Millbury Single End Tenoner

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:37 pm

hey Thouser...I made it back with the Millbury tonight...I too have the sawblade collar. It seems pretty stright forward. I'l do some mesurments on it in the nest few days and sss what I can do for the three collars....This little thing is sweet and VERY heavy. My guess is 400 lbs anyway. I will post some pics in a cpl days

thouser · Post by **thouser** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:49 pm

Kewl and 540 pounds. It's a great small machine and will do most everything you want

dadude · Post by **dadude** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:31 pm

mystry_tour wrote:hey Thouser...I made it back with the Millbury tonight...I too have the sawblade collar. It seems pretty stright forward. I'l do some mesurments on it in the nest few days and sss what I can do for the three collars....This little thing is sweet and VERY heavy. My guess is 400 lbs anyway. I will post some pics in a cpl days

hey mystry, sounds like you picked up a millbury, although my post most likely read that i did not like the millbury, thats right i don't, but i liked the machine for a long time when i had nothing to compare it too, the day will come for you as well, anyway lets hear about what you found, pics?
"love the one you with"

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:35 pm

Ok heres the deal....I have never had a tenoner i wanted to see if it would be worth my time and for starting out. I will be doing some cabnets at my home i will be reovateing a 1890's style. I didn't want to put in a lot ov money for something big so I was told about a Milbury Harris BT...if I coulld find one. Well I did.
Its beautiful...all the bearing have been replaces repainted and looks brand new... I got it at a GREAT price and have already been offer much much more than i gave for it....
you can see it here.. http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/detail.asp?id=3273
I will be makeing some new knives and sending these to be sharoened soon...
So since, like you , I have nothing to compare it to I think I will like it. Later when the bussiness gets going and there is a need for more I'll be looking for a bigger one

thouser · Post by **thouser** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:02 am

Hey Reg, people can laugh all they want at my Millbury SET as they follow me to the bank with the money I've made with it. When you get ready I'll send you pictures on how I made a dust shroud that works and air hold down. I do entry and passage doors on it all the time. It's easy to pull the cope head off for making long tenons. Sure I've owned better SET's but it fits in well. I will probably even keep it when I get the Heian SET.

dadude · Post by **dadude** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:17 am

looks great, the machine will do just what you need it to do and as thom says you can tenon passage door parts as well, i replaced the leather belts with endless synthetic type which worked great and were much quieter, Charles Schmidt still make the spur type score cutters, a tad pricey but you really can't make them efficently, also as thom pointed out the air hold down is an excellent idea as i also had fabricated one for mine very simply, lets see the first tenon

dadude · Post by **dadude** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:23 am

i was right in line with you thom, and i am not laughing at your or mystry's millb, just voicing my opinion, i kept my 505 after the wadkin arrived, the setup time on the wadkin makes the 505 a lonely piece of shop jewelry, anyway hope no one interested in purchasing the 505 reads this

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:49 am

lolol ok guys.....look I have big sholders and I know each has his preferance to a machine that he or she likes best. I didn't take it as anyone is makeing fun just telling the pro's and cons. I know the Milbury is a little on the weak side, but I know it is a good piec to learn from and still produce tenons for face frames. That is the perpous for the benchtop Milbury.....now when I start makeing something later and need some bigger muscle I can start another venture...
I do need the sper cutters though. The flat ones I can make from toolsteel a work.

thouser · Post by **thouser** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:04 am

Ok I give up why do you need a spare set of tenon knives ? Once a set is in the head and sharpened you will get years of service just touching them up with a stone. It's been at least 2 years now since I did mine and the machine gets used almost every day. When it comes time to sharpen yours let me know.

dadude · Post by **dadude** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:56 pm

thom is absolutely correct, once your heads are sharp and set up, thats it... tenon after tenon, very ocassional touching with a stone, now my machine was never happy until i replaced the spur or shoulder cutters and those as well cut and cut and cut, i wish i had this kind of feedback when i came home with my millbury! head setup is up finiky (is that a word?)

thouser · Post by **thouser** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:20 pm

With tenon heads finicky is the correct term. If it were not for having a profile grinder the sharpening/set up would be tough and this is why Schmidt charges what thet do. The fact that tenon heads stay sharp is do the the type of cut where your peeling wood away. The spurs make or break the quality of cut on the shoulder. With my first SET I immediately got carbide knives and learned a lesson. Carbide will never be as sharp as HSS. Save your money on the extra knives.

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:47 pm

thanks guys...I will need the spurs I am sure. They are pretty rustie and pitted pretty bad...the others I can flatten the back and have them sharpened. Glad You guys have already done this ...Thats what I love about rooms such as this...really is nice to know SOMEONE has done it before you most of the time

thouser · Post by **thouser** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:53 pm

Now you know you have to send the head to have the knives sharpened right.

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:36 pm

Yes....and a fair chunk of money...
Anyone special I shoud attention it to

thouser · Post by **thouser** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:44 pm

Schmidt is one of the few places left that I'm comfortable with without knowing someone's name. They have an incredible machine shop and down right know what there doing.

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:55 pm

thats what I am hearing. I will be sending them in a couple of days...

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:06 pm

Hey Tom...I may have found a local to do those heads....this is a furniture makeing area or was back in the day...Berkline, Universal, Shelby Williams England ect.
There is a guy at Work I had forgott about that his dad says he can do them and balance them also...I will be calling him tomorrow to see for sure

thouser · Post by **thouser** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:15 pm

There very difficult to sharpen only if you don't have the right equipment. Truth is most anybody with a profile grinder and half a brain can do it. Before we bought the Weinig molder I had only a Viel profile grinder. When we bought the molder pretty much had to have a Weinig grinder but I still keep the Viel at my small shop.

dadude · Post by **dadude** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:56 pm

that's good news if it works out, did not want to discourage you with Schmidt because they are really very good, but with olde tooling that they really don't want to do but will (my impression when i inquired about my stock 505 heads) it gets pricey. i know it is obvious but they can be sharp and not cut a flat 90 degress to the head, i went down that road with someone who claimed they could set the heads, thom's input on the profile grinder is bible, its the way.

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:15 am

George, the guy I work with, use to do that type of work with wood working tools. He assures they can sharpen the knives and do it correctly. George is a pretty sharp cookie. He went the drag car venture when he was young and worked with and drove with a lot of the older drivers, Sox and Martin, Garlis. Shirly Mildowny. He worked for Isky cam when he first started so hes not you average machinest. I'll be getting up early in the morning and heading that way to talk to the anyway and see for myself.