I got this planer from a nice guy in Santa Maria, CA. Due to some problems with my engine hoist we had a tough time getting it into the bed of my truck but then it was smooth sailing. The machine is in excellent condition minus some missing parts.
The machine was dissasembled to a certain point when I got it. Here it is all put back together and waiting to be freshened up.
Update: Oct 2011 – I no longer own this planer, it’s on it’s way to a new home!
I have a 399 just like the one in picture same motor its like new I bought it from the parks co. in cincinnati, oliver said they bought it from them in 1946 and copied from it .as far as I know the is no cast iron name plate, the name oliver is cast in the machine. I liked the web site ……….THANKS DON
I recently acquired an Oliver model 399-d 18″ planer. It came from local highschool woodshop. I am looking for operating manuals & blade adjustment gauges. I am also looking @ options for my 3 phase motor (whether to change out or use phase converter).Would you Know of any such sites? Good luck restoring your machine.
I have same machine Completely intact. I bought it at an auction. It came from our high school’s wood shop. It even has the sharpener. I was wondering if you know of a place to get a replacement single phase motor. I have a phase converter but found out it wasn’t big enough to get the planer going. I already have a 15″ reliant planer that works fine. If I can’t find a replacement motor for a resonable price, I may decide to sell.
sir,I noticed the date of entry was 8/08 and wondered if you were able to find what you needed and get this machine uo and goin. I need one if you have. Thanks Buba
I also have a 399d Oliver, vintage 1943. It runs great BUT the board often gets stuck as it’s going through-after the cutterhead. Anyone have any ideas as to how to solve this?
Phillip,
I can’t give you specific direction on this but if you can find a manual for any industrial planer it should include the basic tuning instructions that will probably solve your problem.
Luke
I also have a fully intact functional Oliver 399 that lived on a Navy vessel and later fell into the hands of a local contractor/woodworker, who I purchased it from roughly 15 years ago. I am fortunate (and now you as well to have a manual and knife setting jig and adjuster. Believe it or not about 7 years ago (I think) I was able to get ahold of someone at Oliver up in Ohio where they were still making farm equipment and bigger machinery and could have purchased a complete knife sharpening attachment for $1600 dollars (much more than I paid for the whole planer). I only have remnants of the jig (dovetail-way) so I remove for sharpening. No big deal. I have used the manual to make adjustments to the pinch-rollers and have had wonderful success all but eliminating the outfeed snipe. Glad to share scanned images of manual and pictures of planner and knife setting jig, just contact me at email address above.
James Finch
Toney, Alabama
Didn’t realize that my email address wouldn’t be published so I am enclosing it in this comment (For any other interested parties as well, NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING 399 only sharing of information related to it). Also have some other wonderfull old machinery that would like to share information on (NOT INTERESTED IN SELLING EITHER)(i.e. MAX oscillating spindle sander, 36″ Cordesman bandsaw, 16 inch Greaves Klusman & Co. jointer, Atlas “Series D” 10-inch back-geared metal lathe).
Email address: finchjk@yahoo.com
Great site Luke!
i have a 399 also that I ‘m looking to rebuild and restore and am glad to compare notes and buy spare parts too.
My e- mail is legendworks@optonline.net
I have a 399 that I restored last year. Oliver had a wonderful system for setting knives – a puller and a block that fits on the cutter head with a slot in it to bring the knife the to correct position every time.
You can buy these items from Eagle Machine Tool in Grand Rapids, MI. Rich Fink, who worked for Oliver for many years, bought everything that was left of the company after they sold off the “Oliver” name. He has parts, manuals, drawings and the patterns for the castings. He builds some machines from scratch and also restores old ones.