rewind the motor for your RAS? it can be done easily and you can use 220 single phase to power your saw. that looks like a nice one that you have there.
Chuck

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Mark,

Call or go and look at it. Our 17 1/2" crescent planer was ran off of a 4 cyl. Wisconsin gas engine when we got it. It may be a belt drive machine and a very easy switch. It will need a lot of room.

Happy hunting.