Vintage Martin T75 restoration

[Patrick Walsh]

I also got the arbor apart today sans pin spanner. If anyone remembers mention of out broken down t130 in need of bearings. Anyway I suggested to my boss that he just hire someone to do the job on account of special wrenches being needed to do the work and me not having a welder to make them. Well I’ll tell you this it was the smartest thing I coulda done to tell the boss to just hire a repair guy. The home made wrenches he used although very simple where very specific and I never would have been able to make without a welder and at least a bench grinder.

Anywho he suggested a brass punch to break the thread free. One hole was already deformed and he suggested it was on account of someone doing the same thing at some point with a punch that was not brass.

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All I have left in raw iron to paint at this point is the arbor. One piece to the worm gear, and two,pieces of the handwheel. I also have like 5-6 pieces I want to wet sand and re paint for whatever reason. So I’m not quite done painting but I can semi have three sessions left at most. I think I can take care of two,of them next week.

And this weeks bounty. I need to flip,the top again, bondo the edges prime, poly and paint. It’s on next weeks agenda.

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In the process of cleaning the top I stripped the sides of the table. I was supervised to find out the entire front edge of the saw is a machined surface. The lower portion has to be for the ripmfence to function properly but the center section does not. I’m sure it was just easier for them to grind it this way at the factory. Regardless I tempted to leave it unpainted.

My t54 jointer does not have the cast tables paint on the sides. I was told marin stopped painting the edges of cast tables as the get beat up when painted and not so much when left w=raw cast iron.

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I also brought a few more items home. My spare room is starting to look like. Sliding table saw of sorts?

[Mark Hennebury]

I didn't remove the handwheel scales, they aren't perfect, but not too bad, I don't like them anyway, i thought that they were kind cheesy, i liked the older engraved handwheels. A small detail but seems bug me .
I would think that you could remove yours with paint thinner, it softens up the glue enough to get badges off easier, just pry up a corner and pour a bit of thinner and take your time working around it.
Knocking pins out from the back is the best way to remove pinned badges if you have access; sometimes the pin holes don't go all of the way through and you have to accurately measure and mark and drill through to meet them, which is fun.
it's nice when you get to spraying the primer, really starting to see some progress. Looking good!


I will post some photos of the Robinson later.

All that is good to know but what I’m most interested in is “the Robinson” .....

In all seriousness I can’t believe I did not think to try and tap the badge off from the inside holes. I miss the very obvious things often.

So do you think paint thinner would get the scales off the handwheels. I have decided I’d like to take them off but I need to get them off in one piece as to have them reproduced..

[Mark Hennebury]

Pin spanner that I made from an old shaper collar.

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[Patrick Walsh]

Hmm,

Look at that mark. It doesn’t look like you welded a dam thing to make that wrench.

In the eleventh hour I did figure out a 8mm drift was the perfect fit for the tow holes. I then figured out I could use two of them, one in each hole. Trap both drift in a bench vise, put the lock pin in the arbor then just use the leverage of the whol assembly to just turn.

Long term I’ll make a wrench like yours. I’ll probably buy a small welder when I can come up for air. If I’m gonna domthis again and I think I will I have found a few items I’d like to have. One a welder, a pedestal grinder and buffer, a parts washer, and a better portable sandblaster. Ametal lather and a small mill would also be slick along with a small surface grinder.

Oh boy my basement shop will just never cut the mustard. I’m gonna have to move at some point.

Pin spanner that I made from an old shaper collar.

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[Jeff Duncan]

Hmm,

Look at that mark. It doesn’t look like you welded a dam thing to make that wrench.

In the eleventh hour I did figure out a 8mm drift was the perfect fit for the tow holes. I then figured out I could use two of them, one in each hole. Trap both drift in a bench vise, put the lock pin in the arbor then just use the leverage of the whol assembly to just turn.

Long term I’ll make a wrench like yours. I’ll probably buy a small welder when I can come up for air. If I’m gonna domthis again and I think I will I have found a few items I’d like to have. One a welder, a pedestal grinder and buffer, a parts washer, and a better portable sandblaster. Ametal lather and a small mill would also be slick along with a small surface grinder.

Oh boy my basement shop will just never cut the mustard. I’m gonna have to move at some point.

You don't need to weld to make up a spanner wrench, just be creative. When I rebuilt my shaper I made a very similar spanner to Mark's, only I used a scrap block of maple and a couple brass pins. A welder is handy, but a lathe.... now that's almost a necessity for this type of work. I had a loaner for years and used it for all sorts of things. I've been without for the last year or so and its been a pain. I had to make a custom sized washer while I was replacing the bearings on my table saw motor this week. With a lathe it would have taken maybe 15 minutes, without it took me a trip to the hardware store and over an hour to make it! Yup, I'd put a decent lathe front of all those other tools you listed.... but that's just me

Jeff

[Patrick Walsh]

Jeff I would pretty much agree.

I can’t tell you how many times “not often” but enough I find myself holding the short straw that I need a machinest to do whatever for me. I think a metal lathe and a mill are in order for me and I could get much of what I need done and not have to look for someone else to do it.

Machinist are expensive often I have found I have a hard time explaining exactly what I want to them. And you know I make mid $30’s a hour so I can’t really afford to pay a machinist or anybody for that matter to do much of anything for me. Add to that I expect perfectionism and it’s only fair someone be compensated accordingly if that’s what one is looking for.

The issue for me becomes I have Champaign taste on a beer budget and I know nothing of machinist tools. I know myself and at some point I’ll gather the education to know what the Martin Kole are in the machine tools world and regardless of weather I need that equipment I’ll want it.

With the above said I have held off as I just don’t know what I don’t know. Crap I’d have no idea how to even chuck up a piece of material to turn a washer.

A little at a time, the other issue is space, I really need another 1000 sqft for the type of shop I would like to make the things I need. I can’t ever imagine doing what I did to this saw in my home shop. It makes a huge mess that I would never be able to tolerate. Really I need or want a wood shop, small metal shop, and then a heated double bay garage just for getting the dirty work done.

To accommodate the above all I can think is a Morton/metal building with combined living space. Sell the house in yuppyville natick. Move to the sticks “swallow hard” no Whole Foods, no Starbucks and some serious culture shock being Uber liberal. And put up like a 5-6k sqft Morton building on a slab. 2k living space crazy simple Uber modern in the front, 2k woodshop, 1k metal shop, 1k garage.

But that’s a huge step I just can’t get myself to take. It sounds awesome but change is hard.

You don't need to weld to make up a spanner wrench, just be creative. When I rebuilt my shaper I made a very similar spanner to Mark's, only I used a scrap block of maple and a couple brass pins. A welder is handy, but a lathe.... now that's almost a necessity for this type of work. I had a loaner for years and used it for all sorts of things. I've been without for the last year or so and its been a pain. I had to make a custom sized washer while I was replacing the bearings on my table saw motor this week. With a lathe it would have taken maybe 15 minutes, without it took me a trip to the hardware store and over an hour to make it! Yup, I'd put a decent lathe front of all those other tools you listed.... but that's just me

Jeff

[peter gagliardi]

Just saying, we have Whole Foods, AND Starbucks out here “in the sticks”......
But we also have better places too.
Starbucks used to have decent Joe, but I can get better, usually for a lot less around here.
Starbucks isn’t just “yesterday”, at this point, they are “yesterdecade”.

[Patrick Walsh]

Peter,

I’m pretty sure the universe is gonna force me out your way.

I’m just gonna need to find a way to make a living for another 30 years/ preferable in a shop environment.

I have nothing against the sticks and I leave it at that as anything else will get political.

Berkshire bread is one of my favorite stops when out your way. A few times a year I take a ride out your way to take my dog for a hike get a loaf of bread and cup off Berkshire coffee.

Pup is getting a bit old for anything longer than a 20-30 minute walk sadly. There is also a Japanese artifacts place out your way that I try to make it to at least once a year. Sadly this year I’m kinda broke so I probably won’t be going there this year either.

Maybe a drive out just to take a drive and get a loaf of bread..

Therese also Berkshire products but you know that’s expensive also..

Just saying, we have Whole Foods, AND Starbucks out here “in the sticks”......
But we also have better places too.
Starbucks used to have decent Joe, but I can get better, usually for a lot less around here.
Starbucks isn’t just “yesterday”, at this point, they are “yesterdecade”.

[Darcy Warner]

Never seen a whole foods, not even sure what it is.
Never been to Starbucks or drank a coffee for that matter either.

Don't feel like I am missing out on anything.

[Patrick Walsh]

It’s not that brand names.

It’s access to fresh “real” food...

I’ve been vegan for almost 12 years now. Out where my shop is in Stow Ma the only grocery stores are Walmart equivalents vrs Whole Foods. The only place to eat are chain fast food places or pizza and sandwich shops. I don’t consider any of that food. When i walk into any of those places it’s total culture shock and I just assume not eat if that’s what is being passed for food. Can I eat out one of those places sure. But it’s not inspiring at all to say the least. I kinda just loose my appetite.

Clearly I get I’m the odd man out here as the majority are thinking your a A hole snob yuppy stay right where you are please! I can easily live off a CSA share or various farmers markets and when life allows but that all requires lots of free time to tend to. Working 50-70 hr weeks does not allow for that lifestyle. I. Pretty sure being a cabinet maker in general means that lifestyle is not a option. I’d be just fine in certain parts of the berkshires Vermont or the like and actually much better of I bet.

I’ve been shopping at Whole Foods since their first store “bread and circus” no Whole Foods is not even close to what it was but it’s my best alteranative for fresh “real whole natural foods”..

As you can see food is very important to me.

Never seen a whole foods, not even sure what it is.
Never been to Starbucks or drank a coffee for that matter either.

Don't feel like I am missing out on anything.

[Tom M King]

Speaking from the sticks. We have a Food Lion. My Wife does make a long grocery trip every few weeks though. Too bad you aren't closer to me. I have everything on your list, except my milling machine is not small. There is exactly one other person that I let borrow/use my stuff. He borrowed a tractor auger a while back, and didn't just throw it out of the back of his truck when he brought it back. He made a stand for it to sit on to make it easier to get on, and off of a tractor.

[Patrick Walsh]

Western North Carolina makes my short list.

Not sure where Lake Gaston is?

Honesty my dream is cash inn the farm, buy a parcel of land in the middle of knowhere Patagonia or Alaska and just survive. Drop me off with nothing and what choice will I have but to just figure it out.

So you know I say I can’t live without xyz but I’d be perfectly happy to live with nothing. Its kinda like this, In Mass have where I am, not everyone drives a Range Rover, Tesla Bimmer or Benze but the median home price is like $489k or something like that and new homes are not built anywhere for less than $700-900K.

It’s just crazy, absolutely crazy. There’s plenty of working folk like me but it sure is polorising kinda disheartening what motivates people what they live for and what they don’t. Out where Peter is “berkshires” is abaslutle cultural and nature perfection. Between me and peter is central Massachusetts. Plenty of good enough areas but it’s at least for me kinda knowheresville America.

It’s exactly where I have always said I would never live. The older I get though “not wanting to take risk” but wanting more space I trick myself into thinking I could deal “I couldn’t and more than I can right where I am”. The fact is it’s either right where I am or someplace like the Berkshires, Asheville, Portland Oregon or Portland Maine.

I like the sounds of your friend. That’s about the only type Person I’d let borrow anything of mine. Good friend, basic consideration, thankfulness and respect is becoming harder and harder to come by.

I say the things I say about knowheresville America but you know regardless of politics if your a kind, honest hard working person I’m gonna get along with you even if our politics don’t align.

Speaking from the sticks. We have a Food Lion. My Wife does make a long grocery trip every few weeks though. Too bad you aren't closer to me. I have everything on your list, except my milling machine is not small. There is exactly one other person that I let borrow/use my stuff. He borrowed a tractor auger a while back, and didn't just throw it out of the back of his truck when he brought it back. He made a stand for it to sit on to make it easier to get on, and off of a tractor.

[Jim Becker]

Patrick, you'd probably fit right in in the Asheville NC area which is pretty "artsy" and very supportive of makers. Probably not bad for vegan, either given the diversity in that particular area.

[Tom M King]

Even though we're in the same state, Asheville is about 5 hours driving West of here. It's nice there, but our blood is still mostly water, so we choose to visit the mountains, and live on the water. I have not found political demarcation lines to be as much defined by city limits, as by intelligence. I doubt our political views differ much.

[Patrick Walsh]

I haven’t been to that area In twenty years but as I remeber it it was pretty perfect. My guess is also kinda expensive now?

Patrick, you'd probably fit right in in the Asheville NC area which is pretty "artsy" and very supportive of makers. Probably not bad for vegan, either given the diversity in that particular area.