• Spring 2024 meetup in Calgary - tentative date Saturday, April 20/2024. Other regions are also discussing meet ups. If you want one in your area get going on organizing it! discussion
  • We are having email/registration problems again. Diagnosis is underway. New users sorry if you are having trouble getting registered. We are exploring different options to get registered. Contact the forum via another member or on facebook if you're stuck. Update -> we think it is fixed. Let us know if not.
  • Spring meet up in Ontario, April 6/2024. NEW LOCATION See Post #31 Discussion NEW LOCATION

1932 Cowan & Company 12" Jointer

Some people expressed a desire to know more about the old piece of Cast Iron I picked up at auction this past week.

Cowan & Co was a Foundry and Woodworking Equipment manufacturer based in Galt, Ontario until the 1950's.


My 12" Jointer is date tagged 1932 and has what appears to be a model # of 2-440. I suspect this was a 440v non-lineshaft jointer. The Cowan & Co ~1900-1910 catalogs at Vintage machinery (link abve) shows nothing but lineshaft equipment. Not much documentation out there. On these later Cowan & Co pieces that I can find so far.

It came with a very large form factor Baldor 3HP TE single phase motor. Its wayy larger than any of the other Baldor/Leeson 3hp motors I have in the shop.

IMG_2567.JPG IMG_2568.JPG IMG_2569.JPG IMG_2570.JPG IMG_2571.JPG IMG_2572.JPG IMG_2573.JPG IMG_2574.JPG IMG_2575.JPG IMG_2576.JPG IMG_2577.JPG
 
Last edited:
In my other thread ('borrow a gantry crane'), I mentioned 'pillow blocks'.

Not really a 'pillow block' in a modern sense, but the two large bearing holders in this photo are marked FAG, and hold the 1210K double roller bearings. I would seem that the 1210K's are not original to the FAG bearing holders and have been retrofitted by someone at some point in its life with an attempt to manufacture some collars to hold the bearings in place. The FAG bearing holders(pillow blocks) also have felt dust seals and also appear to have been an oil bath container in the past. The FAG bearing holders seem to be original, and a 1932 mfg date would put it in the era of roller bearings and not Babbitt bearings AFAIK - altho I wouldnt be surprised that babbitt was still in general use until after WWII.

IMG_2571.JPG

The cutter head weighs about 60 lbs and has two knives. I've sent the knives out for sharpening at all blades.

I cleaned the jointer tables up with a scotchbrite wheel on a grinder. My 36" machinist straight edge says they are fairly flat - flat enough for woodworking tolerances. There is some deep rust pitting in odd spots and I suspect this Jointer was resurrected from neglect in a barn/shop at some point in its life.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2576.JPG
    IMG_2576.JPG
    52.2 KB · Views: 4
  • IMG_2577.JPG
    IMG_2577.JPG
    56.1 KB · Views: 4
Last edited:
I should add that these older jointers in good operational shape are sought after by some woodworkers. A long bed 12" jointer is a 'nice to have' in a shop where you are making solid wood furniture.

Oh, and my "3 ton" chinesium engine hoist was literally *groaning* while lifting this beast. I have no real idea what it weighs, but am guessing close to or over 1000 lbs.
 

mickeyf

Well-Known Member
I would expect that it originally had babbitt bearings unless this was a Cadillac of jointers. "In the era of" does not mean everyone had switched over. The shop I worked in 40+ years ago still made some things with babbitt. Mind you, some of the machine tools themselves were converted from line-shaft and were maybe WWI vintage or perhaps older.
 

PaulL

Technologist at Large
Premium Member
Is the cylindrical head original, or was it upgraded? Machines that old were serious amputation traps with their triangular cutter heads.
 
I would expect that it originally had babbitt bearings unless this was a Cadillac of jointers. "In the era of" does not mean everyone had switched over. The shop I worked in 40+ years ago still made some things with babbitt. Mind you, some of the machine tools themselves were converted from line-shaft and were maybe WWI vintage or perhaps older.
I literally said "altho I wouldnt be surprised that babbitt was still in general use until after WWII."
 
Top