So- I finally have my first paying cabinet making project. Ive been going around my shop getting ready- sharpening and tuning up the jointer, sharpening chisels and planes, etc. (Boy it is cool having a surface grinder for sharpening jointer knives and chisels!)

Time to see how the old lunch box thickness planer is doing. Uh-oh! Its stuck!

The sucker will only move about 1/4" up and down. I have taken off the top, shot penetrating oil down each of the post slides and the lead screws. I even took off the clamp lever affair, thinking that it was binding. The columns look pretty good. No rust in the part that needs to be traveled. Alas, the upper part of the columns does have rust- I'll need to address that while I have it apart and then wax well.

I guess the big lead screws are rusty, but it is hard to see them- inside of a spring. I've oiled them well.

Anyway, if anybody out there has been through this and has advice, I'm all ears!

The frustrating part is that I have a very nice Rockwell/Invicta planer that I'm in the process of rebuilding. Its just not there yet, and no time to finish it before this project.

BTW, this is the first generation of the Dewalt 12 1/2" planer- about 7-8 years old I'd say.