Used jointer help (Rockwell 37-290, 4-Inch Deluxe Jointer)

[M Smith]

I have been in the market for a jointer for some time. But due to the cramped size of my workshop/garage, I don't have the space for a bigger jointer that I'd prefer. Being somewhat skeptical of the build quality of the benchtop models that are being sold now, I did a Craigslist search and found an old Rockwell Model 37-290, 4-Inch Deluxe Jointer for what seems like a great price.

What should I ask about this jointer before making a decision to purchase? Is this jointer generally known to be a good quality jointer? The guy states in his email that it is in great condition, but not having owned a jointer yet, I am not sure what to look for.

Would appreciate any help/insight!

Thanks.

178572

[John McClanahan]

I had a 6" Delta/Rockwell, much like that one. Well built machine. I would still have it, but I came across an 8" Jet at a price I couldn't pass up.

John

[Russell Smallwood]

That appears to be an ancestor of my 37-190 6" deluxe. Pretty proven design and if the tables are flat, coplanar, and the fence has no significant twist, the motor is in good shape, the cutterhead is not rusted through then it's a pretty tried and true design and should give years of service.

That being said, the 3/4hp motor on my 6" is about the very minimum I'd settle for on a jointer. Face jointing a 6"-wide plank even with sharp knives can be dicey.

With the plethora of 6" jointers on CL constantly, and the fact that a 6" wouldn't take up any more shop space, might be worth waiting to see if one comes up that is in your price range. After all, Jointers are pretty much (with a few exceptions) all the same basic design in the end.

[lowell holmes]

Rockwell was the "gold" standard 40 years ago. I have two Rockwell tools that are still going strong, a power miter box saw and a shaper. They probably are better tools than the stuff you can buy today. Replacement parts are available on line. I recently bought a replacement belt for the saw. The original belt is still going.

[Charles Wiggins]

I used to have one of those as a part of a combo with a 9" table saw. It was a great machine.
A lot of problems can be overcome with a thorough cleaning and careful reassembly. Others may require new parts or machining to fix.
Concerns:
Does the motor run smoothly?
Any play in the motor shaft? If so, it might need bearings.
Any play in the cutter head shaft?
Is the fence still straight? Any twist? In other words if the front of the fence near the adjustment is set at 90 degrees is the back end 90 degrees as well?
Are the beds flat and true?
Any pitting? Minor rust is no big deal to clean up but major pitting in the bed might be a problem.

Hope this helps,
Charles

[Steve LaFara]

I had the Delta 4" as my first jointer and it did a fine job as long I did not try to do any boards beyond it's capacity. Typically that's about twice the length of the bed. I sold mine in almost perfect condition for $125 and restored a '43 Deta 6" shorty that does the same job only on wider boards. Would love to have an 8" but space and $$ prohibit that for me.

Bottom line is whether or not you can live with the 4" width. I found it very limiting for what I was making at the time but you can get by with ripping down wider boards and then glueing back together. If you can live with a 4" jointer, the Delta is about as good as you'll find.

Old 4"
178777

New '43 6"
178778

[M Smith]

Thanks all for your insight and thoughts. After doing some more reading on my own spurred by your comments, I think I agree with those of you who said that a 4" jointer might be a little tight. So, while this one is tempting, I don't want to settle just because the price is good ($150). I think I would be happier with at least a 6" jointer. Any thoughts of an 8" are pure fantasy at this point, though :).

[M Smith]

Just found a Grizzly G1182 6"x 47" on Craigslist for the same price in what appears to be very good shape. It's a bit of a drive, but worth it if it is in as good shape as the owner says it is.