All Replies on Powematic 60 8" Jointer, Good deal? [EDIT] It's mine! Check out the thread for photos and video.

It could be a nice deal if it checks out. Check the sound of the bearings by spinning the cutterhead. Check that the fence is straight. Check that it runs smoothly. $600 would be a better deal and is a very reasonable offer IMO.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

That’s about fair, meaning what a Powermatic 8” with cabinet,
guard and motor is worth on the used market. Make sure
the gib screws are tight and the cutterhead spins freely by
hand before trying it under power.

Powermatic’s reputation is partially because they would
cast the parts and then put the new iron out in the yard
for several months to let it move before machining it.
Most light machinery makers don’t do that, so there’s
some inherent consistency from machine to machine
with old Powermatic you may not find with other brands.

I guess what I’m saying is that even if it needs a little shimming
and clean-up, it may be less of a headache than a new
machine with casting/machining problems from Asia.

Can you pick it up? I mean, deliver it to yohttp://lumberjocks.com/topics/42645#urself? It’s a precision instrument and you never know how many knuckledraggers would be assigned to this task.

These jointers come apart pretty easily and obviously, so you have the tool, the stand and the motor.

And by that time you might as well replace the bearings and the belt.

I have this tool and it is a delight. Recommended, and I agree six bills is a slightly better price.

Kindly,

Lee

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

I was able to talk to the actual owner of the machine and he struck me as a great guy to buy tools from. He had it for for over 20 years and seems to have maintained it well, replaced the blades with carbide blades, had them sharpened regularly, and claims he checked it for parallel every time he used it (seems excessive but I’m OK with that).

I did a little more digging and it’s being sold by a small machinery wholesale company that has been around since the early 90s. It’’s about a 3 hour drive each way though so I’m inclined to let them just deliver it.

That’s interesting about powermatic letting the castings sit before machining, I’m sure the asia tool companies don’t do that.

Thanks for the help, with any luck this will be a tool that lasts longer than I do.

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

Sounds like a good deal to me! If you could get it for $600, that would be a great deal! I see 6’’ powermatic jointer sell for $400 all the time. Good luck!

-- If I can do it.....so can you! -AJswoodshop

there is a like new powermatic in nashville fot 1000 bucks it is showroom quality

-- Stevo, work in tha city woodshop in the country

Thanks everyone for the advice, I ended up buying it a week ago and spent part of the weekend (not including the packer game) cleaning it up, oiling the moving parts, and repacking the cutter head bearings. It still has some work to do, but I ran some boards through it and what a machine! I’ve been using an old Rockwell/Delta 4” model with a 24” bed for a few years and this thing just blows it out of the water.

I started a post on my blog that I’ll be updating with photos and videos of the restore process if anybody is interested. Check it out at http://davidwahl.org/2012/11/new-to-me-powermatic-60-8-inch-jointer/

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

I would be interested in knowing how you were able to repack the bearings , and what you used ?

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

Enjoy,their good machines.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

David, you got yourself a classic tool there. ENJOY!!!!

-- Todd http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid6255915

@Dusty – I used a utility knife blade to pry the seals out of the bearings (using the dull side) and then packed them with a standard high temp bearing grease (non-moly). I added some photos and a more detailed description to my blog, let me know if you want any clarification. Looks like you have a similar machine? http://davidwahl.org/2012/11/new-to-me-powermatic-60-8-inch-jointer/

@Jim & Todd – Hard to explain how excited I am about this tool, but I think you guys understand :)

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

I would have just replaced the bearings instead of trying to repack them. You paid more for the grease than it would have cost for the 2 bearings.

-- My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist....medic20447@gmail.com

@Ken – Where can you find the bearings for that cheap? The cheapest I was able to find was at least $3-5 per side not counting shipping. A tube of grease costs about $3 and I only used a couple of pumps from the grease gun.

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

My original bearings are from New Departure (no longer in business).
I was able to get replacements from a company out of Florida….Less than $10 including shipping for the set : )
I hope your seals were rubber …mine are steel , and there doesn’t appear to be any way to pry them out and replace them without damaging them , and no guaranty that they would retain the grease afterwards.
My machine is vintage 1956-7 : ) I’ve reconditioned it and hope to post it here soon : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

I just checked out your link and saw the rubber-ish seals.
You were fortunate not to damage the bearings with that two legged puller. It is pulling on the outside rim of the bearing assembly , and not the inside where all of the tension is on a press fit bearing. If your seals were metal , they would have been crushed and stopped the bearings from turning. Ask me how I know…. LOL : )
I also use that red grease on a lot of projects , including my jointers’ dovetailed ways and the threads on the table height adjusters. Good stuff : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

The seals were rubber with a steel ring inside, so I was able to pry them out fairly easily. I was a little nervous at first pulling on the outside rim, but I figured that the forces are still relatively minimal. What really damages bearings is impact. Worst case I have to replace the bearings with new ones and I wasted a few hours and a 15 cents worth of grease :)

Did you actually remove the tables from your jointer to clean and lubricate them? I was debating doing it myself but everyone seems to advise against it. If you did remove them, did you have to re-level them? I’d like to take mine apart and do a full restore, but I don’t want to spend the next year of weekends doing it.

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

Yes I did…..I took the whole thing apart…partly because of the mice that had built nests in it and left their remains behind : (
No biggie…if I can do it , you can as well : )
Extremely heavy iron , so be cautious and have someone to help you , or at least be able to dial 9-1-1 for you !
You’ll want to remove the cutter head before trying to remove the tables to avoid interference.
By the same token , if yours is working fine , then don’t mess with it !

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

Did you have any trouble with getting the tables reassembled and co-planar/level? I already have a friend lined up for the heavy lifting, amazing what beer will buy you :)

Mine is working ok, I would just like to strip the old paint, clean up the rust, and repaint it.

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

I never checked to see what the tables were like when I first got it , but after all was done , I only needed to fabricate one shim to correct the alignment : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

For anyone following this I added a page on my website showing how I leveled the tables on this beast. I’d appreciate any feedback or critiques of my technique.

http://davidwahl.org/2013/01/a-poor-mans-guide-to-leveling-jointer-tables/

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

I had a motor in my air conditioning compressor unit that started squealing one Saturday afternoon when we were expecting company. I quickly took the top off (and motor) then eased the seals open. I packed them with wheel bearing grease and put it back into service. It was fine. About a month later, at my convience, I replaced the motor. I think bearings can be gently repacked and add life to them. Did I trust the work…..doesn’t sound like it does it? At the cost of bearings and the availability of bearings I would never do that but my situation was when everyone was home with their feet propped up and I was expecting a house full of people in a short time. If it were my jointer I would have new bearings in it.

Grandpa:
I agree, it’s not a long term fix. Eventually I will replace them but considering that it gets minimal (hobby) use I figured they could go for a while. Come summertime I’m going to replace the both the cutterhead and motor bearings with new ones.

Why did you replace the motor? Was there damage beyond the bearings?

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

Those are throw away motors on A/C units. They cost more than bearings but they were not meant to be repaired. I could have gotten away with it I suspect but I have gotten to the point where I don’t enjoy taking things apart as much as I once did.

I’m going to check out your leveling link tomorrow….Thanks for posting it : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

No problem, let me know if it needs anything. Any critique is appreciated.

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

Thats a nice shop, I would be all over that jointer.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

Thanks CJ, I was a little hesitant to buy such a big jointer but the first time I used it to flatten a 7.5” wide board I was glad not to have bought anything smaller.

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

I might have missed it , but did you say to readjust the outfeed table height to be inline with your knives after leveling it ?
Do you have a dust collector in your shop ? I made an adapter to mount a 4” hose to my PM60’s gaping exhaust chute.
1/4” Luaun plywood , plastic hose adapter from WoodCraft , Rare Earth Magnets that I drilled recesses for with a 1/4” Forstner bit so they would sit flush and super glued them into the recesses . Four screws through the adapter , the bottom two rest against the opening to keep it aligned . Surprising that those tiny magnets are able to keep everything in place once the hose gets attached , but they do : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

I don’t think I mentioned readjusting the table height to the cutters, I’ll add that.

I like the dust collector attachment. I’m planning on building something similar, even with rare earth magnets too. I have a stack of them I’ve taken out of old hard drives over the years and they are quite useful to have around. Thanks for the pictures.

-- Perilous to all of us are the devices of an art deeper than we ourselves possess. --Gandalf the Grey http://davidwahl.org/category/woodworking/

You’re welcome and I hope they gave you some good ideas for yours : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.