Jointers

Unless you're only ever making really small things I'd look for an 8" jointer. You'll find it to be a much more useful tool.
 
I have no problem buying older American iron, so I grabbed a Powermatic PM50 from Ebay out of a school equipment replacement program for $164. The bearings could use replacement in the future, and I upgraded the switch to a larger STOP paddle type. Hooked it up to dust collection and put it to work. Is there a benefit to new equipment? Not much if you don't mind a couple hours of work and less than $80 in bearings, and maybe brushes. Shelix heads can be installed in most any piece of equipment, but jointer blades are easy enough to sharpen.

I didn't take down my searches for a jointer since an 8" jointer is preferable, and I can resell the Powermatic PM50. If buying new I would go for an 8" at time of purchase.

This doesn't apply 100% of the time but..."Inflation" coincides with "Record Corporate Profits".
 
yup. My Oliver jointer rolled off the factory floor in 1945, the PM66 table saw in 1969 and the 20 inch Bandsaw in 1974.

Ron
 
Bob D. said:
Great. If it was a bit closer than 120 miles from me I might be tempted to
make a trip. That's 12 gallons of diesel @ $6.19/gal and a $5 bridge toll.

But that's a fair chunk of change in fuel and tolls for a joy ride as I am not in
need of anything.

But no doubt if I was there I could find something I just had to have. :-)

Much closer if you take the ferry to Lewes... [poke]

RMW  [big grin]
 
I am considering the Jet combo that ToolNut has on sale.  Yes it is NOT for a commercial shop, but to get a short bed jointer (10") and a 10" planer combo for less than $800 for my needs -it sure is tempting.

Peter
 
Peter Halle said:
I am considering the Jet combo that ToolNut has on sale.  Yes it is NOT for a commercial shop, but to get a short bed jointer (10") and a 10" planer combo for less than $800 for my needs -it sure is tempting.

Peter

Careful Peter. The reviews on that are not great.

 
I know, but I also looked at the dates with the hope that since the model was out in 2009 they have made improvements.

I'm like you and would love to get an 8".  Don't need a planer - I have one that has probably only had 200 feet run thru it in 8 years.

Scarcity sucks!

Peter
 
Richard/RMW said:
Bob D. said:
Great. If it was a bit closer than 120 miles from me I might be tempted to
make a trip. That's 12 gallons of diesel @ $6.19/gal and a $5 bridge toll.

But that's a fair chunk of change in fuel and tolls for a joy ride as I am not in
need of anything.

But no doubt if I was there I could find something I just had to have. :-)

Much closer if you take the ferry to Lewes... [poke]

RMW  [big grin]

Maybe for you living on the east coast, but I am 26 miles from the DMB. It's 58 miles to the Ferry for me plus you get to wait an hour or more, both ways.

Right now there is a $5 fuel surcharge for the Ferry, because the $45 fare is not enough. And that's the low side, the rate varies with time of day and how far in advance you book. Waste of time AND money. they should discontinue service and build a bridge/tunnel like was proposed decades ago. It could have paid for itself a dozen times over by now.
 
Richard/RMW said:
My day job is related to industrial logistics, so I tend to read about this more than casually. I'd say that a joiner has all the strikes against it right now. Imported from Asia, large/heavy relative to its value, and has to ship to you via freight.

The last leg is the most impactfull, in the time it takes that truck/driver to make the delivery to you they could have moved and entire truckload of iPhones to a commercial destination.

Or I could be all wet.  [scratch chin]

RMW

You are not all wet at all, you are right on point. We machine castings that our customer is sourcing from Turkey and Germany. Shipping costs almost as much as the casting and considerably more than we get for machining it. Totally upside down.

Please don’t ask why we can’t get the casting here. It is along story and I didn’t have the stamina to write that much and your eyes will probably glaze over anyway.
 
Peter Kelly said:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/354049974969?hash=item526f05e2b9:g:ZmsAAOSwdzZieALT
6" Delta for $250 located in Alexandria VA, looks like it needs a little TLC but otherwise viable. Even comes with a rolling base.

A little TLC, I'll say. I have that same jointer in my shop for 15 years and it looks much better than this. I am on the fence as to if it's worth changing the cutter out for a Shelix. I do use it enough that I think it would be worth it for the cut quality not the economy as I don't use it enough to go through more than one set of blades a year.

For me I have to apply the EOL evaluation. Will the investment pay me back before the end of my life.  [sad]
 
I owned a Delta 6” jointer for several years. Learned to replace blades as I had to do it often and always wore ear protection as the tool was loud. Always found 6” wasn’t enough for my projects.  Got smart and ordered. An 8” Powermatic with helical heads and a companion Powermatic wide bed planer also with helical heads.

Goodby to knives, noise, and 90 percent of the sanding. The wood comes off only needing touch up with 180 and 220.
 
I'll put that as option C. Thanks for sharing.

I'd love to have my neighbors if he comes around. It's immaculate and I could strap it to a big dolly and wheel it to my shop.

I reached out to the woodworking guild president yesterday and he said he has one or two in storage and will take pictures next week. Sounds promising as I know him pretty well and he's a straight up person. Delta or powermatic but he wasn't positive. Bonus there would be here could probably help move and set it up. He's been after me for years to do a presentation on Festool/cabinetry.
 
Clearvue Cyclones in Australia has shut the doors because freight costs have gone from $3000 to $13000 per shipment from the East Coast of the US. 
 
I have a Jet 6" jointer I bought new about 20 years ago...I think it was around $550 then.  It has served me well and I added a Shelix head which improved its capabilities substantially.  Other than one or two lightly chipped inserts that I have rotated, in 7 years I am still working on the 1st edge of the inserts.  I agree 6" can be limiting so when I have a project using wider stock I will have the mill I buy from skip plane one side, their 30" jointer easily covers my needs.  I think they charge $0.20 a BF for that so it's a no brainer.
 
Look at this beast:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164841437423?hash=item266150b8ef:g:p~0AAOSwFNZWw6vZ

s-l500.jpg
 
I watched a video on jointer restoration and it seems like it's more elbow grease than anything. That Delta on e-bay doesn't seem worth the effort, though. If it were a Jet or Powermatic I'd probably go get it.

Way off topic here, but a past version of myself when I had more free time I told a buddy I'd restore this engine for him on an old Yamaha from 1982 that looked like it was left in a puddle of mud for a decade:

i-W79kDmT-L.jpg


i-pwFLv74-L.jpg


i-rmLf25Q-L.png


i-5PPJLv3-L.jpg


i-8D3gg6R-L.jpg


I ended up stripping it all apart, replacing every bearing and cleaning it best I could. So while I'm capable of tackling a neglected jointer I don't think I want to unless the deal is too good to pass up.

Matt
 
Matt you don’t want that be one. Takes up all the space of a 16 inch but only has a 12 inch head. I actually have that Oliver 166 with a 16 inch head. Love it. Mine and most of them were direct drive models where the motor armature is the shaft for the head.

There is an Oliver 166 with a 30 inch head in Columbus OH you should get. They don’t turn up very often.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:dc6c4e0c-c74d-474e-acc5-a6ea8b434212

Ron

 
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