Can someone identify this planer? Powermatic 12" cabinet planer

[Matt Drinnon]

I can't get a picture loaded but here is the Craigslist ad. Guy says there are no serial numbers or model number on the machine.



http://greenville.craigslist.org/tls/5687849089.html

[Jason King]

Looks like a Powermatic model 12. It's a precurser to the model 100 that most folks have. Here's the manual: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2799

go get it!

[Matt Drinnon]

Thank you for the response and the manual. I bet parts would impossible to find. I think I'll wait on a model 100 or one of its bigger brothers.

[David Kumm]

Go over to owwm.org and post a question about the machine. Might turn out to be enough that parts are not an issue. I've got machines dating from the 1920s and if the machine is working, there isn't any more risk than with a new machine of lesser quality. Most parts other than main castings can be replicated by a machinist. Not as big a deal as some make it to be. Dave

[Jason King]

I've got a soft spot for these old machines. It looks like the model 12 was a ball bearing and roller bearing machine (no babbitt bearings). You'll probably consider that to be a good thing. Bearings do wear out, but they're easily replaceable. The only items that are hard to fix are the ones that are hard to break (castings, etc.). If you're interested, look the machine over to make sure there aren't any broken castings, overly worn gears, etc. Beyond that its an easy to maintain and repair machine.

I have the powermatic 100, and I'm a big fan of it because the motor is underneath the planer, not out on the side. In my little shop every extra square foot counts. The PM 12 has the motor out on the side, but other than that it's probably a heavier built machine than the 100.

[Matt Drinnon]

Thanks for the run down on the machine. I am a machinist by trade and spend every day designing new machines or reverse engineering older ones. It would be like paradise to buy old equipment and restore it to its glory. Unfortunately the shop I work for is so busy that all the machine equipment is scheduled weeks at a time and the owner is not to favorable in personal use of his equipment. It's nearly painful to even ask him for a favor, so much so that I will do all the design and 3D modeling for a personal part and send it out to another shop to be made. Right now I'm working out of a single car garage and collecting my equipment. I'm trying to buy 80's and older powermatic. So far I've got a 66, 60, and just picked up a 30b sander.. The planer is next'ish on the list but I may just save up and get a planer with the knife sharpener and all the extras. I've got a about two years to collect and then I'll be financially able to build my dream garage.