1982 Martin T-23

[Patrick Walsh]

Actually Jim all your thoughts have crossed my mind and did or do concern me.

It just comes down to this. I was walking through Home Depot yesterday half in a rush in need to a 3/8 masonry bit to hand my door again. I thought I should at least get some 4x4 and replace the two I ever pieces I picked the machine up with.

Then I thought hmm maybe look what they have for self leveling feet as the machine has a easy to mount place for them and it’s beefy enough I’m not the slightest worried about snapping a casting. Then I got a vision of some home made feet the owner of the vintage machinery web site made, then the Sumer ones I refuse to pony up for but in all honestly would buy if money was no option.

Hence this bolt solution was born as I t cost me $20. I figured my Felder pos came with a similar configuration at one corner so why not.

It really comes down to with my ferocity to acquire machines and abasulte need for perfection even if 40 plus years old, I always have something I can spend on and normally it’s something to the tune of 100’s if not a couple grand.

Just right now I’m waiting in the last parts from the plater for the t75. My guess is another $8-900. Then the scales from the laser engraver and the flattening of the fence. I bet another $1000. Then I have got a few more bits Brian and I will collaborate on for the t75. Then I’m gonna make up a full welded outfeed table with stainless top much like the new Martin t75 and planer come with.

And then I have this t23 and those louvers. I gotta take care of them as it drives me nuts to even look at the dam thing in such piss poor condition. Good news is I bet the dam thing fires right up and cuts wood just perfect so no rush but I’ll be darned if I leave them.

Oh then I had two electricians over last week. I’m being told they ran some numbers concerning load and sq ft of my house and I’ll need a electrical upgrade to pass inspection. If I do that I’m gonna go underground with my service as right now it goes right over my driveway. Not to mention coda saiz it has to be raised and they will mount it to my new roof and no chance in hell anyone is drilling anything into my brand new roof.

So you know I need the machines level but I gotta say uncle someplace.

Hah! The bolts are not scaring me. I'm just thinking that with that kind of weight and the fact that no matter how much mass you have, there will still be "some" level of vibration when the machine is running, that "wider shoes" will provide a more stable interface with the floor than four tiny bolt heads merely by an increase in friction. Alternative to buying...weld some feet onto the end of some bolts.

I would have thought you might be afeared of the aesthetics of such a massive machine sitting on some tiny bolt heads. LOL (JK!)

[Jim Becker]

It would be easy to switch out the bolts later for "more proper" feet, so it's probably not a first world problem. Sometimes we have to do what we have to do!

You could even commission Brian to make you some "designer feet". ROFLOL!!! You know they'd be pretty pretty...

[Patrick Walsh]

Oh I already thought about having Brian make them.

I tried to buy a couple newer Martin machines form a guy a couple years ago. But he was asking unrealistic prices for them. Like many Martin owners I think he was attached and do not have very realistic view of their value. Well so my local Martin rep told me when I asked their value.

Anyway his whole shop was like a showroom. Almost looked like no work was ever don’t in it. I suspect that may have been the case. He had custom everything for ever darn machine and to a Brian level maybe even exceeding. Sorry Brian but it’s true.

He had these maxing feet on his machines I had never seen and fell in love with. When I asked he said I made them.

I have already thought of asking Brian to make me some and long term I may as I bet he could for a similar price to dunes and still do ok for himself. If he would enjoy the work and could get paid I’d be thrilled.

Soon I will have to get the t75 on leveling feet as I’m gonna be able to bring electricity to it soon.i have been procrastinating.

Oh and that dam lathe. It will probably sit in the corner lol. Nah I’ll just put it together and make a baseball bat to smash my Felder machines into small pieces with to make it easier to get em outa my darn shop.

Ok now I’m just being a snob and jerk.

It would be easy to switch out the bolts later for "more proper" feet, so it's probably not a first world problem. Sometimes we have to do what we have to do!

You could even commission Brian to make you some "designer feet". ROFLOL!!! You know they'd be pretty pretty...

[Patrick Walsh]

Been thinking as I seem some must think I’m nuts doing all this.

This song keeps coming back to me so I thought I’d share.

It’s one of my favorites. Fell in love the first time I heard it around 19. Changed my whole approach to life.

Listen to the song, it’s a good one, very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZbRau436ww

If nothing else it will gain you some perspective to my thinking around not only all this machine crap but just how I live my life in general.

[David Kumm]

Patrick, my T21 has 4 starters in the box. One was a little funky so I cleaned up the contacts but also found a spare on ebay. You may want to watch for one that matches yours as I can't see you mixing starters in the enclosure. Dave

[Jeff Duncan]

I'd soak the fence with PB Blaster and let it sit. Those knobs should turn very easily. Then again may be loaded up with dust and crap which may need to pull apart and clean properly.

As for the bolts, I'm with Jim..... don't like the small bolt head as the only contact point. Probably make the machine much too easy to move about a bit on concrete. I went a different direction altogether though. Instead of pricey levelers, I just mounted mine on hardwood runners. They distribute the weight nicely while also making the machine a MUCH better height to work with for me. Oh and of course it puts them at a height I can get my pallet jack under them and move when needed. Even with 2400 sf I'm always just short of having enough room

[Darcy Warner]

Rubber pads would be better than those bolts.

The only machines I level are my moulders and big planers.
Buying levers for a 13k pound planer isn't the cheapest thing.

Most moulders have built in leveling bolts and pads, but they are threaded in the machine base.

When I leveled my big hendey lathe, hendey recommended wood wedges and steel shims.

Most manufacturers recommended leveling and then grouting in place.

The reality is, it's just a shaper, as long as it doesn't teeter around it makes little difference. also most large machines have 3 points of contact.

[Patrick Walsh]

Thanks guys I appreciate everyone chiming I’m on these bits and pieces. Most anything you figure out if you just dive in and get your hands dirty.

Ultimately that’s what I just finished doing. The fence I felt should move around fairly easy but it wasn’t. The fact is when I picked it up it was sitting in a infested garage fir the most part on the banks of the saint Lawrence River. It also had been purchased at auction by the seller. I found links to the suction with pictures and the shop it came out of was grim looking.

So has soaked the fences in on blaster overnight and to no avail. So I turned them up on end removed the knurled knobs and filled the cavity with on blaster while I did other work. Ultimately I had to carefully use a rag and pliers to gently free them. All is good now but I’ll have to remember to work them back and forth once a day until they are good to go again. I fed them some oil from the oil gun for my jointer.

I went through the rest of the machine with a nylon and brass brush vacuumed and compressed air.

I did so as I have found that if you do you often find a loose nut bolt or wire. I found all of the above..I took care of all that and oh got the rings free also.

I’ll have to work those daily also till they just like to turn. Without the tenon table I have no need other than I raised I can run stock depending on the diagonal and get longer lengths..

Pics later gotta grocery shop and clean now..

[Patrick Walsh]

Oh leveling feet that’s right. I want them so I can stager heights of my machines fir indeed and outfeed purposes.

Plus under my saw it’s just that bad. And yup I want everything looking neat and tidy. It’s half the fun for me. I’m man enough to admit it

[Patrick Walsh]

Couldn’t help but get this song stuck in my head all afternoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEe_eraFWWs

I got all up in der today. I thought I had done a decent job cleaning her underside at my uncles shop but I was in rush so,o didn’t do my best work. Today I got in her with a brass and nylon wire brush and some compressed air. She is as clean as she needs to be to work and maintain good working posture long term. Everything operates smooth as buttah now.

I found a few wires coming loose from their connection points or seals or whatever they are called. I repaired them. In the process I had to open up all the electrical boxes. I was able to blow them all out. All the wiring is in great shape, looks new. I gave the exposed wires the Halcomb treatment and scrubbed the pitch and grime off them.

I found one broken tooth on one cog.

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I worked the throat rings free. Dam Otto you do things right.

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Machine is very very clean and overall in great condition.

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I’m not sure what this does. Is it a belt guide or a stop of sorts. The bolts that held it on were loose and it was diving into the belt and fraying it. It’s connected to a box with a actuator or something, I don’t know the right term. Whatever the case it does pivot back and forth controlled by some electrical function. Seems odd to me as it can’t be a break wouldn’t that fry the belt?

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I had seen things like this on my t75. Usually they had oil lines going through them. This one adjust though on threads. It had nothing through the hole in the end. Anyone know what it does or goes to?

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[Patrick Walsh]

So the throat plates now swivel with the fence. And fence micro adjustments work. I realized today that although I don’t need the fence to swivel as I don’t have the tenon table it does make it possible to run stock on the diagonal and open up positioning of the machine in my shop.

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Look at all that junk up in that trunk. That’s some clean rump now. Not T75 clean but fully functional clean.

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Oh and I got the warning label off the front that was half falling off.

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Then I spent a hour on Mccmaster Carr hunting out the proper fasters to replace some nonsensical replacements previously.

I got a list going.

JB weld the hood.

Make a hood cover out of metal.

Make the louvers or have them made.

Thread one of those front handles as one is stripped. Thinking a threaded insert?

Make some fences or feces both with suffice for now.

Save for aigner fences feces both the same to me and a fancy powerfeed.

[Günter VögelBerg]

Make some feces for now.

Fences, maybe?

[Patrick Walsh]

Are you thinking “fences maybe” like asking if I’m considering no fences.

My statement was make wood fences for now while I save to purchase the aigner.

I may just wait to be honest as I won’t use the machine anytime soon being I’ll be working like 70hr weeks again through June for my 9-5 and I have a shaper there.

Fences, maybe?

[Günter VögelBerg]

Are you thinking “fences maybe” like asking if I’m considering no fences.

My statement was make wood fences for now while I save to purchase the aigner.

I may just wait to be honest as I won’t use the machine anytime soon being I’ll be working like 70hr weeks again through June for my 9-5 and I have a shaper there.

I was wondering if you need some fiber.

Little bit of levity is all.

[Patrick Walsh]

Ah I spelt feces.

Clever

I get it now.

I love a good potty joke.

I was wondering if you need some fiber.

Little bit of levity is all.