Golden Wings
December 29th, 2008Of Solid Iron
I leveled up the wings on the Powermatic 66 today. I watched a woodworking video where the guy used clamps and straight pieces of wood, and I tried his technique. You set a straight piece of wood across each joint on a wing, and you put a clamp on each side of the joint. In theory, this pulls the wing level with the table. Didn’t work for me. The wings just sat there. So I used the wood and clamps for support while I leveled the wings by eyeball.
I needed the wings level so I could reattach the rails. But I learned something interesting. I don’t know how the rails go back on. There are all sorts of screw holes in the rails, so they’ll go on in a number of ways. Photos generally show rails set up so the front rail’s end is about at the left edge of the left wing, but I have to wonder, is that mandatory? Can I put the saw more toward the center of the rails?
I was actually wondering where the tube was supposed to go, but then I realized the graduations tell you where the saw blade is supposed to be, relative to it. I’m so smart.
I plan to saw up my old computer desk and stick it between the rails as a tablesaw insert, as soon as I can figure out where the rails are supposed to be.
The screws that hold the rails on are not in great shape. The saw’s previous owner broke a number of them. Guess Home Depot can replace them.
I considered buying a new miter gauge, but I decided against it. The old ones are usable, and I have become suspicious of fancy new tools, like the Incra gauge everyone loves. Better to see what miter gauges do, before spending money on them. I notice that the guys in the woodworking videos don’t have a lot of high-dollar, overly sophisticated stuff. Doug Stowe uses an ancient Atlas tablesaw, a plain old miter gauge, and a bunch of homemade sleds and jigs to do his thing.
From looking at my cousin’s shop, I can see that I didn’t even need the Powermatic 66. I could have done fine with a Home Depot contractor saw. BUT the contractor saw would have cost more than the Powermatic 66, so the choice was clear.
Uh oh. Look at THIS: CLICK.
I wonder if that thing can be brought back to life. I’m scared of used tools, but that one, like a table saw, is probably not too complicated. Maybe I’m wrong. Dang, for a hundred bucks, how bad could it be?
Here’s something really awful: CLICK.
I’m quitting now.
December 29th, 2008 at 8:21 PM
The powermatic 60 is a big jointer. You’d like the smaller delta better, and it’s plenty for what you’ll need.
December 29th, 2008 at 8:36 PM
Think there’s any hope that Delta can be kept alive?
December 29th, 2008 at 9:02 PM
Love the new name…love even more that you had a wonderful Christmas with your family.
December 29th, 2008 at 9:04 PM
Either way you go, have the seller demonstrate that it will joint a flat face and square edge for you. The Powermatic is the way to go if you have the room for it. They are big, but the longer infeed and outfeed tables are REALLY nice to have. There will also be times that you will want that extra 2″. And the Delta is underpowered at 1/2 HP.
Remember that flatness is paramount with such a machine. If the tables won’t line up in the same plane, sag, or tilt, that can be adjusted. But tables, or a fence that is warped (does happen, ask me how I know), are useless. Take a known straightedge with you when you inspect it. Not something pretty straight, something accurate to 0.005″ over a 24″ length.
December 29th, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Hope you enjoy the jointer you’re about to buy.
Don’t buy for the shop you have, buy for the shop you will have.
Getting the older unit to work will provide much more experience and familiarity than “new, out of the box” (or on the pallet). And more to blog about. Renewing a Tool.
December 29th, 2008 at 10:02 PM
My dad’s widow has apparently disposed of the old Craftsman saw my dad promised me, that I’ve been waiting for. Steve’s saw adventures have prompted me to finally buy the saw I need.
Talking to my little bro about it, he volunteered his 1947 “King Sealy Craftsman” saw to me since his father-in-law has offered him his newer Craftsman, There is a God in heaven.
December 29th, 2008 at 10:22 PM
The delta just needs to be cleaned.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:34 AM
Whddaya mean “Brought back to life?” It isn’t even in poor condition. Buy it. Clean it up. Plug it in. Use it. That is an industrial tool made of highest quality fine grained cast iron and intended to be used 10-14 hours a day 7 days a week for many many decades. One person could not even break it in properly in a normal lifetime.
That old Delta is what the Taiwanese and Chinese copied with their shoddy castings full of sand and air pockets, bad machining, and which will do a fairly good job. Get the real thing and rejoice.
Gerry N.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:51 AM
Sorry, I am so jealous, I can’t think. It is Alive! It won’t even show any wear in your lifetime or your great grandkid’s.
That 6″ Delta is probably the commonest jointer in the US. It is perfect in every way because it’s design has been in use since the early 20’s. All the bugs have long since been worked out. There are millions of it working every day in every city in the country. I used one every working day of my career of 37 years and never heard of one needing any maintainance or repair save sharp knives in all that time. Buy it. Now. The only wearing part except the knives are the bearings. They are already ten times stronger than they need to be and are good for a minimum of 125,000 hours. That’s 14 1/4 years of 24 hrs. a day solid running. The motor is probably as good. It was a manufacturing decision to put ten times the bearing in the tool than was needed and cost about $4.00 more per tool to do. Buy that jointer.
Gerry N.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:44 AM
What Ed said: buy for the shop you’ll have. If you can fit the 8 in, it will be better; ideal, even. Knives will cost more, but can be sharpened (by you, or sent out). I wish I had room for one that size. You _will_ need help to move it, Steve: these are considerably less disassemble-able than table saws. You’ll need a pickup or a trailer (and at least two friends).
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Be surprised if the 8 in goes for less than $450 tho’ …but who knows, as I can’t hardly believe what you paid for the PM66 either.
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If a joiner won’t surface flat with a test, just make sure both beds are flat (bring a good straight edge, and sight either side, not both at once; and walk away if either side is not perfect). Make sure the fence is flat (and ditto: walk away if it’s not perfect …unless you know a good machinist).
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The point of adjustments is to make the surface flat (per depth of cut), and the fence to make that 90-to-surface square. Adjustments to get to cutter “perfection” are to be expected.
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If the knives are out of adjustment, the surface will appear faintly (or moreso) ridged. Don’t worry about that; you’ll learn how to adjust those out, too (well, as much as that can be adjusted out). Ditto for lengthwise ridges (likely a knife is chipped).
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After all that, I’d bet there’s no real “renewal” necessary for the 6 in. The “old” Delta will likely last as long as the PM66. If it was used by a hobbyist, all you’ll likely have to do is clean it, de-rust it, sharpen it …and adjust it; prob’ly be little wear to it. Joiners last a *loooong* time.
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With your blessings of opportunity of late, I next expect to see you link to a 15 in planer for $200.
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December 30th, 2008 at 8:39 AM
If you are really serious about buying a retreat in the north of FL, follow Ed’s advice. I can see you building furniture in a few years and putting out woodworking videos/books of your own “The Reformed Lawyer’s Guide to …”
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Anyway, keep thinking big and blogging about it. It is a good motivator to keep me going in the right direction.