Help with Old Machinery

[Dar Lounsbury]

I have an very old Yates-American 24" planner that needs adjustments to operate properly. Anyone have any knowledge of these machines? This has worked very well in the past but the feed system has gotten out of adjustment and I do not want to harm it by playing with it.

Yates-American
Model M-60
Mfg in 1933


Thanks, Dar:confused:

[Noah Alkinburgh]

Dar,

One of the best places to go on the web for old tools is www.owwmachines.com I glanced there real quick and didn't find you particular planer, but did come up with this link www.yatesamerican.com/contact.html You might just want to give yates a call and see if they have a manual they can send you. Delta does it for their old stuff, but I don't know if yates does or not. Good luck

Noah

[Dar Lounsbury]

Thanks for the info. Old machines seem to be a problem. Yates does not have any info on 'very' old machines. I am hoping a retired millwright that may have worked on these machines might see the post. This planner 'almost' works but just needs a tuneup. I just can't bring myself to give up on this old beast.

Dar

[Charles McKinley]

Hello Dar,

Just before the Badger Pond closed ther was a post about a man in Washington who rebuilt old woodworking machines. I emailed the poster but lost the website he sent me. He had a lot of stuff so he probably advertizes.

Sorry I cannot be more specific. Maybe someone with the BP cd can find it.

[Chuck Wintle]

Dar,
What specifically needs tuneing up with your planer? I suspect it goes beyond simply tightening a few nuts and bolts?

[Mike Mastin]

WOW! Just what I need! A 24" old iron planer :-) Looks like that it has been very well cared for too.

[Jim Becker]

Ross Canant at http://www.myoldtools.com may also be able to help.

[Dar Lounsbury]

The feed rollers have gotten out of alignment and it does not push the lumber through as it should. Outfeed rollers are too loose and chatter is the result. Not sure how they got of adjustment, I suspect one of our night shift persons making 'an improvement'. Now that does not work right, no one will fess up.

This beast has enough power to cause someone some real harm if things go wrong. This is a situation I do not want to find out about.


I found an old millwright from a local mill that is going to look at it next week. With luck, he can fix it.

Thanks, Dar