Photo Index - Oliver Machinery Co. - Oliver 88 "Living Large" Model

Machinery Photo Index

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

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Table Saw
Machine Size:	18 inch baby, oh yeah
Submitted By:	Scott Spigelmyer

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Oliver 88 "Living Large" Model
Date of Manufacturer:	1940's
Serial Number:
Last Updated	6/15/2006 1:19:55 AM

Comments:

1992, had only heard of Oliver, never had seen one except in the back page pictures of Fine Woodworking. Living in Las Vegas and working in a cabinet shop the biggest table saw I had seen was a Powermatic 12. I had been addicted to machines since 6th grade and dreamed of having the perfect shop, the biggest machines. The biggest, of course, had to be a Powermatic. That all changed on the worst weather day in the history of Las Vegas. A door shop on the wrong side of the tracks was going out of business, and there was an auction. Today, with the 24 hour auction of the internet, we sometimes forget the pleasure of the once a year woodworking auction. I arrived early to the auction in a tropical monsoon for Las Vegas, it was raining, and would put down about an inch or two before noon. I know some of you back east are laughing, but out here, that is flooding, major! Looking around I couldn't belive my luck, 10 guys, lots of machines. In the middle, my first Oliver. Since no school here has one and we have almost zero industry, I was Awe Struck. It wasn't a rust bucket, and in fact, was almost perfect factory green. I ran my hand over it and knew I had to have it. So large, I realized I would be the envy of every tool loving freak in Vegas. I would be living Large, a new shot of confidence. Who would care that I couldn't start it, just look at the size!!! I was already trying to figure how to move it when the auction started, and soon, I had bought it for the below belt price of $650. I know today a lot of you buy them for less, but in 1992 a used Unisaw was still bringing a thousand big ones, and I just bought the biggest, meanist dude on the planet. I didn't know or care about the guard, the quadrant, or anything else. I had never even heard of them, in fact, I never did till I found this web site around 2002 or so. I still belive all the parts were over in the corner, but I didn't know. Moving it was a blast, had to pay the Junk Tool Man almost as much as I payed for it to deliver it to my house, drive over pea gravel with the wrong fork lift to dump it in the middle of my shop in front of the door. It sat there for 7 years, I had to climb over it to use my unisaw and dream of my new shop. Around 1999 my new shop was done, and I moved this baby, and fired it up for the first time. Perfect, no vibration, power that scared me. I was living large, and then, this web site, the motivation to track down most of the parts that go with it, and finally, this year to sell it.
I wouldn't be living nearly as large, just a 14 inch Oliver 232, but hopefully this beauty will love his new home in San Diego.

Photo 1:

Comments: Living Large for the first time
Source: Just Little me

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Photo 2:

Comments: Oh so Big
Source: Alreay missing the Big Guy

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Photo 3:

Comments: Look at those Large Parts
Source: On his way to San Diego

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