Vintage Martin T75 restoration

[Patrick Walsh]

Are you complimenting me on your knob lol..

Very nice! That is a thing of beauty, nice work!

[Brian Holcombe]

Of course Haha, no that saw just has a presence all of its own now. A company making things always needs to weight the added value of each part it makes in the production of a whole unit, it’s nice to see your progress in taking your time to improve upon the fit and finish of the machine as a whole in addition to replacing bearings, cleaning and general tuning.

[Patrick Walsh]

No progress on the saw to report but I suspect another Martin is coming home. At least I’m preparing for one to.

I’m not quite sure it will get a thread of its own to the extent this monster did but if I need to tend to anything major and or a bunch of minor stuff I will probably creat a thread as I get so much help here. And it’s clear that others also enjoy my madness even is]f only for a good head shaking.

So my body is getting old and tired. Every time I ring in a machine or major component to one it takes a full day. The ramp/platform apparatus I derived years ago now doubles as a lumber storage rack. So when the time comes all the lumber has to be moved ramp put it to place and it’s a huge 32” lvl and a. Bunch of 6x6’s all held together with structural screws. Just that work takes a solid 3-5 hrs and leaves me sore and or injured for days and I have still yet to move the machine in or out my shop back together.

Something sick in me kinda enjoys it but I’m scared for my body. I like to suffer I really really like to suffer but I won’t to be able to suffer for a few more decades in my shop.

My solution is a couple lift tables and maybe long term a jib crane.

I found this baby on Craigslist for what I call a song.

It will double as a bench to put my dimensioned material on to sticker and stay flat so I can finally always have a clear workbench. To date my workbench is always cluttered with stickered stock. I’ll make a perfectly flat top for the lift table when not moving machines.

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This ramp and platform below are all setup from this last Tuesday when I moved my old Felder shaper out. Man o man what a chore that was on a weeknight after working 10hrs.

I left it setup as next Sunday I hope to be using it again. Long term a second lift table will be purchased and take the place of the wood platform. I’ll store it outside under a tarp near my driveway when not in use.

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And if I stay in this house and more than a couple more years “depending on this new job” I’m gonna our a jib crane in the upper side yard just on the other side of the black fence atop the stone wall. I’ll pour a giant cement form in the ground however large need be and recess it enough I can plant lawn right over it. When I need all I gotta do is bolt the jib crane to it and shuffle the machine across my lawn on a pallet jack. Lift it over the fence on to a pallet jack, slide it off the pallet jack on the lift table outside the door. Then from one lift table to the next. I’ll also be able to get stuff out the same way when the time comes.

There’s no way I’m getting the Martin jointer in any other way on my own not to mention a matching planer or t12 sliding table. And you will never catch me hiring a rigger. Working construction I know better. I’d rather pay the piper and be self reliant.

Never woulda thunk I’d be excited about a dam lift table. Lotsa fun getting it out of the van myself this morning. Went it with a fork truck came out with a ramp. Try doing that yourself and not putting a single scratch in the floor and or anywhere in your new van.

Not so easy.

[Brian Holcombe]

I think that will be worth its weight in gold.

[Patrick Walsh]

I think so,

Now I just need to be able to afford a second. One step at a time is the way a shop goes unless your wealthy. Even they you can’t be broke and pull this off if you want a respectable shop.

Seller had three others but only 2000lbs. I’m tempted but the jointer is like 2800 lbs. the planer is mid 3000’s I think nearing 4K lbs and that saw should I ever move and take it out is I guess 3600 lbs said Darcy. Remove the sliding table and I bet this table is good enough. Ideally I find another nice used 5K lb unit and this one goes outside.

I’m half contemplating cutting the stairs out of the inside of my basement. Then using a cutoff saw to cut a hole in my basement floor then pouring a pit to recess the table into. Then I have zero space issues and zero setup as I come in and out with stuff.

As is I want the Felder mortiser gone when I’m done with my master bedroom. I’ll be asking you where I can find a Wadkin as that what I want as a Maka is to expensive comsidering I’ll be buying a planer to go with the my jointer. When that all happens the Felder combo will need to move out. Then there is that giant 5hp grinder I think I just have to have. I bet that weights in at 100lbs itself.

So yeah worth it’s weight in gold as this never stops. Pretty sure my new employer will never invest in the machines I want to work on to produce the quality of work he will be expecting me to build. In such a case I’m at least thinking if he will increase my hr pay as previous employers have when the task require I work from home and maybe we could both be happy. So you know onward and upward with my ridiculous shop build as I’m sure it might seem to many. To me not so much.

I think I’m gonna like the new job but it’s always a fine line with me and employers seeing eye to eye with regard to what is and is not needed to produce said finished product. I’m inclined to do what I need to keep this job and produce work I can be proud of as if I can I think I’m gonna be a very satisfied maker.
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I think that will be worth its weight in gold.

[Brian Holcombe]

A Wadkin or similar would be nice in your shop. No need to have a Maka unless you are doing batches of parts. All in due time and IMO I think it’s good that you’re making the necessary changes to get your jointer into your shop. No sense in having a machine like that sit idle in another workshop.

In your situation I would personally be looking to work as a sort of satellite, but that may be something to introduce over the course of time.

[Patrick Walsh]

I agree kinda but only kinda. In some ways I like leaving the house everyday. In some ways I really don’t so..

The biggest problem to that setup is space size. My previous gig building cabinetry was at times hard enough trying to build cabs for a 4- 15000 sq ft homes with very tall ceilings.

Right now I’m building what is referred to as the case. It houses the wind boxes that feed and control air in and out of the pipes and also houses the pipes themself. It’s 12’ wide 5’ deep and 18’ tall. I’m sure I can build the consul in my own shop but I’m never building much of this stuff in my shop as it all needs to be setup.

Plus I’m pretty sure the new boss wants to see a face everyday as just having a third body around is helpful in other ways than just what I’m building.

There’s more to the case then what’s in the cad drawings but that give you a idea. The rest of the stuff is much smaller depending. The consul can get huge also depending.


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A Wadkin or similar would be nice in your shop. No need to have a Maka unless you are doing batches of parts. All in due time and IMO I think it’s good that you’re making the necessary changes to get your jointer into your shop. No sense in having a machine like that sit idle in another workshop.

In your situation I would personally be looking to work as a sort of satellite, but that may be something to introduce over the course of time.

[Patrick Kane]

See, dude, I told you about the lifts! They sound lame until you have one and play with it. The felder/Barth cart is like the work cart version of your machine mover. I’ve seen plenty of the 2k lifts on homemade casters, but then you have to worry about the power cord etc. Mike Farmington has a scissor lift for his work bench, and I have always thought that was a brilliant idea. When I have the space, I am definitely picking up one of the big table lifts.

You are about to assemble the world’s best basement shop.

[Patrick Walsh]

What I love most about this place is you learn from everyone. So many different perspectives that it stimulates you to contemplate all the options and form your own opinion. Always something to learn from anyone.

The table has two wheels and it easily moves with a dolly like the hammer combo units and bass saws move with.

I’ll be happy to have it. So thanks for making me think. I was not thinking bench when I thought material lift even though I was familur with the Barth units as I like my solid wood bench. But a shop needs as many flat surfaces as one can fit so I’m sure I’ll be very very happy to have this table.

I plan to use it first to get the cast iron table off the machine. I can’t fit it through my door with the top on as the machine is wider both directions than my door. So I’ll NU bolt it, raise the lift to the height of the underside of the cast table., slide the cast table onto the lift table. Lower the loft table to the height of the platform outside my shop door atop the ramp. Then I’ll stand the cast table up and carefully slide it down the ramp.

I’ll then do about the same for the machine. I’ll slide the machine off the pallet jack and onto the lift table. Off the lift table onto the platform, then I’ll lift all about 800-1000lbs of the lift table onto the platform, slide it down the ramp, move the ramp out of the way out the lift table at the door I opening, slide the machine onto the lift table, lower the list table, slide the machine back onto a pallet jack and roll it into place.

Should actually be pretty easy.

But looks like I’m getting 3-8 of snow overnight Saturday. I’m supposed to do this Saturday.

Hmmmm....

See, dude, I told you about the lifts! They sound lame until you have one and play with it. The felder/Barth cart is like the work cart version of your machine mover. I’ve seen plenty of the 2k lifts on homemade casters, but then you have to worry about the power cord etc. Mike Farmington has a scissor lift for his work bench, and I have always thought that was a brilliant idea. When I have the space, I am definitely picking up one of the big table lifts.

You are about to assemble the world’s best basement shop.

[Patrick Walsh]

It’s a wee update and task but it’s one.

In all honestly this machine is so close to done but still so far.

I’m getting close though.

This shaft clocks the sliding table to its sub table. It had a nasty mess of a epoxy ball on it that again some dumb ass called a solution. Well I got that mess of to find a weird thread and pitch on it that I could not source a ball for. I’m not stup for working metal so this part has been with a friend that graciously did the work for free. Simple task but means the world to me and is greatly appreciated.

In this picture you will see the one and only loan broken part on the whole machine. Otherwise everything was perfectly intact. Looking back I knew I would regret not repairing this but I really had no idea how to do so in a permeant manner so I skipped it. I have now seen Wadkin jack repair stuff like this in a manner I am fully capable of on my own. In the future I won’t let something like this go.

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Now I gotta get the phase converter going.

I will have something substantial to add to this thread come late Sunday night or Monday morning. And no it’s not electricity. But is]ts exciting, very exciting.

[Patrick Walsh]

Well finally some real progress to speak of. I wish I could just head down plow through this and have it done but I can’t. The combined reality of funds, recruitment of people whom can and or have the tooling/machines combined with knowledge base to do the things I can’t means some of this is just out of my control.

What I have been able to control is my vision. My expectation that this machine will 100% work as good as new and in the case of what I’ll share bellow better than new. I’ve also been able to largely control my vision for keeping the saw 100% original in appearance even after these alterations.

In the process of just seeking out the various people to tend to these tasks I am not setup to do I have gained a education and I suppose the confidence that I need to get setup to tend to these tasks in my own should there be a next time. This whole Woodworking and tool thing really is a giant onion. Thank god im still enjoying it.

Bellow are pictures of the outrigger support arm.

In the picture bellow You will notice a bolt indexing the bottom of that nickel plated spindle with a nut on either side. Well that is actually not supposed to have a nut but rather be threaded into the bottom of the green interior rail. When I got the machine these threads where stripped and the lock nuts were the previous owners solution.

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This was not such a good solution as the when the table slides back and forth the spindle turns slightly and over a short period of time works the lock nuts free. Once that lock nuts works itself free enough play is introduced into the system that when you slide the table back and forth the spindle falls out of plum or racks and the whole things studders and or chatters when it’s articulated back and forth. Totally not ok with me at all!

That bolt originally was also designed to slip in tot hollow drilled out in the bottom of the nickel plated rod. Inside the rod was a single ball bearing. All seems good enough “but only good enough imop” and when the machine stops functioning properly as mine did quickly the opinion is formed that this was one area of very few Martin could have done a better job.

My first inclination was to look towards the more modern t73 of my previous employer that traveled on rails. Sorry best picture I could find.

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[Patrick Walsh]

Now I could not copy this design verbatim as the it would be a whole can of worms. The interior or make portions off he articulating arm is made of two pieces. Coupled by the series of wheels and roller bearings inside them far superior to what’s on my lowely 74 T75.

Well I could had and wanted to and would had but you just try explain to someone exactly what you want without a pdf file for them to just build off of. Then you have to consider the cost. Was or had I been setup to do this work myself I would 100% have taken this even further. And to be perfectly honest if round one of repairs on my and Brian’s part did not work that’s exactly what we were going to do.

The route we took was almost a full remake and reinvention or employment of what Martin does now and rating back at least to the late 90’S. But in the eleventh hour we both got cold feet. I think motivated by my reluctance based on overall cost. I have so much into this machine and much like a piece one makes of wood by the time your even done your head is and it’s into the next thing. It’s at this stage that all is makers must keep focus and get tot eh finish line. I also have so many other machines I still want and the finds being sunk into just one becomes overwhelming. I shouldn’t complain as if it was not this machine it was good to be a fully equipped Martin T60C all tricked out. I was not excited for all those electronics though nor was I excited to spend $45k. I probably ASM like $20k into this machine and honestly there is nothing to go wrong on it I can’t fix on my own having now done this. The machine will last me forever and o consider the $20k and time a wise investment over the new T60.

So after weeks of preparation I was able to get down to New Jersey yo visit Brian. First of all this was my first time needing Brian and I feel compelled to make a point of speak to just how exceptional of a human being he seems to be. Couple that with him clearing being a very capable talented maker of various media and at least for me I was in heaven in like company. It’s so nice to be in the company of others that get your insistence for perfection. It’s really a built in thing to a guy like Brian or myself and shutting it off is really not a option. I’m sure it’s highly annoying to many but only speaking for myself I wouldn’t want to be any other way.

Anyway 4am I was in the road. 8:30 am I was outside his house eager to get to work. We had planned to do the work over two days. I kinda road Brian’s ass a bit to get it done in one day as I’m a busy guy and really wanted to get back home if I could. Nice to have one day off a week. The pup misses me and the laundry, groceries, cleaning all need to be done. Plus I don’t like showing up to work on Monday morning tired. I like having a fresh mind so I can do good work.

Bathroom break before this thing logs me off..

[Patrick Walsh]

I’m long winded. Real long winded but you know. I feel some things need to be said.

Largely Brian acknowledged for the part he played. It’s important, as a maker and a consumer I feel very strong about this. One thing I have tired of over my life as a maker a contractor whatever is feeling under appreciated or my skill valued as less than that of the consumers or clients worth doing whatever they do to make ends meet. People often want what they want and for a myriad of reasons don’t actually want to pay for it. Be it they don’t understand what goes into something and it’s honest or they are just the type that think they should get something for nothing and think nothing of letting you take it on the chin so they can have the things they want. Anyway it’s always somewhere in the middle the truth lay.

So it needs to be said that In all areas Brian sets and maintains a bar that I feel consumers make next to impossible to for most of us makers to agnolage in our work.

So above you have pictures of what was my saw with it’s bandaid fix. I’m my experience a typical employee solution to a problem. I pass no judgment as its pretty much all most employers actually want. It’s been my experience it’s “stop screwing with the machine and get back to work Patrick” so you know before I throw stones..

Then you have the inspiration on the t73..

And bellow you have the fix.

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Pretty stunning right. I have to re paint the inner arm but I still have a few bits and pieces to tend to paint wise regarding the hand wheel when I get it back from nickle plate. So sadly I’m not done painting

What’s more stunning is the smoothness with witch the table now slides. It’s silly really and as good as that t73 I had experience using previous. Makes sense as the the table on my t75 travels on the same bearings and race setup of even a modern t75. The only difference in design was this support arm. What you can’t see is there is a giant bearing worked into the support arm now. As a result as the arm moves slightly it now does it on a bearing. Previously it was just metal on metal. It was my intention that this would mitigate the threaded adjustable knuckle form working loose over time and make the whole thing feel like it was running on rails.

Still and as always i still have so much to do. Namely I have a 1000Lb lift table i need to get into the shop. That’s it weighs 1000lls but lifts 3000k lbs. I’m not excited at all. Then the t23 I gotta get that into the shop and god knows tend to what, check the t23 thread as I already know of a few things. Then wire up the phase converter and a few home runs. Then maybe the handwheel is back and I can drop the motor and into the machine and fire it up. Oh and then I gotta get that 4klb lathe into my shop. Oh yeah the scales a rip fence gotta get those also.

I always have a project and honestly like it that way. And spring is on it’s way and I gotta finish the exterior of the house this year or be thrown out on my can..

[Tom M King]

Yes, stunning!!!!

[Jim Becker]

Wow...I wish I had know you were hangin' with Brian for that work. I would have come over to meet you since I'm only a half hour away and have visited his place many times now. That said, collaborative work is a really nice thing and having one or more folks to do it with is a blessing. I know I always enjoy my conversations with Brian, whether via electronic means or in person here or there. ALWAYS mentally stimulating!

And wow...that solution looks great1