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Small metal shaper for sale in Omaha: craigslist

I know there is always a lot of interest in the modestly-sized planers, and there is one for sale in this ad on craigslist in Omaha:
Planer and other machine tools

I like understatement.

Keep in mind that not only are these tools in Omaha, but they are also in the basement of a house and will require a few solid, burly guys to get them to budge, let alone onto your trailer or truck.

A planer that probably weighs in total along the lines of 5000lbs.

Maybe 50 strong burly guys? Or break it down into groups of 10 or 20 guys?

Still worth saving.

Joe in NH
 
Might be 5,000, but I'd guess half that. Look at the bed. Really old, narrow, not very deep - looks like a lathe bed, actually. So one of the lightest of approaches to making a planer.

Breaking it down wanted, of course, and none of it exactly 'light'.

But the heaviest chunks no more massive than the lathe.

Bill

My 1876 Pratt & Whitney was 4 foot bed by 17" between the uprights - and it weighed 2750 in the manufacturers literature.

But you may be right. A lot of cored castings here as it's a more modern machine.

AND none of it exactly "light." We certainly agree on that part.

Joe
 
That Atlas lathe is the "heavy duty" model. A whole different lathe from the usual Atlas. Well made and heavy,but still has the miserable little 3/4" spindle hole. Don't know why they'd build a decent lathe and use the same spindle. A friend had one. there is no safety lockout between the long. feed and crossfeed. He threw both and sheared the leadscrew pin.
 
That ad is killing me! I'm only a few miles from there but I literally don't have room for any more equipment. :bawling:

-Ron

i have th e answer to your problem .......buy the house & contents ....paint everyhing green .....secure a subsidy from our government for creating a "green " start up small business.....suck the money out .....bankrupt in a year .....buy everything back a scrap prices .....simple!
best wishes
doc
 
i have th e answer to your problem .......buy the house & contents ....paint everyhing green .....secure a subsidy from our government for creating a "green " start up small business.....suck the money out .....bankrupt in a year .....buy everything back a scrap prices .....simple!
best wishes
doc


Hmmm, interesting idea. I'd have to charge the government a minimum of ten million for paint, that might get the administrations attention. :rolleyes5:

-Ron
 
Bet someone could get that versamil (portable milling machine on one of the tables) cheap. (couple hundred$ or so) I have one, but would defiinitely score that if I was nearby, along with some of the other tooling. Grandpa appears to have been an accomplished and well tooled guy.

I doubt the planer goes much more than 3,000 lbs, if that, unless it is a lot bigger than it looks in the pictures. Not to be sneezed at or careless with, but a whole different class of machine to move than the big'uns.

It looks to be something under 16" wide x 4' ? anyone hear for sure?
What I find fascinating is it appears to be hydraulic. Or what else is the purpose of that big cylinder?
Is there a positive ID on it yet? (I have not viewed the youtube yet, we are on very slow system.)

smt, occasional GSA beneficiary :^)
 
Yes I would love to get the versamill depending on price and attachments. Metalcarnage rundown there and make a good deal and maybe you can make youself some money on the resale. I would be interested in it and it really isn't that big or hard to move. Look for a rotary table while you are there for me 10" - 16".
Let me know
Andy
 
I stopped by the estate sale that had these items late this AM. I was mildly interested in the planer, Versamil, and any other tooling,etc.

The planer is an old Walter Brothers from Bridgeport, CT. It has been heavily modifed to hydraulic action. All of the old shafts, pulleys, and the bull gear are long gone. The main casting has been modified a bit to accept the cylinder. I don't think the hydraulic system is in running condition currently but didn't even ask to run it. There was a note on the machine that someone was coming from Des Moines in the afternoon to look at it. I talked to the family member handling the sale about there asking price and they were open to offers. I did not make one given that I need it like a hole in the head and it would take a fair piece of rigging to get it out of the basement. I did leave them my contact info if they couldn't find a buyer. I would hate to see it go to scrap.

Had it been more complete I would have been more inclined to buy it. I think 95% of the appeal of a small planer like that is the shear gizmocity of the drive system. The unmolested parts didn't look to be in bad condition given the age. I didn't have a tape measure on me but from Googling the maker it appears they only made a 16"x16"x4' machine. It does look like it could be broken down into somewhat convenient parts to get up the stairs but the main casting would be a sweaty tug given our current weather pattern.

IMAG0726.jpgIMAG0727.jpgIMAG0728.jpgIMAG0729.jpgIMAG0730.jpg

I bought the No. 1 Versamil head and some small bits of tooling and a bucket of grinding stones.

Dick
 
Dick-

Thanks for taking the time to check it out, take photos, and report!

Wow, that guy was thorough. Even put way wipes on the planer.
If I was close and did not have a 6 footer in the shop, it would be a very interesting machine to have. It may need a hydraulic power pack (did you see one there?) but could probably be made to run off a power steering pump with a big reservoir, depending on the piston size. The will pump quite a bit of volume for such a small device. I'd love to play with it.

That does answer the nagging question, though, I could not recall anyone but Rockford making hydraulics, and that small, too!

Hard to tell how true the ways are on a machine that old, but with the typical over-travel, it is about the right size to refurb South Bend lathe beds....:D (unless the hydraulic cylinder made it shorter stroke)

smt
 
I did a 9" South Bend C model bed on my Walter Bros. years ago, and it came out pretty good. My machine came out of an old Philadelphia high school, so at least for that period of it's life, it probably had it pretty easy. I admit that I have thought about converting mine to hydraulic drive, only because it leaves a very slight (only just visible) pattern from the bull gear running on the rack. But that would be desecration of a piece of history--not that many Walter brothers around--so the old girl is going to stay what she is--warts and all. Been married 8 days short of 51 years. Had the planer 57 years. No point in trying to change either the planer or the wife after that long.

Herb Kephart


PS- This from Wikipedia---Originally built in 1907 as the Southern Manual Training High School for boys. The Philadelphia School District administrators opened the School merely as a three year training facility for immigrant children, mostly Jewish and Italian, and children who lacked intellectual skills who “could only work with their hands”

Boy--talk about politically incorrect! Back when they called a spade a spade. Still true today, but no one has the b***s to say it.

Anyway--it is obvious that the school got my planer used. Wish it could tell me who it's first owner was. Herb
 








 
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