Photo Index - Oliver Machinery Co. - 287-T 2 speed

Machinery Photo Index

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

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Shaper, Wood
Machine Size:	1 1/4" spindle 5 HP
Submitted By:	Chuck Hess

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	287-T 2 speed
Date of Manufacturer:	probably 40s
Serial Number:	unknown
Last Updated	5/25/2006 7:07:30 AM

Comments:

Oliver 287 Shaper, 2 speed 5/24/06

Aloha,
I just had a couple of Olivers find me, this shaper and an 8" jointer. These were already in Hawaii, on the big island. They came from Bill Parks shop there and I did not know him before this event. My lumber salesman told me about a shop over there that has a lot of Olivers. He recently had me fly over to the big island with him to tour the shops there, that was way fun, but we ran out of time and did not make it to Bills shop that day. He told Bill about me and we got together by phone. So I got to meet a really nice fellow woodworker and score some machines at a great price at the same time. The asking price of this machine was $500. It was a good day. And it was a blessing that it is just a short inter-island barge trip, and they were here on Maui inside of a week, not the usual for me 3 month trip from the mainland.
Bill told me he bought the shaper from Don Peterson (Vintage American Machinery) about 20 some years ago. I think that was when Don was still in SoCal before moving to Gig harbor. It was also interesting that Bill told me he was appointed the official Oliver rep for the state of Hawaii in the early eighties, through his LA connections, although he said he never sold a machine. I will be asking him more about that interesting story.
The shaper is missing its brass chicken badge that is why there is no serial number listed. I looked at the table for a serial number and none there. I noticed the table surface is really, really nice after cleaning a little surface rust off. Then I realized there are no planer marks, the table had been reground at some point and that explains no serial number in the table. So I can't positively say the DOB of this machine but it seems to be a WWII one. It does have the on/ off switch in the drop edge of the table, and the motor and general look of the casting looks early.
When I was in Oregon this spring I got to see Doug Westlind's "Olivia". His shaper has a 2 speed pulley and v-belt arrangement and is the quietest shaper that Ive ever heard. This new shaper is like Doug's in that it has 2 speeds, with a v belt and stepped pulleys. All my other Oliver shapers have a flat belt (endless woven belt) and are single speed and seem to make a lot more noise. This one has a 1 1/4" spindle and there is no plate on the motor so I am assuming it is a 5 HP. She is also very, very quiet and super smooth. I have been very lucky in my machinery deals lately!
This one came with a really nice heavy cast fence that I have not been able to identify but since I bought these sight unseen, I very pleasantly surprised that there was a fence, let alone a really nice one. We cleaned and painted her with rattle cans. The machine wasn't rusty and did not warrant a full disassembly. I updated the electricals on her and built a heavy duty mobile base. I am using this one for the cope of cope & stick cabinet doors, and it is replacing a smaller Oliver/Davis & Wells in our stable. The spindle measures about .001 of run out at the top where the threads begin. I have installed 4 LRH carbide cope stacks on this one (12 cutters), so we can do 4 different cope profiles with the only change in setup being the height. Even with all that carbide turning we can still balance a penny! Kid's don't try this at home; these are traaaaained....... Thanks for the great shaper Bill! Is life good or wat!
Aloha,
Chuck
Maui, Hawaii

Photo 1:

Comments: Front shot
Source: Mines

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Photo 2:

Comments: 2 speed pulley
Source: Mines

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Photo 3:

Comments: 4 sets of copes - 12 cutters
Source: Mines

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