Two-Wheeled Project Acquired

"benjrblant" (benjblant) 11/04/2020 at 13:33 • Filed to: it's funny because bandsaws have two wheels like a motorcycle but it's not a motorcycle, the bandsaw project does not have a tag yet

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Yes, it has two wheels. No, not that kind.

This is a Powermatic 143 that I picked up from a machine shop auction after the shop went out of business. If it looks familiar, that could be because it shares the cabinet, frame, base, and table with the more common Powermatic 141, a wood cutting saw that was in production for many decades.

The 143 is different from the 141 because of one key feature: a 2-speed gearbox.

This gearbox provides an 18.75:1 reduction for metal cutting applications, making this model rather sought after and amazingly difficult to find.

It’s in fair/moderately rough shape as can be expected for a 50 year old tool from a machine shop. Hoping to get it to some level of restoration and usability. Currently debating if I should do a complete sandblast and re-paint or if the patina is something I should keep while I focus on getting the internals functioning.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 13:36

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My dad had one of these. I went back in time when I saw that tower of metal.

HammerheadFistpunch > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 13:39

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Jelly.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 13:42

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Spitting image of the finger remover (TM) that we had in grade 8 shop class.  Memories.

Sovande > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 13:46

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My dad had that same saw in his workshop at his old job.  It was cool because you could slow it down enough to cut metal.  Great find!

Darkbrador > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 13:57

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4 speed gearbox ? (or a manually shifted CVT, for the purists ?)

benjrblant > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/04/2020 at 14:10

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hopefully not memories of your fingers being removed.

benjrblant > Darkbrador 11/04/2020 at 14:11

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two speed gearbox with 4 different diameter pulleys on the input shaft for 8 possible speeds.

Nom De Plume > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 14:14

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Keep in mind that isn’t just patina.  It’s a mix of surface prep chemicals and industrial coatings the like of which can’t be produced or replicated today.  I’d show a similar respect for existing lubrication when seeing what you might do to recondition the internals.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/04/2020 at 14:14

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whew....i was just about to say...oh god a finger eater!

not just me then

(no no..i still have all of them...but ive been nearby enough to people losing one to be just a little bit wary of those things)

jminer > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 14:15

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That is a sweet haul!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 14:20

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I made it out OK. lol

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/04/2020 at 14:23

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I would imagine that being a shop teacher ranks just below battlefield medic, first responders and ER doctors in terms of “I’ve seen some shit”

Paging Oppo’s resident shop teacher!

Darkbrador > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 14:32

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E ven better. We went from 2 to 4 to now 8 speed. Behold the multiplication of gear speeds ! 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/04/2020 at 14:33

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yeah...i’d agree with that

tho...just working in a shop you see some shit... (most coz people dont follow safety regs...)

had to tell people to please not wear a scarf whilst using the belt sander more than once ... at least dont do it when im in your part of the shop....i dont want to be the first on that scene

benjrblant > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/04/2020 at 14:44

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I worked in a model shop in college, we had a powermatic 141 and some poor kid nearly took his thumb off trying to freehand a piece, in the air and not on the table mind you, through the saw.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 14:53

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Worst I ever saw was a girl lose control of a chisel after giving it all she had. It swung up while in her hand and stuck itself in her forehead.

Permanent scar, as you can imagine.

My shop teacher would also tell stories of shit he’d seen to scare us

ibRAD > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/04/2020 at 15:02

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My shop teacher used to sleep through most of the class while my classmates chased the two girls in the metallica jackets around and generally wasted a spectacular amount of material by cutting it into smaller pieces (it wasn’t charged for at the time)

He’d wake up once in a while when someone tried to take off enough material in the thickness planer to start smoking and eventually stop.

He also woke up for the two injuries I remember. One kid near cut off his finger on the bandsaw, and the other attempted to use the belt sander without the fence, promptly launching his workpiece across the shop,and sanding off his fingertips.

I still have my table though! turned out pretty good.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 16:43

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or if the patina is something I should keep while I focus on getting the internals functioning.

Yes.

sn4cktimes > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 17:56

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I’d keep the factory paint. Those old school colours are so ugly they’re great.

benjrblant > sn4cktimes 11/04/2020 at 17:57

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agreed about the color. if going full resto, i’d match the factory color with a spray-on enamel or something comparable.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > benjrblant 11/04/2020 at 20:52

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Wow that is MASSIVE. I’ve wished for a good band saw at work a time or two but we don’t need it often enough to justify the cost.