Bridgewood 24" planer model bw-612pvg

[Jared Sankovich]

Picked this up yesterday for the price of a nice dinner. Any chance someone here owned or used this model? Haven't had a chance to see what the hp is on the cutterhead motor or the feed motor.

It's been sitting in a open shed for the past 7 years so needs a good bit of cleanup.

From what i can see it has
Powered bed rollers, and powered up/down table
Varible speed feed (not sure on the high/low fpm)
Segmented infeed and chip breaker.
Looks like it had a on-board grinder at some point, and it still has the head index lock.

It's about the same footprint as my pm180, without the motor.

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[Jared Sankovich]

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[Bill Dufour]

See page 13. 10 HP?
BILL D

[Bill Dufour]

TO lift mine I slid two 4x4s through about three feet long. Then clamped headworks down with blade not touching the wood. Wrapped chain around both ends of the 4x4s and lifted both ends at once. No chain actually touched the machine, only wood.
Bill D

[Jared Sankovich]

See page 13. 10 HP?
BILL D

Page 13?

Haven't pulled the access panel to see the motor plate, and I'm 75% sure I have to pull the motor to see it. It's either 7.5 or 10hp

Edit: its 15hp. Was able to get access through the side panel. 20240527_213102.jpg

[Bill Dufour]

forgot link
Bill
http://woodtools.nov.ru/fww_1975-2008/0082.pdf

[Jared Sankovich]

Got everything rolling. Wired up the feed and cutterhead motors

https://youtube.com/shorts/zApcYpi8h...w7zepW70vBMXPM

https://youtu.be/pdIIDmTMwco?si=Jc8ksX7TpqH62ZAn

[Bill Dufour]

I like Dupont Chain Saver lube on all those sliding surfaces. Wax in a spray can, repels dust, no silicone, no oil to attract dust and make a grinding paste. My local ace hardware has it cheaper then anyone else.
Bill D

[al ladd]

I have one. I made extensive changes to it--put in a Byrd Shelix head, and a since don't have 3 phase power and mostly do light work i swapped out the main motor for a 3 hp single phase, and run the feed motor off a vfd so i have knob controlled variable feed. I also had a polyurethane covered infeed roll made because the serrated one left marks on light cuts.
As is its badly underpowered for the occassional wide work I do, but otherwise it's been a great machine, especially good for figured work.
https://www.alladd.com/shop/index.html (3rd thumbnail)
I have the manual if you're interseted in it.

[Jared Sankovich]

I have one. I made extensive changes to it--put in a Byrd Shelix head, and a since don't have 3 phase power and mostly do light work i swapped out the main motor for a 3 hp single phase, and run the feed motor off a vfd so i have knob controlled variable feed. I also had a polyurethane covered infeed roll made because the serrated one left marks on light cuts.
As is its badly underpowered for the occassional wide work I do, but otherwise it's been a great machine, especially good for figured work.
https://www.alladd.com/shop/index.html (3rd thumbnail)
I have the manual if you're interseted in it.

Funny enough I noticed your website when searching for the planer model number the other day. I was meaning to email you to see if you might have the manual. If I could get a copy or pics of the pages that would be amazing. I was reading a woodweb post from 2015 or so about the serrated feed rollers causing marks, though both of my other planers do the same unless you take a .015" or deeper cut.

[stephen thomas]

I added some notes to your Q about sprockets on PM, with a link to the taper-lock type.

While my planer is a lower quality import compared to yours, i built urethane rolls (infeed + outfeed) for it some 35 years ago and they are still in good shape.
The initiative for mine, was i needed a machine that would feed 15" wide church pew seat blanks that were scooped and rolled edge, and also curved to a radius. (Actual radius changed as the pews got further back from the lectern/altar)
Basically, a 20" wide moulder for large radius circular work. The anti-kickback pawls had to be removed, and some other hardware, but there were no material changes to the machine beyond the rolls, and later replacing the removed parts when the straight knives went back in.

[al ladd]

OK, sent PM.

[Jared Sankovich]

Working on cleaning up the machine. The infeed roller segments are gunked up and dry. I'm going to pull these all, clean and reassemble.

Any suggestions on type and amount of grease when i reassemble?
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[Bill Dufour]

See page 6-7 for a similar powermatic. They say Fiske lubricate 630AA. This is a a lithium grease NGLI #0.
I use cotton picker grease. I hear the midwest has cornhead grease. Very thin grease. Most grease you can buy is #2. or the heavy thick stuff is #3
Bill D.
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/655/825.pdf

[Jared Sankovich]

See page 6-7 for a similar powermatic. They say Fiske lubricate 630AA. This is a a lithium grease NGLI #0.
I use cotton picker grease. I hear the midwest has cornhead grease. Very thin grease. Most grease you can buy is #2. or the heavy thick stuff is #3
Bill D.
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/655/825.pdf

Thanks. Looking into the segmented roller I realized this machine is a clone (value engineered) of a oliver 299.