Newman Model P-824 24" planer

[Mike Thomas]

I am looking at an old (circ. 1959) 24" Newman planer (Model P-824, Serial No. 10490) to upgrade from my current Powermatic Model 15. I know nothing about these old planers so am serching the creek for some advice. The asking price is $1150 and appears to be somewhat flexible. The blades are pretty dull and will need either replacing or sharpening. I made a few passes on it and it seemed to cut ok and run pretty smoothly. It looks original except that it has been repainted and I am told that the motor has been rebuilt and rewired for single phase. It was running on a single phase 30 amp circuit. What specifically should I look for when inspecting it? This pig weighs a ton (2250 lbs). Is there a proper way to lift it for transport that won't cause any damage? Finally, does it have to be anchored to the concrete floor when installed? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

[Rob Will]

Mike, I'm not familar with that particular machine but my Powermatic 24" planer is not anchored to the floor and shows no sign of moving.

Perhaps you should call Newman Whitney to inquire about parts avail.

Rob

[lou sansone]

from what I know about that machine it is a great heavy duty planer and well worth the money. the corners usually get broken on the base because people are careless when moving them. the motor being rewired does bother me a little though. these usually had 5 or 7.5 direct drive 3 phase motors that drove them. I hope they did a good job of converting it over. knives are no big deal.. Schmidt will have them for the machine.

open the side doors and make sure none of the gear train gears are really worn. see if the variable speed feed motor pulley really works as well.


I would use a Johnson bar to get it up off the floor and start to shim it up to a point where you can get it on 4x4's and then bolt them to the base through the 4 bolt holes in the base. move it around with a fork truck / pallet jack. once you are in place use the same shim and Johnson bar technique to lower it. if you try to use a crow bar, to do the lifting I think you will put too much force in a small local area of the base casting and crack or chip it out. you can rent Johnson bars at a local rental place.

Lou

[Brian Coe]

Hi,

I have a Newman 824, and everything Lou said is spot on. Mine came from a working shop, but I haven't set it up yet because I want to go through it and do some cleaning and maintenance. Newman Whitney in Greensboro NC can provide a manual and usually the build date for the machine if you have the serial number. I haven't inquired about repair parts, but I get the impression they can supply/make anything you would need, but it could get pricey. Weight is around 2600 lbs, so be careful in moving. A forklift loaded mine onto a trailer, and I used a 2 ton chain hoist and gantry crane to lift it off and put it on some car moving dollies. Even on smooth concrete, it is difficult to move around just because of the sheer inertial mass you have to overcome to get it rolling. I will definitely not be setting this up on a mobile base when it gets into the shop, but I may leave it mounted on some 4x4s or similar to raise it up some and also allow a pallet jack to get under it if I ever need to move it again.

Good luck, it's a great price for a Newman in good condition.
Brian Coe

[Mike Thomas]

Thanks for the help guys. Well, as you can see from the pics I made the purchase, $1000. Just took the knives out to have them sharpened. I also got the Jointer Bar and Slide, but it doesn't have the grinder (this sounds pretty common from what little research I have done). Anyone know where I can find a grinder without paying an arm and a leg. Also, I received a service manual but it is very limited. I would like to restore this thing but would like a little more info than is provided in the service manual. Is there anything like a repair manual available? There appears to be some wear in the gears and the short chain is quite loose. How much play in the chain should there be. I have a million questions but I will stop here for now.

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[Roy Wall]

Good for you Mike!!

It looks like it will be a Great Machine for you.......they don't make them lilke they used to..........

Keep us posted on the resto / usage, etc...

An old iron wannabee............