Powermatic Model 15 planer

[Rick Levine]

I'm considering buying a used Powermatic model 15 planer but I'm a little concerned about some damage to the base. The out-feed table broke off tearing out the bolt holes leaving some creators in the casting. They can be re-drilled and tapped but I'm not really happy about that fix. I know I'm being picky but that's just the way I am. Does anyone know about what it would cost to replace the whole table? See the diagram (it's not very good, I downloaded the manual from Powermatic's website and that was as good as it was) to see the table I'm referring to.

[Chuck Wintle]

Could you have a welder fill the craters with weld, then drill and tap for the bolts?:D

[Bruce Page]

Rick, I have the same planner. If the tapped holes are just “blown out” and there’s no structural damage to the table, you could fabricate 3 small backer plates with a ¼-20 tapped hole out of some ¼” steel. It would be pretty easy to do and I don't think you would be able to tell the difference.
Changing out the lower table would not only be expensive, it would be a royal pain.
I don’t know where you’re at in NM but I could probably help you fab the plates up.

[Rick Levine]

Bruce,

I'm in Santa Fe and if I decide to buy it I may do what you suggest. I could make the plates myself since I have access to the steel and I have a drill press as well as a tap and die set. Thanks for the offer though. A woodworker on another board said he bought the same model the guy he bought it from had taken off the roller tables because he said they were hard to keep adjusted to prevent snipe. I'm not sure what he replaced them with, I'm waiting for a PM from him.

As far as welding over the holes like Charles suggests, that is another possibility, a bit more difficult since I'd have to get someone else to do the welding. I do have a colleague at work that can do it though.

[Bruce Page]

Rick, welding or brazing wouldn’t be an option for me, the cast iron is only about a ¼” thick in that area. I’m pretty certain that the resulting heat would warp the table badly.
As far as the rollers themselves, they were a pain to get adjusted - I wish I had the cast iron tables like the PM15S has...

[Rick Levine]

Bruce,

That's kind of what I thought about welding. I was also considering the possibility of replacing the rollers with the cast iron tables if that was possible and the cost wasn't too excessive. Did you look into that?

[Bruce Page]

Bruce,

That's kind of what I thought about welding. I was also considering the possibility of replacing the rollers with the cast iron tables if that was possible and the cost wasn't too excessive. Did you look into that?

No, I never did. I suspect that the edge that the rollers bolt onto would be machined square on the “S” model – much like a wing on a table saw. I don’t think bolting a new “S” table onto the rough cast surface of the older model would work….IMHO.