hey all,
last friday i was told that i could go ahead and order new knives for the 24″ oliver planer in my classroom, as the budget was approved. as with all things related to the school district, the time frame is very short. i have till next monday to spend the $. an internet search revealed that eagle machinery in grand rapids handles all things oliver related. i have emailed the guy and, so far, no reply. there’s a phone number, but the logistics of my situation are such that phoning is difficult. the machine is 299-D series. the cutterhead is fitted with many 1 1/2″ long knives that are set in a spiral configuration around the drum. does anyone have experience replacing these? 12 years ago the district tool sharpener told me that there was not enough material left to sharpen and that replacement knives were needed.
any ideas?
thank you.
eef
Replies
try, try, try again
Although we tend to trust e-mail, things do get lost or inadvertantly deleted. Try again, I'd say.
hey ralph,
i shall try again. got the wife calling the guy from home today. took a while to explain that spiral configuration to her...
eef
as with all things related to the school district, the time frame is very short. i have till next monday to spend the $.
I would tell the school administrators that they are stupid for having a time limit for finding the correct parts. But then again I would probably be fired from my job for doing that. As the administrator title does NOT make them smarter than you are! They get lost in political school things they have to do to keep their jobs just as you have to do each day... AND, I would think you are very lucky that they allowed the expence in the first place. No school wants to spend anything these days. Especially for something like woodworking. I see they spend on sports.. I AM NOT a sports fan.... I would rather see a sewing or art class for the children.. The type' A into sports' never have impressed me at all. A boy or girl that can draw or sew a dress or a mans clothes... impresses me ALOT! And even that child that just stayed 'a good child' that gave nobody any trouble whatever the local 'school thug' did to him or her... They are my Heroes... I'd bet he/she had more than a few bad days going to school. Probably a type A thug beating up on a gifted child that just wanted to learn something at school... Yes,, I have some experience with a local thug as a child...
will, don't see too much
will,
don't see too much thugging on the individual level. could be because these inner-city kids ALL feel thugged these days. thugged where they play and grow up, not enough budget for school, plenty for not one, but two, raging wars. what's being taught tends towards the state tests.
but they've allowed me a bit of cash and i remain grateful.
eef
Kid Power !
Last I heard phys-ed has been cut back. Do your part to reduce obesity in our children. Introduce them to a few of these
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=40_5
: )
hi roc,
don't use the stanley/bailey hand planes too much, although the classroom is well-stocked with them. you see there's always the two or three that tend to plane the work bench or disassemble the tool.
eef
Two thoughts (yes, even this early in the morning):
Overcome the logistical difficulty and call. This is no time to be waiting on emails.
Make another post with an informative title ("Any ideas?" isn't terribly efficient at getting relevant responses) and perhaps address John White directly, e.g., "John White! Need help with Oliver knife problem" or something along those lines. You could even send him a private message.
good morning jamie,
yes, phone calls will be made today. this weekend i will also have to write the rationale for my purchase. i am accustomed to these sorts of under-the-gun deadlines.
eef
jointer knives
Eef,
Wall Lumber, in Mayodan, N.C. is a distributer for Oliver. I have done business with them several times and found them to be extremely helpful. Contact Steve Wall and he might be able to help you. Good luck,
lostcreek
thanks very much lost.
eef
Second the suggestion re Steve Wall/Wall Lumber!
Steve has always treated me right, cannot say if he can help you out in this case, but I would certainly try!
If he does help you out, or even if he tries but cannot solve your problem, I would suggest this:
Reward Wall Lumber with your kudos, thank yous, referrals, etc! Tell everyone here on Knots, your school district, the local woodworking guild, etc., etc., etc.!
Advertising is expensive for small businesses, and it seems the furniture lumber business is feeling the recession as hard as any business. My $.02.
http://www.walllumber.com
1-800-633-4062
Pete
thanks pete,
if i cannot get assistance from eagle machinery in grand rapids, i'll give steve a call.
eef
From your description you have the Oliver with carbide inserts in the head. I can't offer any advice as to where to find these blades in a hurry except to try local sharpening and machinery dealers, somebody local probably supplied the parts the last time it was serviced. The sharpening service that said you needed new blades can't supply them?
That said, I want to offer an alternative that will probably be much more practical. This machine is almost certainly much larger than you need for the types of programs that are typically being offered in school shops these days. Replacement inserts for the head, there are 84 of them, are probably going to cost at least $10.00 a piece and could possibly cost twice as much, which means a full set will cost $800.00 to $1,600.00. For that kind of money you could by a new smaller machine, such as a 15" planer with a carbide insert head, or a couple of lunchbox machines with enough money left over to buy dozens of replacement blades. In addition somebody will probably be glad to buy the Oliver for at least several hundred dollars.
I realize that because this is a school there are all sorts of reasons that you might not be able to do this, but maintaining the Oliver probably isn't the best way to go, or at least the alternatives should be looked at before spending so much money to maintain the old machine.
john,
that, of course, is practical advice and i thank you for it. the way things are often done, with regards to money, in the school system, is that funds are available RIGHT NOW. usually with a sunset porvisio that demand it be spent very soon. i found out about the $ last monday and have till this coming monday to use it. the oliver is, as you say, a big machine perhaps a couple 15 inchers would be better. i appreciate your time and advice.
eef
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