Photo Index - Powermatic Machine Co. - FCS 715

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Powermatic Machine Co.
McMinnville, TN; La Vergne, TN

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Overarm Router
Machine Size:	Big
Submitted By:	Chuck Hess

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	FCS 715
Date of Manufacturer:	1982
Serial Number:
Last Updated	11/19/2005 4:06:39 AM

Comments:

Powermatic Over Arm Router, Model FCS 715. 1982

Aloha,
I bought this machine for a specific job this year. We are making about 512 lin. ft. of a handrail balustrade detail that has 160 slot mortise and round end tenons every 10 ft. All glued and clamped with no mechanical fasteners. So the slot mortises had to be perpendicular to the edge of a 1" net x 4" net Honduras mahogany 10' long. I could not finagel a way to adapt our Rye slot mortiser to make that cut. So it was either go CNC or try and make it with a router. Maui is not quite ready for CNC so we are making it with a pattern and router.
This machine is actually made by SAC I think, and might not technically be Merican arn, but it is a Powermatic, so you decide. My lumber salesman hooked me up with this one as it was on the island of Oahu, so shipping was $98 and the seller was motivated. He actually shipped the machine to me before I paid for it. I was not used to that, it removed all the risk that I am so used to, out of the deal.
I added the mobile base and replaced a lot of the air hoses and with a little derusting she was ready to go. This has about 4 different size pins and collets but the 1/2" collet was broken in 2, and thats the one that I wanted to use for this job. It was not easy but I finally hooked up with the right place in Sacramento that had the parts. Most Powermatic employees I spoke with had never heard of this machine and informed me that Powermatic never made an overarm router. So I guess it is an obscure machine. Somewhere in that process some nice lady from the company mailed me a copy of the owners manual.
This one sure makes a lot of blue smoke if you make your first plunge with her running backwards! Once I switched the red wire and the blue wire performance was enhanced dramatically. It is a pretty heavy machine and runs smoothly once the flames were extinguished. We dont have room in the shop for this one so it is living in the warehouse presently, next to a couple of restoration projects for all you photo clutter scanners out there, name those projects. Notice the 3 phase extension cord in the photos. Its not an Oliver but it'll do some nice woodwork.
Aloha,
Chuck, sleeveless in Seattle last week

Photo 1:

Comments: Front right side
Source: My beautiful wife's camera.

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Photo 2:

Comments: Front left side
Source: My beautiful wife's camera.

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Photo 3:

Comments: Switch
Source: My beautiful wife's camera.

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