Early Gloat - pre delivery

[Joe Jensen]

I have been watching for a Rockwell F3a 12" jointer by SCM for quite a while. One came up on an auction site a couple of weeks ago and I won today. SCM (now SCMI) made this F3a for Rockwell in 1975 and 1976 and I'm told they sold for $6K new. The one I bought has some minor surface rust on the bed but is otherwise complete. I paid $750.

Here is a pic from the auction site. Pics from my shop when I get it home later this week.

[Jim Becker]

Congratulations, Joe! That's going to be a fine machine when you're done sprucing it up!

BTW, consider replacing the "pork chop" guard with a Euro bridge guard...much easier to deal with on a wide machine, IMHO.

[Peter Gregory]

Looks like a real find, congratulations.

I was thinking about Jim's comment and I have a 16" wide J/P and have a bridge guard and like it. If you replace the pork chop guard, don't you have to replace the fence too? The snap back on a pork chop that big, must be pretty fast. Should be interesting to hear what you do.

[Noah Levy]

I have an older Minimax F3 12" jointer and I have to replace the porkchop guard too. The Euro bridge guard from MM isn't eaxactly cheap so I've been looking for a cheaper alternative. If I run into one, I'll post here.

Joe, let us know if you find a decent deal.

[Mike Heidrick]

I have a DJ30 12" jointer with the Pork Chop and I don't mind it at all myself. It is all I have ever used (pork chop designs that is) so it works fine. The speed of the flip back is adjustable on mine.

I am using a LVC to power this 3 phase jointer of mine Joe. It works great for me. I bought the FM50 rated for 3hp from factorymation. It is one solution you can consider. Is your new jointer 3.6hp though???

[Joe Jensen]

Jim, I've never played with the euro style guard. Do they just hang about the cutter and stock? Do you adjust it for each cut? face jointing 12" wide will be scary I'm sure. I can't imagine doing 20" or more.

Mike, the ad said 3.6HP, but the literatue on the machine in the posting says 4.8HP. that seems huge for a 12" machine. I have an 8" Powermatic with 1.5HP and that has always been enough.

[Peter Quinn]

Congrats. I use a similar if not the same SCMI at work daily (labeled as an SCMI, same color and shape though), real nice and very accurate tool. Every time I hear complaints about lever height adjustment I think of the beautiful and smooth operation of the SCMI and grin.

I don't mind the pork chop guard on a 12" at all for material above 1" thickness. It gets a bit dicey when the material gets much thinner. I have never worked with a Euro guard but like many things EURO they sure make sense when you look at them.

Good luck.