Photo Index - John A. White Co. - Gordon's Patent

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
John A. White Co.
Concord, NH; Dover, NH

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Planer, Wood
Machine Size:	16"
Submitted By:	Robert Bernstein

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Gordon's Patent
Date of Manufacturer:	late 19th century
Serial Number:	705 [?]
Last Updated	8/27/2006 8:22:43 PM

Comments:

I have discussed in a prior post to the OWWM.org forum the provenance of this planer, dating back to the 1960's, when it was owned by my late wife's aunt, Elizabeth (Bet) Rudolph and sold to the Williams Farmstead in Rutland, Vermont. Aunt Bet herself died in 2001. The Williams family used this machine for custom planing for a time, and ran it with, I am told, a seven horsepower motor. I have now--August, 2006--purchased this planer, without a motor.

My initial isnpection of this very old machine (in situ in the disused Williams cow stable) shows that the cutterhead is a square head with two, heavy, sixteen inch knives, that all turning items on the machine are free and turn, that the cutterhead bearing on at least one side is very loose, that several--at least two--ancillary iron castings are broken.

The cast chip deflector--as seem below--is labeled as follows

GORDON'S PLANER
J.A. WHITE, MANF'R
CONCORD, N.H.

PAT' MAR'11,1879
706

The authority on J.A. White machines is David Lamb, of Canterbury, New Hampshire who has noted in an email to me that the serial numbers were painted on--not cast in--the chip deflectors of these machines so my assumption that the number 706 is a serial number may be incorrect. This machine may be a late machine from White's earlier production, which was in Concord, N.H., where this machine was likely made, rather than in Dover, N.H., where the manufactory moved at some point, probably around 1890.

Photo 1:

Comments: overall shot
Source: R. Bernstein

Direct Link
IMG Code

Photo 2:

Comments: chip deflector
Source: R. Bernstein

Direct Link
IMG Code

Photo 3:

Comments: Williams Farmstead old barns, which currently house planer
Source: R. Bernstein

Direct Link
IMG Code