Photo Index - Oliver Machinery Co. - #34-DD (after)

Machinery Photo Index

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

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Sander
Machine Size:	30" Double Disk
Submitted By:	Chuck Hess

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	#34-DD (after)
Date of Manufacturer:	1930
Serial Number:	37550
Last Updated	6/26/2009 12:42:41 AM

Comments:

Oliver #34-DD, 30" Double Disk Sander, Serial #37550, 1930. 6/25/09

Hey All,
Well we finally got this one done and installed. I posted the before photos and story in a previous entry and this is the "after" entry. This restoration went a little slower than I like them to, but we did have to rely some on my new machine shop which slowed us down a little. We discovered a little runout in the “back” disk and it turned out to be a slightly bent shaft. So the machine shop tried to straighten it to no avail. The procedure then went something like this; they chucked up the shaft and indicated it at the bearing journal. Then they established a new center and OD ground the shaft. They shipped it to Charlotte for hard chroming and got her back and then OD ground the original specs again. Man that was a slick repair and the cost, you guessed it, ice cream sandwiches and sodas! That almost brought a tear to my eye when he wouldn’t let me pay him! What a blessing! I was surprised to find tapered roller bearings in the motor (even though that large brass badge on top says so and escaped my eagle eye). I had not seen anything about roller bearings in the old brochures. I also found the world’s record amount of old nasty grease in that big ole motor. Man, cleaning that out was like changing diapers and we wound up using a couple of cans of lectrasol to finish the cleanup.
In the mean time my boys had dismantled the machine and I started prepping parts, first the base and one half of the machine. I first sprayed the base with graphite gray but to my surprise I didn’t like it, and my spidy senses let me know this machine needed to be Oliver teal. So that worked out well as it is now one of my favorite machines in the shop. While we were waiting for the motor shaft return I was able to score a vintage chain fall very, very similar to the ones shown in the brochures. Those are always missing on every sander like this I’ve ever seen and I really wanted to find one to complete the restoration. The chain fall was also immensely handy during reassembly as there are a lot of heavy castings on this machine, but what it is really intended for is changing the 30” disks. Lady luck also smiled on me with a chance to score a miter gauge for one of these, a super rare thing. This is a really heavy sander and that mobile base that you see in the photos is only mobile when you have 3 guys and a six foot pry bar. All that mass makes a super smooth sander!

Photo 1:

Comments: Front Left
Source: Mines

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Photo 2:

Comments: Chain Fall & Miter
Source: Mines

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Photo 3:

Comments: Adjustment Side
Source: Mines

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Photo 4:

Comments: Da Badge
Source: Mines

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Photo 5:

Comments: Motor Badge
Source: Mines

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Photo 6:

Comments: before
Source: Mines

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