American planer

[iffy]

I have a chance to buy an old planer. It is listed as a 24", 5hp 3 ph. It is belt drive and I think it has a separate motor for a feed motor. Guy stopped using it last summer when he bought a newer one. It says American on the base and that is all the information I have been able to get so far. He was asking $500 and I got him down to $400. Anybody know anything about one of these? This is the only picture I have.

[jeffreythree]

http://owwm.com/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=37 This ought to get you started.  Your planer looks similar to the early No. 1 in the photo index.  Ought to give you a start at least.

[Sawyerfortyish]

If it's an american planner made in Hackettstown N.J. you can't get parts for it. It looks like it has a square head with two cutter knives if so the knives must be custom made at a machine shop when they wear out. Does it have babbit bearings? If there worn the head will lift when planning. I live near Hackettstown N.J. and ran an American sawmill for 16 yrs and had a planner much like yours only older.

[Ironwood]

You don't even want to entertain knives for a machine like that. Slotted, heavy and nearly unavailable. I could elaborate but it just like Sawyerfortyish said, add to that heat treating in which there is no guarentee they will come through w/out distortion

  Ironwood

[iffy]

Thanks everyone! It looks a good one to stay away from at any price. I was entertaining thoughts of offering him scrap price, but believe I'll just walk away. This forum rocks!  8) smiley_turkey_dancing

[Ironwood]

I would typically keep the handwheels, electricals, all lathe turned original bolts and any other various mechanical things I could reinvent and scrap the rest. Good choice  ;)

                  Ironwood