Photo Index - Oliver Machinery Co. - 192 "after"

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Oliver Machinery Co.
Grand Rapids, MI

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Band Saw
Machine Size:	18" Wheel
Submitted By:	Chuck Hess

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	192 "after"
Date of Manufacturer:	1924
Serial Number:	29772
Last Updated	2/25/2006 4:27:25 AM

Comments:

Oliver # 192, 18" band saw, serial # 29772, 1924 vintage.
Aloha,
This is the little band saw that was in a wheel barrow listed on fleabay with a buy it now of $149. This is an Oliver that I got for less than the model number! The saw had been painted green but looked like it started life with black paint. It was pretty much all original with nothing cracked or broken with the only apology being the missing rectangular name plate on the lower door. It also came with the rare little miter gauge; I'll probably never use it but I do enjoy having it with the saw. The paint was badly checked as were the tires. So we gave this little one a complete restoration and electrolysis dunk pretty much removed all the rust and paint. That was nice.
Lots of bearings in this one! Those original guides have 2 sets of magneto bearings each! This model has the gear reduction box that has 2 shafts = 4 bearings. Upper wheel has 2 more bearings and the Ohio motor has 2 sets of magneto bearings. Thats a cool old motor that is deceiving heavy. The housing is all heavy cast iron and just 2 pieces, 1 end bell is all that is removable. This one is single phase 220 volts.
Upon reassembly I noticed there was a little too much play in the shaft and bottom wheel, resulting in a high speed wobble, so it was off to see my homie at the sugar mill machine shop. Upon arrival I was informed that he was on jury duty on the island of Oahu for a week. So I returned to my shop and without thinking opened the back door of my Tahoe. The bandsaw wheel jumped out and I short hopped it on the first bounce but I already heard that nauseating, bone breaking, cast iron crack! This saw has the original iron spoke wheels and hitting the concrete broke the rim halfway between the spokes, and I was sick. That was a long week but upon his return, home boy did a superb job of fixing the crack and rebalanced the wheel. He also knurled the shaft to correct the original problem, all for the price of, you guessedit, Pepsi and Fat Boy ice cream samaches.
So I had to replace the tire again and do the crowning thing per Bob V's technique. I spent a lot of time on the tires and really tried to dial them in perfect. I also spent a lot of time tuning up my crowning jig this time and went with a spiral bit which did a really nice job. Crowning tires is the latrine duty of band saw restoration for sure. But I am a fan of crowning tires on the machine, seems to work very well. I used the "middle C" method of tensioning the blade as this model does not have a cheesy tension scale. She tracks a blade great.
No one in the shop had a nickel to test her so we gave it the penny test, and it passed with flying colors! No spring chicken but this is now a very smooth running saw again. It is a great feeling to go through a restoration process on a machine and then be able to use it to do some work. That is what I was feeling today as I used this 1924 machine to do some cutting in 2005.
Aloha,
Chuck

P.S. I tried to get Martin to do the photo shoot but he was busy.

P.S.S. Sorry for the long story, but I always enjoy reading machinery stories so I try to include a story with all of my machines. ;^)

Photo 1:

Comments: Front shot
Source: My Nikon.

Direct Link
IMG Code

Photo 2:

Comments: Back Shot
Source: My Nikon.

Direct Link
IMG Code

Photo 3:

Comments: Penny test; no superglue
Source: My Nikon.

Direct Link
IMG Code