Photo Index - Unknown Manufacturer - early wood frame planer

Machinery Photo Index

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Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Planer, Wood
Machine Size:	14.5 inch
Submitted By:	Benjamin Campbell

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	early wood frame planer
Date of Manufacturer:	c1840'S
Serial Number:
Last Updated	7/21/2011 5:53:26 PM

Comments:

Here is an ancient 14.5 inch wide capacity wood frame planer which was used in a small water powered saw mill in Nelson New Hampshire. Like many of these mills it was run part time by a farming family which engaged in a number of enterprises to make ends meet. In addition to sawing lumber for community consumption, spool and cloth board stock was milled for the neighboring textile mills in Harrisville.

The exact date of manufacture is unknown but it’s my experience that the contoured turning/embellishment seen on the side of the large wood pulley was commonly used on metal and textile machinery built in the 1830-1850 period-ditto for the split spoke cast iron gears. It certainly appears a generation earlier than the 1860s John Humphrey planer used in the same mill.

I know of a nearly identical example with 20 or 24 inch capacity which is within 30 miles of the planer shown here. The depth of cut is adjusted by four elliptical shaped discs which bear on the table’s base and lower and raise it by way of the two split spoke gears.

Interestingly, the two cutter head lips are ‘let in’ and riveted to the main cutter head block. The cutter head bolts have very small heads and two pairs of Simonds closed slot blades are included.

Here is a link to a token showing an 1830's planer with similar split spoke gears.

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=726

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Comments: wood cone pulleys give three feed rates
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Comments: stove pipe chip deflector
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Comments: very small cutter head bolts
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