I went looking for info on the blades (4). Here are some of the apparent specification in case anyone would like to see them:
Technical Specifications:
240/460V, 60CY, 3PH 3 HP Motor Knife Size: 16" x 1-1/4" x 1/8" Blades Per Head: 4 Cutting Circle 4-1/4" Table Dimensions: 96" x 21" x 32-1/2" Fence: 52" x 5-1/2" x 45 Degrees Rabbet Depth: 5/8"I don't know what they cost, but maybe you can sharpen the existing blades?
Amazon lists sets of three for about 20 bucks. Northfield has carbide blades "call for price", also spiral cutterheads for a IIRC 1100 bucks.
...
Kewl! The thing I left behind in TN have regretted the most is the 12" Crescent and access to a 16" Oliver...
I did pick up a PM180 18" planer a couple years ago for that end of things and the 8" Rockwell is fine, up to the point of what it can handle....
I would part with the old Rockwell/Delta 13" industrial planer (not lunchbox; "real iron") if anybody were interested...I had intended to try to sell it locally but never got the round tuit to list it anywhere or even call in the local AM "Radio-Bay" morning call-in show...
Here you go...you have no excuses now.
This is not a new jointer by a long shot, so the value is nothing near $20k . It has some issues, but is seems the bones of the machine are in good s hape. I had 3 hours of inspection before the bidding began.
Many of the items at the State auction go for pretty cheap. The Powermati c bandsaw, page 130, went for $175; The Rockwell bandsaw, page 137, went f or $125; The Lathe and planer, page 131, went for $75 and $150 respectiv ely. They all need some work, for functioning, but I think those prices are pre tty good for someone willing to repair the machines.
Not many people are in the market for these sorts of machines. In the pas t, these sorts of machines come up a few times a year, so dedicated buyers have filled their bill of tools, as this. I had never seen a large jointe r come up for sale in the many years I've viewed the sales. I'm on their mailing list for auction notification and viewing the pics and I suppose ot hers are on the mailing list, also. Since this is a rarely available item , I thought there would be more bidders eager to have it. Maybe the fowl weather kept folks away.
I'll know more about its age when I hear back from the Northfield tech, re: the serial number. Since the auction pic was taken, a few more big iron pieces/items were placed on the jointer. I'm not sure these are part and party to the jointer. I'd like to think one might be the knife grinder.
Sonny
Thanks Bill. I'm a happy woodworker.
Sonny
The blades presently on the jointer seem to be 12" long. I'd be hesitant t o use it in that improper(?) way. The owners manual states to not install blades of width less than 15/16". These 12" blades may be of improper wi dth, as well.
Sonny
...
...
...
That's warning against sharpening them down to nothing; I doubt you could find a new 16" knife
On 4/14/2019 10:12 AM, Sonny wrote: ...
That is good...
They come up quite a bit in the IRS auctions or other distressed/bankrupt sales of businesses...the Crescent actually came from a TVA (Tenn Valley Authority) sale from one of the mothballed construction sites.
The kicker for most individuals is the 3Ph conundrum for big-enough stuff it really needs that size motor -- by the time you add in either conversion route and the bulk hassle, most just kinda' wish but don't actually bite. Newer stuff, larger more specialized sales may bring out some small commercial shops or the like that add real interest not just "kicking iron"...
Keep us posted...love the details!
Email reply from Northfield tech:
S/N 74498-B is a Northfield 16? HD Patternmakers Jointer, w/ 7.5HP Direct Motor Drive, 4-Knife Head, Hand Brake, Switch on Brake, 110 volt at PushButton, Table Locks, Front & Rear Guards & Two-way Tilting Fence. It l eft our plant on Jan 16, 1976 & shipped to The Thiocol Corp, ammo plant in Doyline, LA. It originally sold for $4,873.00 & we have not heard from it until now.
The fact that this is a Patternmaker poses problems for Infeed Table Remove . Please call me & we can discuss it;
Regards Jeff Machacek
P Direct Motor Drive, 4-Knife Head, Hand Brake, Switch on Brake, 110 volt a t PushButton, Table Locks, Front & Rear Guards & Two-way Tilting Fence. It left our plant on Jan 16, 1976 & shipped to The Thiocol Corp, ammo plant i n Doyline, LA. It originally sold for $4,873.00 & we have not heard from i t until now.
ET didn't phone home? ;-)
Uh-Oh :-(
I hope this all works out for you. Keep us informed. Intriguing to say the least.
Spoke to Jeff a bit ago. For transport (reducing the weight), I can remove the infeed table's top itself (6 bolts attachment), without removing the t op's movable (pattern maker aspect) base. The out feed table will be easy to remove. With this weight reduction, I can load the bulk of the jointer on my smaller trailer.... parts & pieces in the back of my truck.
Jeff states, again, to bolt the base (feet) to 2X8s or 2X10s with 1/2" carr iage bolts, to stabilize it on the trailer.... plus the strapping down acro ss the legs' bases, not on the table's aspects. Lift it by the body, i.e. , inside each leg and on each side of the (central) dust chute.
Seems easy enough.
Sonny
Kewl! 7.5HP, though, not just 3.5 or 5...you have direct 3PH service or enough of converter to handle it already?
I thought that it probably was direct drive from the picture but couldn't tell for certain.
And, yeah, you definitely don't want to pick up except from the bottom; the tables aren't handles... :) Trying that will undoubtedly turn it into nothing but scrap iron immediately.
That's totally awesome Northfield is still so responsive...makes what happened to Delta and to somewhat lesser extent Powermatic even more disappointing.
I'm envious... :)
Adjusted for inflation, that's a $22,000 jointer..... Pretty much out of the class of Rockwell/Delta or Powermatic tools; and not suprising that they still support them.
This machine has issues, so its value is much lower than a functioning mach ine. I'll have to do some repairs, hopefully not major, and lots of cleani ng, probably some adjusting of stuff, also, maybe. I need to "learn" the machine to figure out what needs tuning up, etc., if need be. I'm not fam iliar with this caliber of machine, but I'll learn.
For the time being, I searched for specs as to the machine's footprint, to drill holes in the 2X10 supports for transport. Didn't find specs, but fou nd this video about Northfield. I'm impressed. I think I, now, know what Jeff looks like, should I need to contact him, again. Putting a face to a voice is nice. He obviously knows his stuff.
Sonny
In the last seconds of the above clip Jeff says: "If you don't have a pattern shop, don't buy one." So, is a 'pattern makers jointer' ONLY for _angled_ jointing and is incapable of true 90deg edge jointing?
On 4/16/2019 8:09 AM, Spalted Walt wrote: ...
A pattern makers jointer has a tilting infeed table mechanism (typically
+/-10 deg or so) for the draft needed for casting patterns. When the table is set at zero draft, it operates just like any other but obviously to produce such a beast (especially with 16" head/tables) ain't a-gonna' be cheap. And, of course, it explains the extra complication of removing the infeed table to ship.What Jeff is saying is there's no need for the extra expense unless you have the specific need. That this one happens to be is an extra bonus for collectable whether Sonny will ever find a use for the feature or not.
I don't and won't do production work. The machine was available, cheap, so I snapped it up. I'll likely rarely use it, except for simply surfacing, no pattern making. I'll likely set it at a permanent minimum cut and leave it at that setting.
I'm leaving now to go get it.
Sonny
You be gone already, but...be careful!!! :)
--dpb
It's not that so much that apparently getting it square can be fiddly.
Here's post that goes into more detail on its tricks .
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.