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Purchased through the local free classifieds. I really, really like this machine. It included the giant old 3 phase 5HP motor, electricals and an extra set of knives (sharp, carbide tipped). Tables are each 1060mm/3'6 long and the cutter head is a 2 knife clamshell type. I believe it to be from around the 1920's. As purchased it was in pretty good shape. I plan on redoing the paint and make up a mobile. I may also end up lapping a small area on the out feed table and replacing the bearings and flat belt. It needs no other attention that I can see. I was going to skip the paint for the moment, but since I ended up disassembling much of it to move it, I decided to do it while it was convenient.
I also have a Sagar chain and chisel mortiser. I originally assumed this jointer was significantly older than the mortiser, but perhaps not. Upon close inspection the construction details and the "look and feel" of the parts, right down to the bolts, are identical. The only difference is that the mortiser looks to have originally been orange in colour, as opposed to black for this one. I should point out that the design and construction is top notch. The castings are heavy, adjustments are easy, everything moves with ease. Assembly/disassembly is dead easy, other that the weight of the castings. I think it would be fair to say that for the period, this was a no compromise machine and as good as you could get. I put together a short company profile here.
The machine has a somewhat interesting history. The guy I bought it
off purchased it because he liked it but had never ended up using it.
The
owner before that specialized in very fine woodworking - you know,
stuff
that sells for 10 times what regular people might pay. It was
originally
owned by Boans and used in their furniture manufacturing factory. Boans
was a (or rather, the) large department store in Perth. During
the
period when this jointer would have been purchased Boans was the
largest
private employer in the state. Their furniture manufacturing operation
was, according to them, the largest and best equipped in the state.
That
would seem to imply that there just aren't that many good, really old
jointers
kicking around this corner of the world. You can get a couple of old
pics
of the factory here.
Sadly, no picture of the inside of the factory.
Some construction details. Note how the dovetailed way gibs are solid
cast iron.