Morten (Moretens) PT

[Krysstel]

I'm close to buying a second hand Morten RPH 330 planer thicknesser.
Similar to this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Swedish-M...T&hash=item4cfcbae872&clk_rvr_id=304523904303

The one I'm looking at needs a bit of TLC but otherwise seems to be a well made, solid machine.
Problem is, I know nothing about them, and although there's probably hundreds of them over here in Norway I can't find out much about them.
So, since there's one for sale on UK-Ebay I thought I'd try UKW.

Anyone have one or know anything at all about them ?

Thanks a lot for any help.

Mark

 

[davin]

Looks like a nice machine.
I have looked at the newer machines and they seem very well made.I nearly bought one last year, but it was a bit too much money at the time.
I wish i had found the extra money, I ended up buying a new startrite planer/thicknesser (sd 300) and am currently waiting for a replacement as the original had a long list of problems and I have a feeling that the replacement will be the same.
go for it.
Davin

 

[Krysstel]

This is probably a long shot but does anyone know where I can get eye bolts like these from ?
The shank is 18mm long threaded M6 and the whole in the eye is 8mm. The eye thickness is 7mm.
Mild steel would do but I'd prefer stainless.
I need 3 to repair part of the table lift mechanism on the Moretens PT I just bought.
Thought they would be easy to get hold of but am really struggling to find a supplier.

Thanks a lot

Mark

 

[andy king]

http://www.moretens.co.uk/

Andy

 

[davin]

or try http://www.logosol.co.uk/

same machines different badge

or http://www.hugosmaskin.se/

or find a friendly metal maker .

davin

 

[Krysstel]

Yes, of course I could go directly to Moretens or Logosol but I was hoping there was somewhere that sold hardware that could supply such things.

Anyway, I've slept on the problem and am now looking at replacing the whole mechanism with something stronger, but the same design.
In the picture below you can see the mechanism to the left of the table.
4 eyebolts (in the picture 1 installed at the end of the bar furthest from camera) hold an 8mm diameter steel bar to the chassis and 2 more eye bolts attach the bar to the side of the outfeed table. The bar acts as a hinge when the table is lifted for conversion to thicknesser mode. Since all the eyebolts have only M6 threads this is a very weak construction to lift and support a very heavy cast iron table.
What I'm looking at doing is replacing all the parts with larger sizes, say M10 threads on the eyebolts and a 10mm diameter stainless steel bar.
If I do this then I will need to enlarge and retap the 2 mounting holes in the side of the table. Does anyone know if it is difficult (or indeed feasible) to drill and tap cast iron ? I never tried before.
I've found a supplier in the US where I can get hold of various sizes of eye bolts http://workholdingcomponents.mortonmach ... -eye-bolts but it would be a lot easier if I could find someone in the UK that sold similar products.


Mark

 

[Henning]

Mark,

Here's a Norwegian supplier of the eyebolts: http://www.luna.no/webspeed/katalog/kat ... ektnr=2711
I'd hazard a guess they're slightly better than any bog standard from the likes of Jula or similar, which may be worth it in the long run.
Also available in M10 with a 10mm. hole diameter for larger steel bar.

 

[Krysstel]

Thanks for the link Henning however standard eye bolts is not what I'm looking for. They need to have a straight sided hole for the bar to rotate in, like the ones I linked to in the US.
I'm now looking at upgrading the mechanism to use bearing supported rod ends, like these http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_n...ngs&_osacat=12576&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313. I've also e-mailed Mortensens in Sweden with the problem. I suspect later models of the same machine may have had a different mechanism to support the table lifting and I may be able to get the parts to upgrade my machine. We'll see what they come back with before I decide the way forward with this.

Edit - more about these eye bolts in this thread, page 6 https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/inca-bandsaw-t43150-75.html

Mark

 

[Krysstel]

I looked more closely at rod ends with bearings but found that the heads were too large and would foul the side of the table.
Boneham and Turner seem to have the kind of eye bolts I'm looking for.
They're called Eye Swing Bolts.
http://www.boneham.co.uk/ShowProducts.aspx?CategoryID=184
I'll need to extend the threads all the way up to the head but otherwise they seem to fit the bill.

B&T also have a lot of other stuff in their online shop. Handles, knobs and steel bristol levers amongst other things.
Maybe I'll pimp-my-PT a bit with some new, steel levers here and there :wink:

Mark

 

[Krysstel]

A short update.
Have dropped all plans of rebuilding the table lift mechanism after Moretens in Sweden came back with a good price for an updated replacement mechanism with stronger fittings. It's now on it's way to me. I've also ordered a new set of knives from a supplier I found in Finland.
In the meantime I've stripped the machine down and removed 20 years of resin and dust.
This morning an electrician installed a new 3-phase supply in my workshop and I finally got the machine running for the first time although I've not actually planed anything yet.
Next step is to check and adjust the table alignments.

Mark

As bought

Now installed and running

 

[Krysstel]

Rememeber this ? :wink:

Things have progressed to a conclusion.
In addition to the new extraction chutes the PT's now mounted on an Axminster mobile base, the left hand table has now had it's new, stronger hinge mechanism fitted, and I've added two handles to make it easier to lift the table up.

I modified the original thicknesser chip-chute to accept a 4" hose by removing the bottom half and adding a new piece from 0.75mm2 steel sheet, with internal baffles.

For the planer extraction I made a complete new chute from the same steel sheet. It rests on the thicknesser table and is secured by the two wooden pieces that swing up and locate behind the two star knobs via open ended holes.

Am well pleased with the results. :lol:
Mark

 

[heimlaga]

I think you have a fairly good machine there. A neighbour has a newer version of it and before I bought my old planer/thicknesser I was allowed to use his as much as I wanted in exchange for doing some maintainance on it.

Those dust chutes you have made for yours were the features I missed most on his. At times the entire machine felt a bit flimsy compared to the old cast iron dinosaurs I used before that and after that but still I would say it is decent quality and very easy to use.

Well done!