Whitcomb planer

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but....

Save this planer from the scrapper, if you can. (It is in Texas.)
10ft bed, planes 8ft x 30in x 30in. Weighs 12000lbs!!! It is going to the scrap dealer real soon if no one saves it. Maybe you know someone who would want it if you don't. I just hate to see it scrapped.
Note: I have no personal interest in this machine other than hoping it doesn't go to scrap. I don't even live in the U.S.

If the link doesn't work, it is a Whitcomb metal planer on fb marketplace, in Texas

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Pics for posterity.

Damn it I need a bigger garage. I'll keep an eye on it but hopefully someone grabs it. It's a little far and I don't really have it in the budget, but it would fit so nicely with my line-drive aspirations! Not to mention going well with my Whitcomb Blaisdall lathe. 8 feet of work area is a very useful size. It can't do everything, but enough to earn it's keep for it's size.

Time, space, money. Never there when you need them.

M.B. Naegle said:

Damn it I need a bigger garage. I'll keep an eye on it but hopefully someone grabs it. It's a little far and I don't really have it in the budget, but it would fit so nicely with my line-drive aspirations! Not to mention going well with my Whitcomb Blaisdall lathe. 8 feet of work area is a very useful size. It can't do everything, but enough to earn it's keep for it's size.

Time, space, money. Never there when you need them.

Click to expand...

The question you need to ask is when you walk into the shop each day and see it, what will you feel? Mad because it cost too much and is taking up too much space or happy because it is perfect.

The listing in fb market place is no longer active, but I had a message from the owner of the planer today. He seriously wants it gone.
He hates to scrap it, but if no one wants it, that is what will happen to it.
As I said previously, I have no financial interests in this planer. I just don't want to see it scrapped. (If I lived in the U.S., it might be a different story and I might try to get it.) If anyone is tempted, or knows anyone who might want this, I have sent him a message on fb message, encouraging him to re-list it so if anyone is interested they can reach him. (I only know him through messages as Dave.)

There is a man with a listing on fb in SC. $60k!!!!! Has 2 planers, couple lathes, etc.

Dave's email if anyone wants to contact him about the Whitcomb planer:

[email protected]

Wow!
That is almost the perfect size.
Decent length, adequate width.

Too far away (expense)
& I would have to figure out what to do with my current 24 x 6' Whitcomb Blaisdell.



smt

Is the 12,000lb. weight a total weight from sales brochure, or someone's experience at the scales? I'm curious how modular that weight is, or in other words, if the machine was dismantled into components, how light could each be (table, top half, etc.). The base on that thing looks massive. If it can't get under the 4000lb. mark, it would be a tough move IMO.

M.B. Naegle said:

Is the 12,000lb. weight a total weight from sales brochure, or someone's experience at the scales? I'm curious how modular that weight is, or in other words, if the machine was dismantled into components, how light could each be (table, top half, etc.). The base on that thing looks massive. If it can't get under the 4000lb. mark, it would be a tough move IMO.

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30 X 30 was 13,200 as of 1920 catalog. It specs out as length of table 10 feet, length of bed 15 ft 7 in. This older one may indeed be shorter - but the bed is always longer than table

M.B. Naegle said:

Is the 12,000lb. weight a total weight from sales brochure, or someone's experience at the scales? I'm curious how modular that weight is, or in other words, if the machine was dismantled into components, how light could each be (table, top half, etc.). The base on that thing looks massive. If it can't get under the 4000lb. mark, it would be a tough move IMO.

Click to expand...

Although the bed/base is obviously hollow it will be well webbed. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it didn’t account for nearly half the total weight of the machine. Just a guess looking at those photos.

I’m a bit surprised the machine appears to designed to be free standing. With the table reversing at speed you could find the machine moving around slightly.

I was once at the top of a column of a large Hor bore adjusting the drive chain when somebody started up a big planing machine ( 20 ft table ) adjacent to the Hor bore. I was amazed at the vibration I could feel.

Regards Tyrone.

Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Although the bed/base is obviously hollow it will be well webbed. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it didn’t account for nearly half the total weight of the machine. Just a guess looking at those photos.

I’m a bit surprised the machine appears to designed to be free standing. With the table reversing at speed you could find the machine moving around slightly.

I was once at the top of a column of a large Hor bore adjusting the drive chain when somebody started up a big planing machine ( 20 ft table ) adjacent to the Hor bore. I was amazed at the vibration I could feel.

Regards Tyrone.

Click to expand...

Looking at some other Whitcomb images, it looks like they would be bolted down on the front and back, not along the sides. Even with the pattent date on this machine, I think it's a later 1910's-1920's vintage as I think the earlier ones had legs instead of the solid base casting.

No promises, but I'm talking to the owner to see if we can work out some kind of trade.

He's understandably a little burned out as in the time he had it listed there was a lot of interest but no-one willing to put their time/money towards it (I can relate to the "don't scrap it!... but I don't want it!" opinion ). He has some investment in it already and wants to keep it out of the pile, but needs space and SOME kind of return on his investment (even if it's scrap yard value). He agree'd that breaking it up into multiple sections would make it easier to haul, and the table alone was about 3500 lbs.

This plainer looks very close to those in my 1920's Whitcomb Blaisdell/Becker catalog (need to get it scanned and uploaded to vintage machinery...), but does lack a few advancements such as a two speed counter-shaft, and outboard support of the pulleys. By the 1920's, they no longer had the makers info cast into the base casting and only had it on the top rail. Whitcomb and Blaisdell got together in 1905. Not sure if they immediately updated the pattern lettering though, but by the 1920's when they merged with Reed-Prentice and Becker, the plainers bore both Whitcomb and Blaisdell names. So, given the patent date and lack of Blaisdell name on this one, and that it's got the solid base casting design, I'd put it between 1898 and 1905, likely no later than 1910.

Their measurements are of course given in usable work area, not dimensions of table, bed, ect. IF they didn't make many size changes from the 1890's to 1920's (other than tech advancements), then this plainer would be one of the following models:

(smallest was a 20x17x5', but it was on legs, so not that one)

24"x24"x6' Which weighed 6600 lbs, +600 lbs. per extra foot of bed

26"x26"x8' Which weighed 9100 lbs, +700 lbs. per extra foot of bed

30"x30"x10' (no weight given)

32"x32"x10' 17,500 lbs. +900 lbs. per extra foot

And there were other larger models, and some custom with extra wide tables.

So if this is indeed a 30x30, then the 12,000 lb. weight is on track. It doesn't look like it has an extra long bed or wider table at any rate. And if anything, I'd expect that it might be a touch less than the 1920's weight, as machines have historically gotten heavier as manufactures finessed and advanced their designs. So removing the table at least gets it down to 8500. I'm guessing that the top end is 1/4 to 1/3 of that weight, so the bottom end might be between 5000 and 7000 lbs. It would be a trick to move with my current forklift and trailer. He said he can load it, so I might have to rent a heavier trailer and "Egyptian" it off on the other side.... if I get it.

I'll also add that while my catalog skips specific data on the 30x30 machines, the 26x26 occupied a floor space of 12.5'(19.5' with travel)long x 5.5' wide x 7' tall, and the 32x32 was 16'(24.5' with travel)long x 7.25' wide x 7.25' tall. Just for reference.

This thing won't work in my home garage or in our main machine shop at work. Short term I could make room in a 20' container, or in my new tractor shed, but long term.... I'm going to start looking into building a new "structure" for the line-shaft shop. I say "structure" as while our shop sits on 4 acres, it's in city limits and I'd need to submit plans and get a permit (at least for anything over 140 sq. ft.). If I keep it simple with no electric or plumbing, and build tin over wood frame, I think I can keep the city requirements simple as a 600 sq.ft. Barn or storage shed that has expansion potential. Did I mention that I'd also need to build it on my own with limited materials budget? ... It is possible though as that's how my tractor shed came into being.

Get it.
You won't regret it.
But i would suggest putting it where you can immediately use it, play with it, polish it, whatever.
If it goes in a container, unless you power it up, it will be there for the next guy at your estate sale.
Even if you have to limit the amount of travel you use. Or have to open a door or window when it is running full length. (I can open the wide door on my shop, e.g.)

I’m a bit surprised the machine appears to designed to be free standing. With the table reversing at speed you could find the machine moving around slightly.

Click to expand...

Maybe.
You do need to shim them securely level, even that bed will twist as of course you know.
However, despite the fact that Whitcomb/Whitcomb Blaisdell was quite proud of their "high speed" planers with second belt drive, the design (on full skits as opposed to legs) dates just to the very dawn of HSS. The seocond belt drive does cushion the strokes at high speed. I run mine as fast as 90fpm with carbide, or for long aluminum stuff. The motor and VFD on mine crap out somewhere between 90 & 100 fpm.

Other than maybe a big old Gray geared openside, the Whitcombs strike me as the perfect home machine. As capable as you want them to be (AFA speeds and ability to take a big cut), rigid, yet sort of "Compact" for the capacity. Delicate enough in that size range for small work without beating your self or the machine up, too.

A planer is a wonderfully adaptable machine for perhaps even silly, but necessary apps in a wood and metal shop.
I've posted in the past about using mine for all kinds of metal work, roughing the straight edge castings i used to sell, tables and parts for machine restoration, my SB 10K long bed, etc, etc. But i've also posted about using it (with a router in the toolslide) to flute and reed porch and furntiure columms, plane arcs 15" wide in long furniture parts with a pattern on the rail (could have been steel, for that matter). It is my pool cue turning machine with a swiveling pattern on the bed with centers, and a follower on the column. (again, could be steel cues, as well, or similar). I will probably fit it as a gun boring machine at some point (future project).

Currently it is enduring the ignominy of being used as a fire-hose press, to laminate plywood.









smt

stephen thomas said:

Get it.
You won't regret it.
But i would suggest putting it where you can immediately use it, play with it, polish it, whatever.
If it goes in a container, unless you power it up, it will be there for the next guy at your estate sale.
Even if you have to limit the amount of travel you use. Or have to open a door or window when it is running full length. (I can open the wide door on my shop, e.g.)




Maybe.
You do need to shim them securely level, even that bed will twist as of course you know.
However, despite the fact that Whitcomb/Whitcomb Blaisdell was quite proud of their "high speed" planers with second belt drive, the design (on full skits as opposed to legs) dates just to the very dawn of HSS. The seocond belt drive does cushion the strokes at high speed. I run mine as fast as 90fpm with carbide, or for long aluminum stuff. The motor and VFD on mine crap out somewhere between 90 & 100 fpm.

Other than maybe a big old Gray geared openside, the Whitcombs strike me as the perfect home machine. As capable as you want them to be (AFA speeds and ability to take a big cut), rigid, yet sort of "Compact" for the capacity. Delicate enough in that size range for small work without beating your self or the machine up, too.

A planer is a wonderfully adaptable machine for perhaps even silly, but necessary apps in a wood and metal shop.
I've posted in the past about using mine for all kinds of metal work, roughing the straight edge castings i used to sell, tables and parts for machine restoration, my SB 10K long bed, etc, etc. But i've also posted about using it (with a router in the toolslide) to flute and reed porch and furntiure columms, plane arcs 15" wide in long furniture parts with a pattern on the rail (could have been steel, for that matter). It is my pool cue turning machine with a swiveling pattern on the bed with centers, and a follower on the column. (again, could be steel cues, as well, or similar). I will probably fit it as a gun boring machine at some point (future project).

Currently it is enduring the ignominy of being used as a fire-hose press, to laminate plywood.



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smt

Click to expand...

90 feet a minute isn’t bad for an old planer.

Regards Tyrone.

Ok, we have trade in the works. Now trying to figure the logistics of Saturday-hours to trailer/truck towing capacity....

while my catalog skips specific data on the 30x30 machines

Click to expand...

I'll get those pages scanned for you from my 1920 WB catalog

ON EDIT

20 odd pages scanned to PDF, about 2 MB - can email if you want to PM that address

I just got back from a 3 day service call up around Bangor Maine (well... 3 days to complete a stupid 3 hour job), but had some time in the hotel and re-discovered David Richard's videos on Youtube. I think I had read about or seen one of the earlier ones before, but somehow missed that it was a series.

I'm envious of how complete his shop is for something that he built, in that he didn't just buy or fix up an existing line-shaft shop but pieced one together, which is ALOT of work! Loads and loads of good info/examples on there on laying out, picking and building components, etc. and I like how much of his videos are action and not just talking about it, or watching him get things ready. Lots of shop Youtube videos out there that seem like a "behind-the-scene's" take for a video that doesn't exist, but they're all better than what I've got going....

Anyway, David has a Whitcomb in his shop running on line shafting and he has several videos covering repairs made, and how he got it up and running. It a little older than this one as it's on legs and not the box-bed design, but It might also just be their smallest model (?) which was on legs into the 20's. Anyway, it's fun to see one in motion.


A question on these old Whitcombs: On David's machine it doesn't look like there's any kind of clapper lift action, correct? If the head hits anything on the return stroke, will it just swing up on it's own, or is there a lift mechanism that's so slight it's not showing in the video? I see some extra parts on this threads machine that are not on David's, so what would I be looking for? It looks like it has some kind of power feed added on in addition to the indexing, but not sure if that was originally something powered by the shafting, or a shop improvement?

Great channel, I forgot all about it, thanks for posting the video.

Can't wait to see you get the Whitcomb home!