Powermatic model 180 planer

[Tim Otto]

I recently bought a Powermatic 18 inch planer, built in 1988, thinking it had the standard 3 knife cutterhead. On inspection, I found it had the "Quiet Head", sectional chip breaker and sectional in-feed roll. I bought it anyway with the intent of replacing the Cutterhead with a Byrd Shelix. On further teardown, I found 3 of the sectional ship breaker fingers are missing.


1. is it reasonable to replace the three sectional chip-breakers and go with the sectional in-feed roll, or to try to find a solid chip breaker and in-feed roll.

2. where should I look for parts?

3. It came with the grinding-jointing attachment less the actual grinder itself. Since I am going with a Byrd Shelix, I will never use it. I will be happy to give it away for the out of pocket cost of shipping (I will crate it) to any one who can help me get the parts I need to get this baby humming.

Thanks

[Kevin Jenness]

You could try here http://www.redmondmachinery.com/old-powermatic-parts-1/ and at OWWM. I would try for replacing the missing fingers as that is a better setup overall.

[Tom M King]

That grinding attachment is actually worth a a fair amount of money. I wouldn't replace the sectional in-feed rollers.

[Jared Sankovich]

A segmented infeed is a benefit. I certainly wouldn't swap for solid.

[Tim Otto]

Thanks, I got it cleaned up and running today using a 3hp VFD on a 7.5hp motor. Silk smooth and quiet. Ran a few 1x12 cypress thru it (chip breaker segments centered) and the side to side thickness difference is less than .001. Looks like the bed adjustment is right on.

[Tim Otto]

Yes: I would include the indexing fixture with it.

[Patrick Irish]

Hi Tim, it doesn't appear you can receive private messages. My email is Rpclance@gmail.com

I'd be interested in the grinding attachment. I have a pm160 I got used. I think mine is from the 70s. Mine had a 5hp 3 phase I swapped a 5hp single in. The cheap VFD I was using popped. I need to readjust everything this weekend, I'm getting a little snipe and the boar is slightly canting when it comes in. So many little adjustments to dial these in.

let me know about the grinding stuff. I'm going to research if the 180 fits the 160.

Thanks
Patrick

[Tim Otto]

I doubt that it does, my understanding that the only difference between the 16" and 18" is 2" on the width of the respective components. i will look into the Private Message business.

[Tim Otto]

I have it torn down, got the sectional chip breaker segments on order, shelix on order, but have run into a new problem: one of the 4 coil compression springs on each end of the infeed/outfeed rolls is shorter than the other 3 by about 3/8 ". Is this by design or was it some how flattened? I have an inquiry to Redmonds. I am at a loss at how this could happen.

What to do??

[Kevin Jenness]

Patrick, I have the PM 160 with grinding attachment. If, as I believe, the only difference from the 180 is width, Tim's grinding bar should work on your machine with the minimal modification of drilling and tapping two new holes in the bar for the mounting bracket. The guys at Redmond Machinery or OWWM should be able to confirm this.

[Tim Otto]

The new holes would have to be tapped very accurately as the base is doweled to the frame. I suppose one could juggle it around, and re dowel it when the alignment is satisfactory.

All is disassembled and cleaned, got the chip-breaker segments installed and waiting for a shelix to arrive. I may have to up the drive size to a 5hp, but if I can get by with 3hp, I will do it. Once into a 7.5 hp VFD to drive a 7.5hp motor, might as well buy a single phase motor and reconnect the existing starter (120v coil).

[ray grundhoefer]

Motor starters and DVD's are horse power rated for a reason. It won't work for long before smoke comes out the top of your vfd.
Same thing with a 5hp vfd.

[Bill Dufour]

I doubt if the grinder is doweled in place. I would think taper pin is more likely. Which means they will have to be reamed to fit a new machine. Not a big deal if you have a taper reamer of the correct size. Many taper pins ar e internally thread to ease removal in a blind hole. If the hole is open on both ends they pop out with a punch from the correct end. which may take some time to figure out which end is which.
Bill D

[Tim Otto]

an induction motor is just an impedance, a transformer with it's secondary short circuited and mounted on a shaft. the vfd will supply only what the motor requires to run...no load or under load at synch speed. If one tries to load the motor beyond the vfd's capability, the vfd will trip itself out long before smoke occurs. I was only testing it to see if it ran smoothly (it did). I took a 1/8 cut and no overload condition. I will be changing the motor out to a 7.5hp single phase 220v unit. Need to get a 120v coil for the starter. Shelix head will arrive in a few days.

[Tim Otto]

Bill: I was alluding to the grinder bar, and indeed roll pins are used. I am guessing that they are there to aid in getting the grinder bar back in the correct xy location for that machine. I will not be using it as I have a Byrd Shelix on order.

Thanks, Tim

[Bill Dufour]

A vfd will only supply amps up to it's regulated maximum. So a 3hp VFD will run a 7.5 hp motor all day long but only at 3hp. A larger VFd is used all the time to run a smaller motor. I do not think they make VFD's below 3/4Hp. If you run a 1/4hp motor from a 3/4hp vfd you have to set the maximum amps down to meet the motor demand. If you do not it will burn the motor up if it gets locked up.
The grinder bar has to be parallel and perpendicular to the feed table so the knives are correct. If it is off by. 2-3 thousandths the wood will not be parallel on both sides. The vertical is easy but front to back has to be laid out and pinned very accurately before bolting down. I assume the ground mounting faces are on top of the machine.
Bill D
Bill D.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I've been following this thread, what exactly does the grinder bar do?

[ray grundhoefer]

Read your last post. You said you were going to try and run it on a 3hp vfd and if that did not work you were
going to change to the 5 hp.
Saying smoke will pour out the top is merely a analogy to say it won't work. If your existing starter was sized for a 7.5 hp 3ph motor
that probably is not big for a single phase motor 7.5 hp either.

[Kevin Jenness]

Chris, the grinder bar is a horizontal dovetail shaped section with a dovetailed bracket adjustable vertically that accepts a grinder motor and a jointing stone. The jointer and grinder are traversed along the knives to get them in the same cutting circle and sharpen them.

http://www.subsassy.com/shop/?p=868

[Patrick Irish]

Read your last post. You said you were going to try and run it on a 3hp vfd and if that did not work you were
going to change to the 5 hp.
Saying smoke will pour out the top is merely a analogy to say it won't work. If your existing starter was sized for a 7.5 hp 3ph motor
that probably is not big for a single phase motor 7.5 hp either.

I'd agree with this regarding the size of your starter.

I swapped a 5hp single into my orig 5hp 3phase. The starter or techincally the coils/heaters (don't remember) were too small amp wise for a 5hp single phase. I had to get a new magnetic starter BUT I was able to use the original push button on/off.

I bet if you swapped in a 5hp single phase your 7.5hp starter might work. The starter I bought was like $80 I think and works great. The 5hp motor was a $450 baldor that matched rpm, shaft, and mounting.

[Tim Otto]

I solved the problem yesterday by buying a 1968 model 160 planer from the original owner, 83 years old who bought it new and has used it in his high-end woodworking (bank interiors) business until recently. He asked $600, less than the cost of a single phase motor. So, my Powermatic 180 planer will be for sale as soon as I get either a straight knife cutterhead or a Shelix (4-8 week delivery) and will include the knife grinding mount.

Thanks, to all

[Tim Otto]

Read your last post. You said you were going to try and run it on a 3hp vfd and if that did not work you were
going to change to the 5 hp.
Saying smoke will pour out the top is merely a analogy to say it won't work. If your existing starter was sized for a 7.5 hp 3ph motor
that probably is not big for a single phase motor 7.5 hp either.
if one does not overload the vfd, there will be no smoke. I planed a bunch of 8 inch heart pine, limiting my cut depth to about 1/8" The measured single phase load current using a clamp-on ammeter was about 9.5 amps. The 3hp inverter is rated 15 amps max. Taking a 1/2 inch deep cut on a wide board would definitely cause the VFD to trip, done enough times it might smoke.

[Tim Otto]

I'd agree with this regarding the size of your starter.

I swapped a 5hp single into my orig 5hp 3phase. The starter or techincally the coils/heaters (don't remember) were too small amp wise for a 5hp single phase. I had to get a new magnetic starter BUT I was able to use the original push button on/off.

I bet if you swapped in a 5hp single phase your 7.5hp starter might work. The starter I bought was like $80 I think and works great. The 5hp motor was a $450 baldor that matched rpm, shaft, and mounting.

Patrick: Thanks. Unfortunately the existing starter has a fixed 480v coil. I have not been able to find a replacement 220v coil.