Powermatic Jointer Restoration

[Ray McCullie]

Hello. I got this thing off CL and now I need some advice on tuning it up, mainly getting rid of the rust.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=152885&d=1276156887

[Cary Falk]

WD40 and a ScotchBrite pad on a ROS would do the trick. Some people like "Barkeeper's Friend". Evaporust soaked towels laid on the bed for a few hours would probably work also. After you got the rust off coat it with Johnson's paste wax.

[Matt Meiser]

All those small parts (not the tables/fence) I like to clean up with a fine brass wire wheel in my grinder. Then I wipe paste wax on them and don't buff it off. The fence mechanism isn't too bad to disassemble and reassemble. Cary's WD40/Scotchbrite/sander advise is exactly what I do too for the tables/fence. I've got 1/4 sheet sander dedicated to that purpose because the WD40 eventually got on the pad. Even a cheapie would be fine.

[Ray McCullie]

Thanks guys, I'll give it a shot. One other question though, since I'm going to start taking things apart to de-rust them, is there a manual for this around? The guy I bought it from said he thought he had it but didn't know where, and he'd mail it to me if he found it.

I looked on-line but they only seem to have the manuals for the current models, gonna try calling customer service today but not really keen on paying for a manual.

Checked OWWM too.

[Ray McCullie]

Well solved that problem, 5 minutes on the phone with PM customer service and they e-mailed me a manual in PDF format. :)

[Bill Rogers]

This link should take you to the 1989 Manual for a Powermatic 60 Jointer. As has been said before: Jointers are fairly simple machines, therefore all manuals are very similar.

http://www.owwm.com/mfgindex/pubdetail.aspx?id=821

Bill

[Nathan Palenski]

My joiner looked just like that and 10 minutes with some naval jelly and a roll of paper towels fixed it up.

I'm actually going to paste wax my stationary tools tonight. I just gave them a good once over and need to reprotect them.

[Don Jarvie]

Buy the brand name green and gray scotch brite pads. They work much better than the generic versions.

5 min with the pad and WD40 and you will be amazed at how fast the rust comes off. Only use a sander if it's really hard to get off.

Depending on the extent of the rust and stains you may not get everything off and have it look brand new so don't go crazy. After the WD40 wipe the bed off with mineral spirits to get rid of the oily feel of the WD40. Don't want to get the WD on the wood.

I also use a stiff and softer wire wheel in a grinder and various brushes. The brush you use to clean copper pipes before soldering is great to clean screw holes, etc.

[Ray McCullie]

Rusted cutter head. Replace or try to remove the rust? Would soaking it in evapo-rust hurt it? I'm guessing it wouldn't be good for the bearings? Also a knife is cracked, any recommendations on a replacement?

Might try naval jelly on it, gotta go pick some up today.

Other then that I've started taking it apart, got most of it broken down. De-rusted and repainted some of the small parts.

FYI: Evapo-rust seems to remove paint too...

Has anyone ever removed the infeed table on one of these? I can't seem to figure it out.

[Neal Clayton]

Also a knife is cracked, any recommendations on a replacement?




Well solved that problem, 5 minutes on the phone with PM customer service and they e-mailed me a manual in PDF format. :)

i think the second answers the first ;).

they don't price gouge on parts like some companies do (delta). they have people here who answer the phone, rather than india, and they still ship parts from tennessee.

i try to go out of my way to reward companies i'm satisfied with by ordering parts directly from them. despite changing hands over the years powermatic, imo, is still one of those.

[Steve Bracken]

Hello. I got this thing off CL and now I need some advice on tuning it up, mainly getting rid of the rust.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=152885&d=1276156887

As rust goes that looks pretty light.

I would start with kerosene and steel wool. It's always worked for me.

With heavier rust I've used 600 Grit Wet and Dry, wet with kerosene.