Lookie what I bought off craigslist. Still runs. I’ll probably never use it, as I have a Bosch and a couple of hand planes, but it looked like a neat piece of history.
Porter – Cable / Rockwell model 167 Power Block Planer / 2.5 amp / appr. length – 7 1/2 ” / cut – 2 ” / original steel box and papers / runs great /
$40.00 / Hopewell
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- Location: Hopewell
“Put your creed in your deed.” Emerson
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
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HA! I just got the 126 from Doodabug, it needs a new cutter.
I just now tried it out, and it just burns..LOL and it has a BIG dent in the edges...but hey, 50 bucks and I got the metal case too.
Watch the cutter cost 100..ouch. Oh, I have 2 other powerplanes, but this is a classic. Nice LONG fence, and ridgid.
Good luck with yours.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
I saw that one on craigslist. Thought about it for a few seconds, then convinced myself not to think about it any more :)
Definately a little piece of history. To bad its not a 126.
I picked it up. It's in great shape. The guy is cleaning out his mothers house after she died, and doesn't have room for most of the stuff. the planer was his grandfathers. he said he sold a versaplane a month ago. I asked about other tools, he said that's all he had."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Looked at it a little closer. 2-blade one piece spiral cutter, 1-7/8" wide. Still surprisingly sharp, not a single nick. No way to adjust depth of cut. It even came with a little abrasive wheel and instructions for sharpening the cutter. I'm pretty sure it will stay on the shelf."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Did you see my thread about the one I just got? The 126? The cutter is 100 bucks ( carbide) I don't know what stone you got with yours that will do carbide unless it's diamond or a green wheel.
The whole plane is 539.00$
I'm curious that you can't set the depth of cut, it must have two pc sole no?Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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OK, now, we're polling. Which of the two cutters do you have: the one that pulls the work tight to the fence, or the one that blows the chips out?(PS In case you haven't followed this entire thread since your post, the 1/32" depth-of-cut of the 167 is stamped into a one-piece sheet-metal sole. The only adjustment is to zero-out the cutter/outfeed table relationship. Very crude, nothing like the sweet action of the 126. But it does what it does very well.)AitchKay
It blows the chips out. Well, it tries, it's so dull it burns. I was testing on a pc of cherry tho, so maybe that wasn't such a good test run. The cutter seems to have hit something real hard, not chipped but it has a bent out belly just off center on both flutes.
That also leads me to believe it is HSS and not carbide. I have no sharpening device either.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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They kill Prophets, for Profits.
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I just pulled out a couple of cutters for a closer look. The more pitch buildup, the harder it is to tell, but I can catch the joint between the CT and the body of the cutter with my fingernail. The HSS cutter is smooth at that point (except for pitch). I can kinda see the joint on the end of the cutter, too.From FastEddie’s pics in post #12, I think that’s a HSS cutter, but I wouldn’t put money on it.You can also see the stamped-in offset in the outfeed table that gives the 1/32†depth-of-cut. It’s a little confusing, because there’s a tarnish line on the infeed table that looks almost like the same raised stamping, but it’s not. It’s just where the screw-on fence was. The section of the rear sole with the screw holes is in the same plane as the front sole so as to receive the fence, which is just a piece of sheet-metal angle iron about 1â€x1â€x 6â€.The only times I ever used that fence was for rabbeting: screw on a strip of 1x that’s been ripped to expose the desired amount of cutter. Good for tapered or variable-depth rabbets, as when casing an existing jamb after old plaster has been replaced with GWB.That’s got to be an old plane, too! Must have been right around 1960 or so: the box has the Rockwell logo painted on it, but the plane has the original PC nameplate from the 50s!Cord and strain relief EC, too. They don’t make ‘em like they used to!AitchKay
Upon further exam, mine may be equipped with the wrong cutter.
I see the fore sole adjuster with 0-3 markings, but sighting the aft table the cutter is proud by quite a bit, like an 1/8" .
Dunno..when Doug's cutter arrives I shall tear into it and see what's going on, the aft or equivalent to outfeed table, doesn't appear to be adjustable. Nor does the fence have much travel in the exposure of knives width.
No braze line of carbide for certain.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The world of people goes up and
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their world; warriors have no business
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There should be a cam lever between the motor housing and the rear fence-angle wing nut. It's in back of the fence, so it's not visible while you're sighting the cutter. That lever adjusts the motor/outfeed relationship.I say it should be there, because mine pulled right out once, and I had to have a new threaded insert (or something) pressed in. Someone might have cobbled a repair on yours.But check for that lever. The action on it should be really stiff -- theoretically, once you’ve adjusted it, you shouldn’t have to touch it unless you’re changing cutters.Mine isn’t cutting right -- it cuts less at the end of a board, even with the outfeed set perfectly. I’m pretty sure that, although it looks fine, the cutter needs sharpening, so it's pushing the work away a tiny bit as the cut progresses.I’m used to being able to set the front depth lever at 2 (that's 2/32â€) and cutting an even 1/16th†off for the whole length of a board. It’s a sweet tool when it’s tuned right.AitchKay
Edited 9/13/2008 12:44 pm ET by AitchKay
And right you are. I just now realized it. Cool. Thanks.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The world of people goes up and
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their world; warriors have no business
following the ups and downs of their
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sharpener for 167
any chance i coud get the instructions for the sharpener?
The body of that plane looks pretty much like the PC 320 abrasive plane I have. That's what I thought it was until you mentioned it had a spiral cutter
If it is the same body, it's not a 2 piece sole plate. Mine adjusts by a knurled knob at the back of the tool. It raises the plate up. There looks to be the same thing in your pic with out the knurled knob
I'll post some detail pics later."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
You guys are gonna make me go dig mine out.
Eddie,
You have a great plane there! I've used that plane plenty and prefer it's design over newer, bulkier planes. It is small and light and fits in your hand oh so perfect. Such a shame they discontinued that design. I am guessing some DIY with a lawyer lost a fingertip and put an end to that.
Gk
FastEddie,
Is there any model number on the spiral cutters? The Habitat store here has had a few spiral cutters for sale for years. I know they dont fit the porta plane 126, but maybe they would go with yours.
Ill try and swing by the store sometime this week and see if they still have them.
Here's some pics. There is a depth setting, but the allen screw was cinched tight so the knurled knob didn't do anything. The sole plate is one piece, pivots at the front like a circ saw. And it's a rarther compact tool, only 7" long.
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View Image"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
A few more ... the shavings exit in the gap between the sole plate and the planer body, where the depth adjuster is located.
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"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
You done good LeRoy!
Now quick git offa the counter before the wife sees that..geeze mine would scream bloody hell.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The world of people goes up and
down and people go up and down with
their world; warriors have no business
following the ups and downs of their
fellow men.
From post # 24:“...the cutters are not interchangeable. The 167's is approx. 1 1/4" dia. x 1 13/16" l. The 126's is approx. 1 1/8" dia. x 2 1/2" l...â€
I just checked my cutters, and the cutter #s for the 167 are 43285 (HSS) & 43282 (CT).
Also, a 7/16†drill bit seems to fit just about right into the bit. I didn’t mike the tool spindle, though.Maybe you’ve found a real deal for FastEddie here.But if the cutters are the screw-in type, let me know. They just might screw straight into a router (see thread for more on this).AitchKay
OK, couldn't stand it, took a pic of the one I've had all these years:
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Looks like cousins. Mine is all semi-polished aluminum, yours has paint. Metal case is the same, except mine is a greenish color. I can see a slot in the inside of the case, just in front of the tool ... mine has the same slots."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I would say yours is an older model. I've got the sharpening attachment for mine somewhere.
Yeah, the old Porter-Cables (50s), and the early Rockwells (60s and early (70s) were polished. Some time in the early-mid 70s they went over to the painted finish.When Pentair took over in the 80s, they went back to the PC name.They trotted out a couple of classic, limited-edition tools with retro, polished housings. I know they did a router or two, I can't remember what else.But when you find a shiny Rockwell, you know it's old. I think my 126 was made in 70 or 71. I bought it off a dusty shelf, brand new, in 1980. It was part of the door hanging kit: the plane, the hinge jig, and space for a # 100 router, all in one metal toolbox the size of an old Singer sewing machine box. $150 for everything! AitchKay
The reason you can't adjust the depth of cut is that it's stamped into the one-piece base. Adjusting only sets the cutter/outfeed-table relationship -- flush, of course, as with all jointer-type tools. The (1/32"?) cut-depth offset is stamped into the sole at the factory. It's a small motor, and a small drive belt, after all. ...As opposed to the powerful, adjustable 126, which I love, although I lost a finger to it back in '83.But that mini plane will do a lot. Just take multiple passes. And the end blade guard is removable for rabbets, close-quarters planing, etc.Back in the 80s, an abrasive "cutter" was offered for the 167. Carbide grits bonded to a steel drum, if I remember right.Buy 'em all, collect 'em, trade 'em with your friends. What's more to say?AitchKay
I think you're wrong on two counts. Tuirning the knurled knob at the rear raises and lowers the back end of the sole plate, which pivots at the front. That exposes more of the cutter head, so it cuts deeper.
The pivoting cover on the left side is apparently for chip clearing. There's no way to cut a rabbet, since the cutter does not extend past the face of the tool body."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Hmm...Check again with a straightedge on the side of the tool. My cutter is flush with the side. Completely remove the cover and screw, and it'll rabbet. If yours doesn't, maybe it needs a shim washer or two.As for depth of cut, we're both right. The "rule" for jointer-like tools (and this tool is the smallest in that category), is to set the cutter exactly flush with the outfeed table. It'll say that somewhere in your manual. So I guess I'd call it a zeroing adjustment, not a depth adjustment.If, say, you were planing a nice mahogany entry door with a 126, set as you describe, you could be out $1500 or so pretty quick.But the 167 is usually used for scribing, or in tight, awkward spots to get material out of the way -- I've used it for flushing-up framing in funky remodel situations more than for finish work. So while setting the cutter flush is the "rule, it ain't the law, so go for it. You'll be able to remove more material, you just won't have quite as much control. But go easy -- those cogged belts strip out pretty easy. In fact, start looking for a spare belt right now.
Edited 9/8/2008 9:22 am ET by AitchKay
Dang, I think you're right on the rabbetting feature. My bad. Sorry."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
three things here:1.) Is the spiral blade interchangeable between the 167 and the 126?2.) My 126 has a blade sharpener attachment (works great) did all 126's or any 167's come with sharpeners?3.) My old boss had a Rockwell kit that included a 100ish router and a 126ish planer that both used the same interchangeable motor. Anyone have or seen one of those? He offered it to me for $100 and I turned it down...regretting that decision now.GK
1) No, the cutters are not interchangeable. The 167's is approx. 1 1/4" dia. x 1 13/16" l. The 126's is approx. 1 1/8" dia. x 2 1/2" l.2) Does that sharpener work for carbide? I know that they used to make HSS cutters for the 126, too.3) I've seen one of those. I think I recall hearing that it was in production before the 126, but discontinued later. I've got an old B & D version of that. It takes a router the same dia. as the 100, but it doesn't have a helical groove to accept the 110's depth-adjustment pins.The cutter for that Rockwell combo tool was installed by unscrewing the router collet, and screwing the cutter in in its place. So a cutter for a 126 wouldn't work in that tool. The last time I saw one of those screw-in cutters for sale was 1980 -- on the same dusty shelf I bought my 126/door-hanging kit off of.To make things even more confusing, Rockwell also sold these very same tools as the 226 and 267. For some reason, I've got one of all four of 'em. The nameplate on my 267 also calls it Model #4690.AitchKay
I've got one of all four of 'em. The nameplate on my 267 also calls it Model #4690.
MY door plane is a Rockwell with the model #4692, same thing as the 126. It was also part of a set, hinge mortis jig and router. The router is missing the model plate so don't know what that no. is but it's the same thing as the PC100.
AS I mentioned to Sphere in another post my box contained three cutters, two that work on the plane and one that is reverse of the other two, what could that possible be for? It would fit on the planner but the chips would be pulled towards the machine as opposed to pushing away from it.
If anybody had any use for it they could have it but I don't see anywhere where there is a model with the motor on the opposite side?
Doug
I've scratched my head about that, too. My best guess is that it's something like upshear v. downshear router bits -- they each have their place, and they each have their pluses and minuses:One cutter will pull the work tight to the fence, ensuring a smooth cut. The other will clear chips better.But it would be interesting to know if they offered both plane blades, for both reasons, as options, or whether they tried the tight-to-fence angle first, and then found out that the plane clogged.I've got 3 cutters for the 167, and they all pull the work (and therefore the chips) in towards the fence. With the factory-set, 1/32" depth-of-cut, chip clearance evidently wasn't an issue. But who uses the optional screw-on fence for the 167? I never have, although I never threw it away.AitchKay
Dream catcher
The sharpening kit was an option bought after purchase of plane. It works pretty well.
I bought that kit, along with an additional router kit, for $60 way back when. The kit was a rockwell model 150m,with a d handle setup, porta plane, and hinge butt templates for up to a 96" door.
I used the router today, best $60 I ever spent.
Greg in Connecticut
IIRC, the sharpening kit was for the HSS cutters.
yes
Gzajac,I assume that the sharpener came with my planer as there is a special metal strap inside the case that holds it in. It's labeled as part #5014 Cutter Grinder.GK