Photo Index - Oliver Machinery Co. - 91D

Machinery Photo Index

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

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Mortising Machine
Machine Size:	5 hp
Submitted By:	Doug Westlind

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	91D
Date of Manufacturer:	1942
Serial Number:	53773
Last Updated	8/20/2007 6:49:56 AM

Comments:

I hate buying machines from a distance but living in the northwest there are sometimes few options. I have rarely been misled by sellers and usually am quite pleasantly surprised. In this case though I felt taken. I purchased this from a part time dealer in CO. I knew that the hold downs and the motor blower tube were missing but was assured that otherwise it was complete, nothing was broken, and that the motor was 220v. When I received it I was very disappointed. The whole assembly for raising and lowering the back fence was missing and the "ear" that holds the rack gear on the table had been busted off long ago. The motor was 440v only (it's typical of mortisers and boring machines to have single voltage motors). And the connecting linkage from the foot pedal had been busted. It was a real sad case. I was so discouraged that I didn't touch this machine for 3 years or so. They say time heals all wounds and I finally got over my disappointment enough to go to work on it. Jeff McVey sent me a lot of nice pictures and details regarding the back fence assembly that allowed me to reproduce what was missing. The gears and racking were ordered from McMaster Carr and the hangers were easy to make up. The "ear on the table was fabricated and welded in place and the linkage was repaired. The hold downs were easily made of 3/4" rod and heated to bend the 90 degree angles. The motor blower is a piece of 3/4" water pipe. I also made a new set of bushings and collets for the chisels and bits. Persistence paid off and I scored a 220v-440v transformer on ebay cheaply. It has been a long road for this machine but in the end it turned out pretty good. It works like a champ. It does have the 5 hp motor and the tilting table. It runs nicely and in time I'll forget about how much work and dollars this one was to restore.

Photo 1:

Comments: Oliver 91 D 5 hp with tilting table
Source: Doug Westlind

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Photo 2:

Comments: back fence raise/lower assembly
Source: Doug Westlind

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Photo 3:

Comments: collets and bushings, old ones on right
Source: Doug Westlind

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