PM model 60 question

[John Lanciani]

There is always the chance that someone else used the wrong bearings before you. Did you just replace like for like, or did you get the bearing info from a parts sheet? It probably wouldn’t explain the misaligned rabbeting ledge but it may well be the cause of the axial play in the cutterhead.

[Drew Morton]

I thought that might be an issue also. I did replace like for like, I just had the feeling that the person that originally owned the tools never did anything to them. However, the bearings that I pulled off were really in good shape, especially if the tool really had been sitting for 25+ years as she said. I think I will look to see if I can find some original part numbers to cross reference. Thanks!

[John Lanciani]

I thought that might be an issue also. I did replace like for like, I just had the feeling that the person that originally owned the tools never did anything to them. However, the bearings that I pulled off were really in good shape, especially if the tool really had been sitting for 25+ years as she said. I think I will look to see if I can find some original part numbers to cross reference. Thanks!

i just looked quickly over on the VM site, there are at least two different bearing choices depending on vintage; 204PP and 203PP.

[Drew Morton]

Looks like I have the correct bearings, part number 6203 double sealed.

[Drew Morton]

For those of you that are following along and arent bored yet, I looked online for some technical drawings of the cutterhead so that I could get accurate measurements and compare that to my cutterhead. The only place I could find that had anything was Byrd, which obviously isnt a powermatic head, but a replacement shelix head. (which I am considering at a later date). Anyway, when looking at the technical drawing, youll see that there is a definite area where the bearing seats, and nearer to the head there is a recessed area. Using the logic that the recessed area is where the bearing seating stops (and not completely seated against the head as I previously stated), i pulled the new bearings off, put the old ones back on (because if I was going to be pulling and banging on these bearings, Id rather use the old ones), and stopped pressing them on as they reached the recessed part. Reinstalled the cutterhead and there was no more side to side play at all. So as Joe Jensen mentioned previously, perhaps I wrongly assumed that the bearings should be completely pressed onto the shaft.

Note, I tried adding a picture of the Byrd drawing that shows the recessed area, but for some reason I am getting an error.

I would still like to compare my head with bearings pressed on to the recessed area with another Powermatic head, but at this point I am going to say this is fixed. Now, on to the rabbeting situation...

Thanks to everyone that contributed, read, or humored me so far. Sometimes it helps to get other ideas along the way.