Thread: Old Jointer/thicknesser restoration

u bastard!

looking forward to the finished job and some output!

Beaut tool there TH.

Amazing that machines like this haven't really changed, apart from some safety aspects, in over 100 years.

With the main motor being started, you'll probably dim the lights for half the town

Originally Posted by Tool-Horder

5. Thicknesser outfeed view. Motor is mounted too high up hitting on table roller extension and not allowing full 9" depth for thicknessing.:confused:

Looking at the mounting bracket for the moter, I would say that it is not original.

A lot of these older machines had the motors bolted to the floor separate, from the actual machine.

Don't you just hate it when work gets in the way of your private life. Finally got a little spare time to get back to you all

Originally Posted by China

You could try www.owwm.com they have some english machines, from the pics it looks as though it may have a square cutter block if you intend to use the machine I strongly recomend you replace it with the cylindrical type

Hi China
I have already tried OWWM.com. I am a regular visitor there. It would be great to see asimilar site set uo for Australian machinery. No mention of any Robinson machinery. But there is thousands of jointer pics to look through.

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

Actually those "pivots" look like pressure hold down fingers to me (like on a spindle moulder fence).
I reckon the guard is cantilevered out over the bed, supported only by the post on the end nearest the camera.

Mick

Hi Mick
That was my impression at first glance as well. But I felt that they would be a bit useless for that purpose being so close to the fence and would only place pressure on one edge of the board.

I have used machines before with tha manual bridge type guard on them but it appears that they are supporting the end of the guard and were used to automatically lift the guard, hence the counterweight on lever. They dont look like pressure fingers as they are round and only of small diameter which would mark softer timbers.

However after enlargong picture considerably it appears that you are right as the ends of them are flattened out. The pivots that they mount into are about 1" diameter. So judging from the location of adjusting bolts on both the machine and what you can see in the picture i am assuming that these pivots were actually about 18" long round bars so the fingers could be adjusted out towards the center of the board being dressed.

Looks like I will have to put a cross on the wall fro you there.

Originally Posted by tashammer

don't you just love machinery like that? bliss. even blissier that you are going to use it and not stick it in a museum.

It might be useful to check out the local history buffs at Rochdale as they frequently have machinery nuts or historians.

Tom

edit

http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/docs/ebooks/RR/ch6.pdf

http://www.google.com/search?num=100...ochdale.gov.uk

The mile long url above comes from an internal search of Rochdale's site - Google are everywhere, more places than Microsoft ever where. I wonder why folks aren't up in arms about that?

Thanks for that will go check them out tomorrow night (hopefully)

Originally Posted by Auld Bassoon

Beaut tool there TH.

Amazing that machines like this haven't really changed, apart from some safety aspects, in over 100 years.

With the main motor being started, you'll probably dim the lights for half the town

Hi Auld
Its amazing how machinery principles have changed very little in 100 years. I was looking through a catalogue dated 1910 belonging to a friend some time ago and most of the Stanley hand tools have not changed. I was surprised to even find a spiral (yankee) screwdriver way back then exactly the same as the current one ( if their still availiable, havn't seen one for a cpl of years) Actually with it being 3phase it only draws 10 amps when running. Don't know what the startup load would be. Probably about 20 -> 30 amps

Originally Posted by djstimber

Looking at the mounting bracket for the moter, I would say that it is not original.

A lot of these older machines had the motors bolted to the floor separate, from the actual machine.

It would have more than likely been run of a line shaft setup back in its heyday, possibly even driven from a steam engine. I actually worked in a joinery shop that was still using the line shaft drive untill about 15 years ago. Remains of the origonal steam engine were still there but line shaft was being driven by elictric motor. It was an interesting place to work where old met new. One side of the workshop was all the old machinery which was used for all the traditional joinery work and on the other side was the latest and greatest of modern machinery for doing the cabinet work. It gave me a chance to appreciate the best of both worlds. Interestingly enough I only found out a cpl of years ago tha the area where I prefered to work was actually over top of the well. Glad we had a strong floor. The well area has now been opened up again. I think the line shaft is still in the building. I will have to have a look next time I'm up that way. Most of the earlier industrial machinery was run of line shaft systems fairly commonly up untill the late sixties