rockwell or powermatic 18" planer, motor relocation

[Bill Dufour]

I am considering buying an older 18" planer. These are belt drive with the motor completely outside the base on a shelf half way down or so. Any one done a relocation to put the motor inside the base,? This would narrow the machine by about one foot.
The Rockwell wedge bed may have issues with the bed raising equipment blocking the possibilities. I have no idea about the powermatic. Possibly a jackshaft would be needed.
Some were made direct drive, which seems harder to convert.
Bill D

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=11705

[Dave Cav]

It may take a bit of digging but there are a couple of threads over at OWWM about relocating the motor on a PM 160 or 180. It seemed like a pretty straightforward process. I think one of the PMs would be a better candidate than a wedgebed.

[Matt Day]

I recall what Dave said as well. Here’s a thread.

http://www.owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=182027&p=1313958&hilit=Pm160+relocate+motor#p1313958

[Bradley Gray]

I have an old Monarch 24" that was originally direct drive. I was able to convert it to belt drive pretty easily and without doing any damage that would prevent returning it to direct drive.

[Kevin Jenness]

If the width is that much of an issue you might be better off looking at a Euro planer like an scmi 20" or similar. Relocating the motor on a Powermatic is a project. My PM 160 is set up tight back to back with a 16" jointer, with the motor tucked up under the jointer outfeed table.

[Bill Dufour]

If the width is that much of an issue you might be better off looking at a Euro planer like an scmi 20" or similar. Relocating the motor on a Powermatic is a project. My PM 160 is set up tight back to back with a 16" jointer, with the motor tucked up under the jointer outfeed table.


That sounds like a good solution. I suppose I could mount a motor in a plinth and set the planer up on that. Of course that would raise it almost a foot.
Bill D