Photo Index - C. O. & A. D. Porter Co. - The Porter Pattern makers jointer

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
C. O. & A. D. Porter Co.
Grand Rapids, MI

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Jointer
Machine Size:	20" cutter
Submitted By:	Mark Brockmann

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	The Porter Pattern makers jointer
Date of Manufacturer:	around or before 1900
Serial Number:
Last Updated	7/2/2011 2:14:41 PM

Comments:

This machine has planed tables 24" wide with ground anti-suction grooves.
The cutter is a two knife round Oliver, made 1912, patented 1908, with large 1-1/4 flathead four hole mounting bolts, and weighs well over 100 lbs. I assume the cutter was an upgrade added later, but could have been installed on the machine originally. It is roughly 40 inches long and one solid machined shaft from end to end including the 5 belt sheave. It requires a four pin tool to remove the bolts, which I don't have

This Jointer has a pattern makers tilt mechanism that is currently frozen up.

The Babbett's are worn and were set up for injected grease, which I converted back to oil lube. Even with the bearing housing bolts just hand snug, the babbetts get to extremely high temperatures, but it appears the cast iron absorbs it fine. I am worried it will fatigue the cutter shafts though, and plan to convert it to ball bearing. (flat-top pillowblock, or flange mounts). This will require some serious labor, but this is a really nice machine that could go another several generations if upraded.

The old 5HP Westinghouse 1725 runs it nicely, but won't start it well, and I have to pivot the motor after it gets up to speed to achieve belt tension and get the cutter rolling. I think a 3450 would work much better on this machine as the drive sheave could be reduced in size considerably.

I was told by an Ebayer selling an identical cutterhead by itself, but 24", that these heads were notorious for bolt failure. Does anyone know more about this? I don't like the idea of cast and HSS schrapnel flying at me. It does have a modern American style pivoting blade guard about the size of my Volkswagon hood, well... :-)

The tables are flat, but it needs some shim-work on the trunnions to get it operating accurately. I'm hoping to get this machine running on ball bearings, with a shortened cutter shaft, with mounted, keyed sheave, and new magnetically controlled motor.

Photo 1:

Comments: Note the antisuction grooves
Source:

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Photo 2:

Comments: Lots of "Warp" piling up on the floor
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Photo 3:

Comments: 20" "Warp-hog" in the Shop!
Source: Canon A520

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