Dev Emch
05-18-2005, 2:42 PM
This is my new little mortiser. Just managed to wiggle it out of the east after all the dust settled. Very Long story.
This is an oliver 91 mortiser that I got with some damage. The back fence was cracked in two and then brazed back together. A machine grinder redid the fence face to true it up. Also the main pedal is completely bent to heck.
This mortiser is otherwise in excellent shape unlike some olivers I have seen lately! At least I can use it without having to machine a basket full of new parts. I will make a new mahogony pattern for the rear fence and the foot pedal. The pedal stem is a weldment which is easy to remake. The only use I have found for mahogony lately is in making patterns to replace cast iron parts on older, industrial machines. You haven't lived until you restore a dealer queen machine! The good news is that I know of a cast iron foundary in PA run by amish folks who actually charge fair and reasonable prices. I guess that is what happens when you take away the companies email and telephone and other expensive, non cash producing fringe bennies.
This machine was virtually never used and was found still sitting on its pallet from oliver. Note that it has the bolt on main ways and not the integral cast on main ways. It has only a 3 HP motor instead of 5 ponies and the table does not tilt like many full feature mortisers. It does; however, have a jacobs chuck instead of the pesty collet collar used by older mortisers. I hate those and I just cut off the collar and machine a jacobs taper onto the rotor shaft and install a ball bearing jacobs chuck.
This bad boy should arrive any day now at my favorate transit hub for pick up. The best thing about this machine is that it can punch 1/4 inch square holes. My other mortiser works on a different principle and the smallest square hole it can cut is 3/4 x 3/4 inch. For stickley spindles, this is a godsend.
This is an oliver 91 mortiser that I got with some damage. The back fence was cracked in two and then brazed back together. A machine grinder redid the fence face to true it up. Also the main pedal is completely bent to heck.
This mortiser is otherwise in excellent shape unlike some olivers I have seen lately! At least I can use it without having to machine a basket full of new parts. I will make a new mahogony pattern for the rear fence and the foot pedal. The pedal stem is a weldment which is easy to remake. The only use I have found for mahogony lately is in making patterns to replace cast iron parts on older, industrial machines. You haven't lived until you restore a dealer queen machine! The good news is that I know of a cast iron foundary in PA run by amish folks who actually charge fair and reasonable prices. I guess that is what happens when you take away the companies email and telephone and other expensive, non cash producing fringe bennies.
This machine was virtually never used and was found still sitting on its pallet from oliver. Note that it has the bolt on main ways and not the integral cast on main ways. It has only a 3 HP motor instead of 5 ponies and the table does not tilt like many full feature mortisers. It does; however, have a jacobs chuck instead of the pesty collet collar used by older mortisers. I hate those and I just cut off the collar and machine a jacobs taper onto the rotor shaft and install a ball bearing jacobs chuck.
This bad boy should arrive any day now at my favorate transit hub for pick up. The best thing about this machine is that it can punch 1/4 inch square holes. My other mortiser works on a different principle and the smallest square hole it can cut is 3/4 x 3/4 inch. For stickley spindles, this is a godsend.