Chuck Saunders
06-08-2008, 3:59 PM
What a day that was! I went to the Grizzly tent sale in Springfield on Saturday. I figured I would go see what was in the tents and then pick up my new bandsaw (513x2). Figured I might get a tent sale discount on the saw (no). Walking through the tents was a lot of fun and saw a few things that if not for the bandsaw would have tempted me. At the last tent were 2 16" jointers labeled "parts machine".
One had been stripped of motor and cutterhead and the other still had the 1ph 5hp motor. Both had apparently fallen over and things like handwheels had suffered. I needed a motor to repower my planer to 1ph from 3ph. I also thought I would like to have a couple of cast iron work surfaces. So I splurge and get the jointer for $100. After picking up the bandsaw I head over to pick up the jointer. Once I give my receipt to the pick up person they come back over and ask "would you be interested in taking the other 16" jointer for free?"
I had looked in the catalog and noted that the jointer weighed in at ~1700+ lbs and in my FIL 1/2ton pickup and declined the offer. After I was staged for loading, they asked again "If you want to take one home and come back for the other one that would be okay" making another round trip from Kansas City to Springfield did not appeal to me so I again declined. Got the jointer loaded and headed home.
Unfortunately I do not have a forklift at home like they had at Grizzly so I unloaded it the old fashioned way, by taking it apart. I wasn't to worried since I was salvaging it anyway. 2 very heavy tables, cutterhead, and motor later, I still couldn't move the base. This base is 1/2" thick cast iron. Finally rolled it out of the truck on pipes and down a ramp onto the shop floor.
By this time I have come to the realization that there are no broken castings, no missing crital parts, no bent mechanisms. Except for needing knives and gibs and some wire and a few control operators, this jointer is operational. I still don't have a repower for my planer or some cast iron work surfaces, but I think I got a $4K jointer for $100. I think I just might suck.
One had been stripped of motor and cutterhead and the other still had the 1ph 5hp motor. Both had apparently fallen over and things like handwheels had suffered. I needed a motor to repower my planer to 1ph from 3ph. I also thought I would like to have a couple of cast iron work surfaces. So I splurge and get the jointer for $100. After picking up the bandsaw I head over to pick up the jointer. Once I give my receipt to the pick up person they come back over and ask "would you be interested in taking the other 16" jointer for free?"
I had looked in the catalog and noted that the jointer weighed in at ~1700+ lbs and in my FIL 1/2ton pickup and declined the offer. After I was staged for loading, they asked again "If you want to take one home and come back for the other one that would be okay" making another round trip from Kansas City to Springfield did not appeal to me so I again declined. Got the jointer loaded and headed home.
Unfortunately I do not have a forklift at home like they had at Grizzly so I unloaded it the old fashioned way, by taking it apart. I wasn't to worried since I was salvaging it anyway. 2 very heavy tables, cutterhead, and motor later, I still couldn't move the base. This base is 1/2" thick cast iron. Finally rolled it out of the truck on pipes and down a ramp onto the shop floor.
By this time I have come to the realization that there are no broken castings, no missing crital parts, no bent mechanisms. Except for needing knives and gibs and some wire and a few control operators, this jointer is operational. I still don't have a repower for my planer or some cast iron work surfaces, but I think I got a $4K jointer for $100. I think I just might suck.