VINTAGE MACHINERY
Building fine furniture requires fine tools. From an accurately tuned hand plane of the 1800s, to a well-maintained table saw from the 1950s, quality tools help the craftsman make quality products. And it is many of those older tools that are of higher quality than the tools of today which frequently use lighter weight sheet metal, more plastic and lower quality cast iron and steel. It brings great satisfaction to restore a tool to its purpose. If you are interested in tracking down some vintage tools, don't hesitate to contact me. I especially like working on Delta, Rockwell, and Powermatic equipment from the mid-to-late 1900s. This era is considered by some to be the peak of production for these American companies as their models had been improved upon and were in that sweet spot of production where the kinks of new models had been worked out, the tweaks and improvements had been made, and they were able to produce a consistent, high quality product for years and had not yet outsourced and cut corners on parts. Powermatic also had their own foundry in Tennessee where they were able to control their quality of iron and steel during this era.
For more on my vintage machinery restorations, check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/DaddysWorkshopoftheCarolinas
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There is something deeply human and richly satisfying about making and restoring things by hand. In some shadowed sense it is a reflection of who we are as created beings. For me, it started with hand tools. Inheriting old chisels and hand planes from family members. Recovering hand saws and marking tools from rusty bins at auctions and yard sales. I was hooked. My skills grew little by little as I accumulated better tools to do the job, recovering them from their previous neglected state. These vintage hand tools were the start of a wonderful journey. With these basic tools I began to hone my craft of working with wood. I read and practiced, watched and learned. I came to appreciate well-designed furniture made with well-designed tools. Joints crafted precisely; mortise and tenon table legs; dovetailed drawer boxes. The more my skills developed, the more I wanted better machines to help me do the work. And I found that old machines did the work like none other. Companies like Delta, Rockwell, and Powermatic. Machines made in America fifty to one-hundred years ago, yet likely to outlive me. I'd track down the old pieces of American Iron at auctions and estate sales; in basements and leaky shops covered in that distinctive cocktail of rust and dust. but underneath that rust were gems made for years of use. Table saws, planers, jointers, bandsaws, and shapers with robust designs--yet also aesthetic beauty. These were machines that reflected an era of things well-made. An era we all long to recover. And things we long to recover. There is something about taking these old tools and restoring them to new life. Below are some videos and images of the workshop and some of the tool rehabs I've done to tap into the great heritage of old tools. With a little time and effort, an old lifeless tool can breathe new life again.
1952 Delta Unisaw Restoration
1957 Delta Triple-Duty Grinder
1966 Powermatic 66 Restoration
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