Is my Powermatic 15" planer dead?

[James Baker SD]

Please don't ask how this happened, I can only take so much embarrassment, at least I escaped unhurt. But I managed to tip over my PM-15 planer and it landed on its side with a thud (was disassembling it to replace the cutter head with a Byrd Shelix--not as easy as the Byrd instructions show).

Got a neighbor to help me get it back upright and started inspecting it for damage. Pully on motor is broken, probably easy to remove. Big problem is it fell on the side with the table locking knobs and one of the knobs drove its lock into the column fracturing the cast iron. See no alternative but to replace the column.

Question, is this worth doing? I am not strong, and really struggled to get as many small pieces off to remove the original cutter head; I simply do not know if I can remove the big, heavy cast iron parts necessary to get the column out. Plus I have a garage full of parts as it is, and by the time I get a replacement column and pulley I may have forgotten how to put it back together.

Hate to give up on it, but I am be in deeper mess than I can handle. Hate to waste money, but I am old enough where my time is precious also.

James

[C Scott McDonald]

Hard to say. Best bet is to call Powermatic see if they have a repair company/tech that can come out and put it back together for you. Just get a qoute before the work is done.

Sorry to hear about your planer.

Forgot to add I have a helical head in my jointer and it is very much worth the effort. If nothing else it is so much quieter.

Scott

[Van Huskey]

I agree with Scott you in a large metro area, PM probably has some good techs in the neighborhood. Get them to put the Byrd in for you at the same time. It is possible you could be out more money but at least try. Although I love PM if you have to replace it get the Grizzly instead, its a lot less money and that is one machine that doesn't have a lot of valued added stuff from Grizzly, plus you have the biggest selling point for the PM in the Byrd head already.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Nope... it's cooked. Send it to me and I'll give it the funeral it deserves.
.

[Bob Aquino]

Its probably fixable, just depends on how much work it needs. Post a picture or two so we can see what the damage really is. I take it this is a new, Taiwanese machine?

[Bill Huber]

I am sure a good welding shop can weld it, I have welded cast iron myself many times, it just take a little time because you have to do it a little at a time.

Before I started doing woodworking I friend that bought a Delta 6" jointer at Lowes that had been dropped and the in-feed table was cracked. He got it for $150 and I welded it for him. Cut a large deep V in the ci and then slowly built it back up, he is still using it and it works fine. although he moved away and I don't get to use it now that I am doing woodwork.

[Quinn McCarthy]

At least you didn't let the smoke out of the motor.

That gets expensive and smells the shop up a bit.

Good luck.

Quinn

[david brum]

I agree with Bill, have it welded. I had a cast iron lathe bed welded 2 or 3 years ago. I worked fine. It cost about $80 for the repair. The advice I received at the time was to find an older, more experienced welder. Since you're in San Diego, you should easily be able to find a retired guy who has welded lots of cast iron for the Navy.

As far as reassembly, taking lots of digital pictures can be really helpful if you decide to do it yourself.

[george wilson]

If the column is cracked,it is also probably out of round, or not straight,and will not pass through the hole in the table as it should. You can't weld cast iron to original strength,it needs to be brazed. The column needs a new replacement to be functional. Even if it could be welded,it is out of tolerance,and would be more trouble than it is worth to have it precision ground,etc.,and would not be as good.

[Bruce Page]

I have to agree with George.

Almost anything is fixable but sometimes it is wiser to cut your losses.

[Bill Huber]

You can't weld cast iron to original strength,it needs to be brazed.

I disagree, if you use a high Nickel electrode you can and I have done it.

Now I am not sure that he can fix the planer but cast iron can be welded and is done all the time.

[Gary Radice]

Cast iron is indeed heavy, so if you decide to try to take it apart, get a helper.
If you want to go that route, here are some suggestions. I've taken completely apart, restored, and reassembled my planer, two jointers, a bandsaw, a Unisaw, a 12 inch lathe, and PM drill press and a half dozen other power tools. You don't have to be a strong man (I'm not) or a genius (I'm absolutely not!) but it does take a little organization.

In your case I'd call Powermatic first and see what a new column and other damaged parts will cost. Be aware that you might find other damage when you get it apart. Ask them if they have an exploded diagram available, too. I bet they do. If they don't have a tech that can come out they might be able to walk you through some steps. Or, you might be able to find a local machine repair shop to help.

1) Take your time
2) photograph every step (That's why god invented digital cameras) and take notes of part orientations.
3) use ziplock type bags for small parts. Label the bags! An exploded diagram is really helpful here since you can identify part numbers. If you end up with a lot of bags, put them in small plastic bins. Don't just leave them lying around or they will walk away.
4) With cast iron parts, place them somewhere where they won't tip or fall over or roll off a bench. DAMHIKT.
5) Even if the column can be brazed or welded, there is a good chance it will also be bent or out of round, as George suggested. That may or may not be easily repairable. Figure that into your repair vs replace calculation.
6) when you reassemble, take the time to clean off bolt threads and lubricate what needs lubrication. Take your time in reassembly, too. It is all too easy to rush when you just want to get the thing back together and see if it works, but resist the urge.

Good luck! These machines really are pretty simple and it can be very satisfying to get them back into shape.

[James Baker SD]

George is definitely correct, the column looks hopeless in these photos; even the one on the other side is damaged enough to replace if I am going to that much effort.

Looked on Powermatic's web site last night (it seems to be down tonight) and they had the replacement columns for $45 each, the motor pulley about $30. Thought I would go ahead and replace the cutter head bearings and the oil seals while I was at as the work involved is greater than the cost of the bearings.

Called Powermatic this morning and got two companies about 60 miles from me that were official repair facilities. Left messages with both about the job (asking if they ever go to the customer site), but neither called back.

I think I will order the parts when PM's web site is back up and maybe give Gary's advice a try and do it myself (with some help from the strong neighbor :) )

James

[Van Huskey]

Good luck James. I am sure you can get it squared away if you take your tiime. If you don't have or have trouble getting an exploded view for the PM check the Grizzly site as all the 15" planers are very similar. If you use Grizzly go to the purchase parts section of the page it has the best views, look near the top of the page, they have exploded views for the different sectons of the machine.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0453/parts/1

[James Baker SD]

The repair parts arrived yesterday. Wish me luck, I will need it.

I will post photos if (when) I get it back together.

James

[Van Huskey]

The repair parts arrived yesterday. Wish me luck, I will need it.

I will post photos if (when) I get it back together.

James


Will be sending good "repair vibes" your way! Let us know how it goes!

[Don Jarvie]

Garys process is right on. Take pictures of the whole machine at first from every angle. The picture you miss will be the one you need.

OWWM.org can be a great resource for information about bearing removal, etc. Also, ask here.

I've torn down and rebuilt my jointer, band saw, RAS, 2 table saws, lathe and 5 motors. Everything gets the spic and span.

When your done go to OWWN.com and in the WIKI knowledge base there is a video and article on how to setup a planer.

[James Baker SD]

After months of delays due to helpful neighbor who must be on long vacation, wife on long business trip, vacation to Crater Lake and not being strong enough to tackle the job alone, I finally got started repairing my PM-15 planer (wife was graciously willing to get her hands greasy today).

Have it completely in pieces now, the cutter head assembly is off the columns, the table is off the columns, the 4 columns are out of the base [including the chain drive below the base is now off as well :-( ] and the broken pulley is off the motor.

Found I need a couple more pieces to make the reassembly go smoother so another order to PM for replacement parts. Will be a good opportunity to clean and lube all the rubbing surfaces (think I will use LPS Force 842 now that everything is easy to get to) and the table is due a rust removal effort to get it slick again.

Hopefully I will get everything adjusted better than factory and the planer (with the new Byrd head that started all this) will cut like it never has before.

James

[Phil Thien]

Hopefully I will get everything adjusted better than factory and the planer (with the new Byrd head that started all this) will cut like it never has before.

James

I suspect you'll have it working better than new.

[Pete Bradley]

I suspect you'll have it working better than new.
...after serious pain along the way. ;) Don't get discouraged, don't take shortcuts or force anything.

Pete

[Chip Lindley]

James, its taken this long...take a little longer to get 'er dun right!

With all-new parts, the planer should function as new again! That Byrd head will make it all worthwhile when the job is finished!

Plan ahead when moving or lifting heavy machines. One man can do a lot with planning. No sudden moves! Haste makes Waste, as they say. An overhead chain or electric hoist would be a great addition to any shop. Just Be Careful! Woodworking is not worth broken bones or smashed fingers. Parts can be replaced, as you well know!
Good Luck James!!!

[James Baker SD]

I finally got it all put back together this week and adjusted. I cannot believe it (neither can LOML who was waiting for me to tell her I had to buy a new one) but it actually works.

I cannot see any snipe with my eye, but could see it when feeler gauge measured the snipe of 0.0015 so it must be pretty low. Full width board is 1/128" thicker on one side than the other.

Byrd Head (which started all this) is unbelievable. Almost glass smooth surface, no noticeable ripple at all on many types of wood. Little bit of trouble on super highly figured bloodwood where a knot surfaces, but less than I expected, and quiet, oh my how quiet. The planer was hands down the nosiest machine in the shop and now it is not even in the running for top 5 noise makers.

All in all it turned out much better than I could have hoped for. Thanks to all who gave me great advice and much needed encouragement.

James

[Jacob Mac]

I am glad to hear that you fixed it! Those mistakes/accidents can just break your heart. Glad your shop is up to speed again.

[Chip Lindley]

I cannot see any snipe with my eye, but could see it when feeler gauge measured the snipe of 0.0015 so it must be pretty low. Full width board is 1/128" thicker on one side than the other.
James

Umm....I'd call that "perfect!" This is woodworking, afterall. Any sanding at all would negate that "ERROR!" lol

So glad you got your PM15 up and running James! A sour experience that turned out sweet!!

[Paul McGaha]

Congratulations James on repairing your planer.

I admire what you did, I dont know that I could have done it.

[Curt Harms]

And something to consider for others considering similar projects. I can lift 500 or 1000 lbs. with a shop crane like the ones sold by Harbor Freight and never strain a muscle, pinch the crap out of a finger or drop anything. Yes i've done all those at one time or another. Something to think about for the future.

[Gordon Eyre]

Good luck James, I hope it all goes well for you.

[Phil Thien]

I love a happy ending.

[mreza Salav]

Glad to hear the end. At least you know the details of that machine and can fix it if it needs again, but hopefully never.