1955 Powermatic 90 Back from the Dead

[Roy Turbett]

I picked up this 1955 Powermatic 90 last October and decided to restore it when I found out it was #68 ever built. Here are some before and after pix. I added 3" riser blocks, a VFD, two 110v duplex outlets, a light, and a remote on/off/fwd/rev switch box that is mounted on magnet so it can be moved to either side of the lathe. The lathe has a 1 hp 3 phase Leeson motor. The VFD is mounted on a piece of 2" x 6" aluminum channel that I bought from Alero metals by the pound for around $25. The guard and VFD cover/tool holder are made of MDF and plywood. The riser blocks are countertop grade particle board with formica bottoms. I ran 10/3 romex when I built my shop so I had a neutral wire available for the 110 outlets. The switch on the back of the lathe is a 2 pole 30 amp switch that kills the power to everything. I switched the banjo and tailstock with my 1980 PM90 because they are beefier and its easier to attach the riser block. And for those who don't know, green and white are the colors of my alma mater, Michigan State University, and "Sparty" is the mascot.

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[charlie knighton]

congratulations, awesome restore, your shop is cleaner than John's, need some curlies

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on a nice restore. Looks great. Yep cleaner than John's and that ain't good.:D

[Roy Turbett]

Hey, it was 40 degrees today! I just had to get the electric leaf blower out and clean things up! Give me a break!

[Baxter Smith]

Great job! I have always loved the look of green!

[Dennis Ford]

That is a very nice restoration, you put a lot of work into it and it will give you years of good service.

[John Keeton]

First and foremost, let's clear up the misunderstanding - outstanding job on keeping the shop in an appropriately clean condition!!!!!:D Notwithstanding the comments from the peanut gallery.....

But, on to the lathe - beautiful job on the restoration, rehabilitation, and upgrading! I take it the "true" color is more as shown in pic 4?? Looks closer to Mich. colors.

[Mike Cruz]

First of all, congrats on a GREAT restoration job on the lathe! I'm really glad to see that you made a belt cover for it. Many people that put risers on their PM90s just leave it without the cover. Did you cut and lengthen yours, or did you build one out of wood, like I did?

I'm a little confused, though...the speed control looks like the one from the late 70's and early 80's, not like the early models. This also has the jackshaft on the Reeves drive, unlike the earlier models. But I notice it isn't a gap lathe. Nice that it isn't becausy your bed actually goes all the way to your headstock, meaning that while your platters are limited to a mere :rolleyes: 18", you have more banjo mobility. What color were the original PM90's of that era? I know that the 60's were Pea Green, 70's-81 were Hunter Green, 82(or 83)-90's were Gold, then the Mustard that we all know and love set in...

[Pete Jordan]

Thats not the same lathe! You must have used photoshop!

His shop is always that clean and I look forward to seeing it in person next week!

[Roy Turbett]

First of all, congrats on a GREAT restoration job on the lathe! I'm really glad to see that you made a belt cover for it. Many people that put risers on their PM90s just leave it without the cover. Did you cut and lengthen yours, or did you build one out of wood, like I did?

I'm a little confused, though...the speed control looks like the one from the late 70's and early 80's, not like the early models. This also has the jackshaft on the Reeves drive, unlike the earlier models. But I notice it isn't a gap lathe. Nice that it isn't becausy your bed actually goes all the way to your headstock, meaning that while your platters are limited to a mere :rolleyes: 18", you have more banjo mobility. What color were the original PM90's of that era? I know that the 60's were Pea Green, 70's-81 were Hunter Green, 82(or 83)-90's were Gold, then the Mustard that we all know and love set in...

Mike - This is the second belt guard I've made out of laminated MDF and its great for this application. I described how I made my first one and the risers in this thread at OWWM

http://www.owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=93949

You're right about the speed dial not being original to the lathe. It dates to around 1970. This lathe is a non-jackshaft model and has the motor mounted in the lathe bed. The motor I used came out of a 1980 Powermatic 90. I had to reverse the bells so the junction box pointed down instead of up to make it fit. The original color for that era was pea green and the metallic green era started around 1971. I wrote up a time study on the Powermatic 90 that you may be interested in.

http://www.owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=108363

And last, you are right about the gap getting in the way. This is a non-gapbed lathe but my other two aren't and I filled in the gap on them.

http://www.owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=103913

[Mike Cruz]

For anyone interested in why I was asking the questions I was, here is my 1981 PM90 with 3" risers. 223915

BTW, Roy, I really like the VFD box you made. Works nicely and looks solid!

And if you have any inclination to put a tachometer on it, let me know, and I'll let you know where I got mine...works great. And easy, too.

[Roy Turbett]

And if you have any inclination to put a tachometer on it, let me know, and I'll let you know where I got mine...works great. And easy, too.

Mike -

I bought a wireless tach for $15 on Ebay and calibrated the speed dial in 2" increments from 20Hz to 60Hz. The lathe tops out at 4600 RPM which is faster than I need so I set the speed limiting screw on the dial so it tops out at 3100 RPM. Low end speed at 20Hz is around 250 RPM.

[Dave Lehnert]

WOW! Fantastic restore. I am always looking out for a deal on a lathe.
If I may ask, How much $$$ do you have in the restore? Just trying to decide if I want to go down that road for a lathe.

[Mike Cruz]

Oh, I meant a mounted kind. That way, as you adjust your speed arm and or you potentiometer, you know just where you are without picking up a hand held device. Not everyone likes/needs/wants a tach...I do.

[Mike Cruz]

Dave, I have about $1300 in mine.

[Dave Lehnert]

Dave, I have about $1300 in mine.

Thanks! That gives me an idea.
Does the 1,300 include the price of the lathe or just the upgrades?

[Mike Cruz]

I got the lathe for $300. The risers and banjo were made by Jeff Nicol. The VFD was about $150, then the poteniometer, the fwd/rev switch, and box for them was about another $100, the tach was about $100, new belts $75+, a used Baldor 2 hp 3 ph motor from my local shop for $75, tool rests, and primer and paint, bearings, seals. This is all off the top of my head...the actual prices might be different, but you get the idea. I also got to sell my old banjo and toolrests to help with the costs. I think in one of my threads about the lathe, I list all the things I added and how much they cost. If I ever sell it, it will be for a bit more than what it "cost" me, 'cause there are a LOT of hours into it. ;)

One thought is that if you don't have someone (or can't do it yourself) to make a sturdy riser for the tailstock, make the lathe a 20" lathe. That way you can buy a tailstock and banjo for a PM3520. Then all you need (riser wise) is the headstock riser.

[Roy Turbett]

WOW! Fantastic restore. I am always looking out for a deal on a lathe.
If I may ask, How much $$$ do you have in the restore? Just trying to decide if I want to go down that road for a lathe.

If my wife asks that question the answer is $130. In truth, I'm about where Mike is on his. Here's the tally:

I paid $130 for the lathe.
I had the bed and cabinet sandblasted and primed (except for the machined areas) for $150.
"Spooge tank" supplies were about $20
Paint and body filler was about $100.
Spindle and motor bearings were about $100.
Replacement spindle and locking collar $200 (I could have used the orginal but its an inferior design)
Machine shop labor $125
MDF for the guard and VFD cover $25
Particle board and formica for riser blocks was leftover scrap. New can of glue was $10
Electrical supples and cords were about $125
Misc. steel for riser block runners and motor dust cover was about $20
VFD was a used Craigs List find for $60. VFD is rated for up to 2 hp motor.
Aluminum channel was purchased by the pound for $25
"Sparty" logo was $10
Work light was about $70
The lathe came with a 6" toolrest. I bought a 12" toolrest for $30 which is a good price.
The original motor couldn't be saved so I used the motor that came with my 1980 Powermatic 90. About a $75 value.

This is my third Powermatic 90 restoration and I had a real good idea of how expensive parts could be depending on availability and condition. I would encourage you to do some research at OWWM and watch prices on Ebay before you start down the road. The other thing to keep in mind is that as cool as this lathe looks, it was designed to be a spindle lathe and won't compare to a mustard monster. It will, however, compare very favorably or better to any of the newer lathes with sheetmetal bases.

[Dave Lehnert]

Thanks for all the great info. Big help.

[Mike Cruz]

Dave, what Roy is saying is very accurate. This lathe is meant to be a spindle lathe, not a large bowl lathe. That said, there are couple "fixes". First and foremost, as with any large bowl lathe, the lathe will only be as sturdy or quiet as the floor it is on. A concrete floor will minimize the lathe's movement. Secondly, a PM90 has bolt holes. They are to keep the lathe from "walking" from vibration. They don't really do all that much against movement due to unbalanced blanks. So, angle ironing the cabinet at the headstock end to the floor really helps. The last part of the equation is mainly if you have installed some sort of riser that gives you a larger swing. When you do that, it raises the center of gravity of the lathe, and therefore increases the chances of the base cabinet flexing. Either anchoring the base to the wall or floor high up on the base is your best bet. I will be anchoring mine to the wall shortly. That said, I've been turning 14-16" blanks on mine. Just have to wait to get it round before going up to 600+rpm.

[Dave Lehnert]

Dave, what Roy is saying is very accurate. This lathe is meant to be a spindle lathe, not a large bowl lathe. That said, there are couple "fixes". First and foremost, as with any large bowl lathe, the lathe will only be as sturdy or quiet as the floor it is on. A concrete floor will minimize the lathe's movement. Secondly, a PM90 has bolt holes. They are to keep the lathe from "walking" from vibration. They don't really do all that much against movement due to unbalanced blanks. So, angle ironing the cabinet at the headstock end to the floor really helps. The last part of the equation is mainly if you have installed some sort of riser that gives you a larger swing. When you do that, it raises the center of gravity of the lathe, and therefore increases the chances of the base cabinet flexing. Either anchoring the base to the wall or floor high up on the base is your best bet. I will be anchoring mine to the wall shortly. That said, I've been turning 14-16" blanks on mine. Just have to wait to get it round before going up to 600+rpm.

Thanks, I was going to ask about the "This lathe is meant to be a spindle lathe, not a large bowl lathe"

My first thought was because of the bearings but, if I understand you right, it's the flexing of the cabinet. Is this the reason Roy was saying the Powermatic PM 90 does not compare to the yellow monster . Is that because of the cast-iron legs vs the cabinet?

I have been looking on-line at the Grizzly G0694. Kinda looks like an old Powermatic. If you download the PDF manual it is detailed about the wiring and such. Also shows how to remove and repack the bearings in the headstock. I know nothing about bearings and how they compare to what is used in the old Powermatic or the newer ones. I read one review something about being tapered bearings and that was better?????
http://www.grizzly.com/products/20-x-43-Heavy-Duty-Variable-Speed-Wood-Lathe/G0694

Sorry for all the questions. I just like to be informed when a deal come up. As you know a true deal does not last long and have to jump before one has time to ask any question.

[Mike Cruz]

That's pretty funny, Roy...I replied a bunch of times to that first one!

The second one is a very interesting read...but I only got to the third page...I'll have to finish it later.

The third one is very interesting too...in a way that I want you to make ME one. Any chance?

I've thought about add my PM90 to the OWWM library, but I've pimped mine up so much that a lot of OWWMers shun people like me. They like 'em restored to original condition...

[Mike Cruz]

Yes you are right, it is about the flexing of the cabinet. The PM90 weighs about the same as the PM3520B. But the configuration of the cast iron legs is much better in the latter than the cabinet in the former for bowl turning. That said, the PM90 is a great lathe. And things can be done to keep it sturdy with large unbalanced blanks. Make no mistake, the restoration and what it takes to bring it into the 21st century is time consuming and will cost you $1000 plus, depending on what extras you want to put in it. My risers are steel. I added a tach, and have a 2 hp motor. You don't "need" to make the risers steel, you don't "need" a tach, and you can get by with a 1-1.5 hp motor. Also, if you use a single phase motor, then you won't need a VFD. But then you will be limited to whatever the lowest speed that the reeves drive will give you. Probably around 300-400 rpm.

Sorry, I can't answer your question about the tapered bearing thing. Yes, I (with the help of my brother because he knows how to do these sorts of thing RIGHT) replaced the bearings, and if you know what you are doing, it isn't that bad...if you know what you are doing.

[Van Huskey]

What color were the original PM90's of that era? I know that the 60's were Pea Green, 70's-81 were Hunter Green, 82(or 83)-90's were Gold, then the Mustard that we all know and love set in...

Roy is much better versed than I but I would have swore that a PM of the mid-50s would have been gray, I didn't think they moved to Vista (pea) until the VERY late 50s. Roy points out in the thread that many were ordered in gray. Of course I am NOT a lathe guy and there may be differences from machine to machine. But I guess I can stick with the gary = old, mustard = new and Evergreen is the prettiest.

FYI mustard started in 96 after a couple of years of the second gold (Cadillac).

[Mike Cruz]

Yeah, Van, I think he points out that you could actually choose your color...and options included Pea Green and Gray.

[Matt Ranum]

Just love seeing old iron brought back to life again. A most excellent job!

[Roy Turbett]

My first thought was because of the bearings but, if I understand you right, it's the flexing of the cabinet. Is this the reason Roy was saying the Powermatic PM 90 does not compare to the yellow monster . Is that because of the cast-iron legs vs the cabinet?



Dave - you are correct in assuming the problem is with the cabinet and not the lathe. Everything on the Powermatic 90 with the exception of the 20" wide sheetmetal cabinet is built like a tank. The spindle is 1 1/2" with more threads than are found on new lathes. The cast toolrest banjo is very sturdy and has a real nice locking cam. The toolrest posts are 1 1/8" and I think the locking mechanism is superior to the Powermatic 3520. And the tailstock and quill are first rate. There is a reason these lathes listed for $4,000 and were as popular as they were, especially in schools.