Page History: Crescent Heavy Jointers
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Page Revision: 2008/10/03 10:52
Back to Crescent Jointers main pageCrescent Heavy Jointers - 12-inch or Wider Models
Crescent introduced jointers to thier line of machinery around 1901. The earlist catalog from Crescent currently know, dated 1903, states that Crescent made three models in what we will classify as "Heavy Jointers" - jointers that are 12-inches or wider. The 1903 catalog indicated that Crescent was making heavy jointers in 12-, 18-, and 24-inch wide versions.
For simplicity purposes, all sizes in the the Heavy Jointer class will be looked at togather as differences between the models were few other than the width of the tables. The jointers making up this class include:
- Crescent 12” Jointer (1903, 1904, 1910, 1912, 1916, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1928, 1930, 1939, 1945, 1946)
- Crescent 16” Jointer (Introduced in 1912,1916,1918,1921,1923,1925,1928,1930,1939, 1945, 1946)
- Crescent 18” Jointer (1903, 1904, 1910, 1912, 1916, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1928, 1930, 1939, 1945)
- Crescent 20” Jointer (Introduced in 1912, 1916, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1928, 1930, 1939, 1945)
- Crescent 24” Jointer (1903, 1904, 1910, 1912, 1916, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1925, 1928, 1930, 1939, 1945)
1903 Crescent Catalog
The following information on Crescent Heavy Jointers is directly from the 1903 Crescent catalog. The exact same information appeared the next year in the 1904 edition of the Crescent Catalog.
The Frame of this machine has a large floor-base, is well braced and ribbed; and being cast all in one piece (including bearings) insures rigidity, and durability.
The Bearing's are always an important part of a machine, and on this machine they are made with special care. The bearing at the pulley end of the head is 7 inches long, and on the opposite end it is 5 inches long. It has a cap cast over the end to prevent oil from getting on operator's clothes. Both bearings are lined with the best babbitt metal and have large oil reservoirs, making them as near self oiling as is possible to make.
The Inclines on which the tables rest are carefully made and provided with an adjustable clip to take up all wear, and always hold the table firm. These inclines are bolted to a sliding sash-like casting, which is dove-tailed and gibbed into main frame and allows the tables to be horizontally withdrawn away from head, without in the least disturbing their adjustment. This is convenient when wishing to sharpen or change the cutters or knives. The hand wheels on side of frame hold tables firmly when in their proper position.
The Front Table is 42 -inches long; the rear table is 36 inches long, and is arranged for rabbeting.
The Fence can be set to any angle from 90° to 45° and can be moved to any position across the table. It is furnished with one pressure spring to hold the work to the table.
The Head is milled from a solid bar of steel, and is furnished with two knives of best quality. Two sides of the head are grooved with T-slots for attaching special cutters.
A Countershaft is also furnished, having tight and loose pulleys 10 inches diameter and 5 inches face. Speed of countershaft 800 to give the machine a speed of 4,000 revolutions per minute. Pulley on head is 4 inches diameter, for 4-inch belt.
Boring attachment can be furnished for $35.00 list.
Crescent Heavy Jointers from 1903 Catalog
| 12-Inch. | 18-Inch. | 24-Inch. |
| Floor space required, aver all | 31x80 | 37x80 | 43x80 |
| Cubic Measure, boxed for export | 40ft. | 48ft. | 56ft. |
| Gross Weight, boxed for export | 1,500 | 1,775 | 2,000 |
| Net Weight | 1,250 | 1,450 | 1,650 |
| List Price for Machine | $150 | $170 | $190 |
| Telegraph Code Word | Ennovelar. | Ennoyage. | Ennuvear. |
1910 Catalog
Little noticeable differences can been seen in the actual jointers in the 1910 issue as compared to the 1904 catalog with the exception that the 1910 Catalog does clearly state that Jointer Safety Guard was introduced to the line in this year. From 1910 onward, the guard was standard equipment on all Crescent jointers but older models could be retrofitted with one by drilling and tapping two holes in the side of the machine. The 1910 catalog also goes into much more detail about some of the features of Crescent jointers than earlier issues. The following are excerpts from the 1910 catalog:
The Crescent Jointers
8, 12, 18 and 24-InchA JOINTER is sometimes also called a hand-planer, or a buzz-planer. The machine is used for straightening lumber. It will plane one surface straight and out-of-wind; by use of the fence it will also bring one surface, on dimension stock, square with another, or on accurate bevel with another. It is not intended for surfacing boards to uniform thickness. For such use a regular planer or surfacer must be used. By use of special cutters a jointer is often used for beading, grooving, making light molding and other similar work.
The Frame of the Crescent Jointer has a large floor-base, is well braced and ribbed, and being cast all in one piece (including bearings), insures rigidity and durability. Bolted frames are not good enough. The frame is provided with a chute to deliver the shavings to back end of machine.
The Bearings are an important part of a machine and are made with special care. The lower part is cast solid with the frame, insuring permanent alignment. A cover is cast over the end to prevent oil from getting on operator's clothes. They are filled with best grade of high-speed babbitt. They are provided with liners, to adjust for wear; also with large oil-chamber and capillary felt, making them practically self-oiling.
The Inclines on which the tables rest are carefully made and provided with an adjustable clip to take up all wear, and always hold the table firm. These inclines are bolted to a sliding sash-like casting, which is dove-tailed and gibbed into main frame and allows the tallies to be horizontally withdrawn away from head without in the least disturbing their adjustment. This is convenient when wishing to sharpen or change the cutters or knives. The handwheels on side of frame holds tables firmly when in their proper position.
The Tables have wide flanges and are heavily ribbed, the rear table being arranged for rabbeting. Regularly the lips are formed solid with the table casting, but the steel-lips can also be furnished at a slight advance in price over the regular.
The Fence can be set to any angle from square to 45 degrees and can be moved to any position across the table. It is furnished with one pressure-spring to hold the work to the table.
The Head. Jointers will be furnished as ordered; with round Safety Head as described on previous pages, or with common four-sided square head. The square head has two sides tapped for using the regular knives, and two sides with T-slots for attaching special cutters. All heads are milled from solid bar of steel, of proper grade of carbon. Bearings are ground true, and flanged pulleys keyed on.
A Boring Attachment can be furnished with a jointer, when ordered, at an additional price. The boring attachment has iron table and includes self-centering chuck.
 |
| | 12 in. | 18 in. | 24 in. |
| Length of Knives | 12 in. | 18 in. | 24 in. |
| Length of front table | 42 in. | 42 in. | 42 in. |
| Length of rear table | 36 in. | 36 in. | 36 in. |
| Width of tables | 17 in. | 23 in. | 29 in. |
| Height of table from floor | 33 ½ in. | 33 ½ in. | 33 ½ in. |
| Size of flanged pulley on head | 4 x 4 ½ in. | 4 x 4 ½ in. | 4 x 4 ½ in. |
| Widest belt that should be used | 4 in. | 4 in. | 4 in. |
| Size of bearing on pulley end | 1 ½ x 7 in. | 1 ½ x 7 in. | 1 ½ x 7 in. |
| Size of bearing on operator end | 1 ½ x 5 in. | 1 ½ x 5 in. | 1 ½ x 5 in. |
| Size of tight and loose pulleys | 10 x 5 in. | 10 x 5 in. | 10 x 5 in. |
| Speed of countershaft per minute | 800 rev. | 800 rev. | 800 rev. |
| Giving head a speed of | 4,000 rev. | 4,000 rev. | 4,000 rev. |
| Floor space, exclusive of countershaft | 31 x 80 in. | 37 x 80 in. | 43 x 80 in. |
| Cubic measure, boxed for export | 33 ft. | 49 ft | 58 ft. |
| Gross weight, boxed for export | 1,400 lbs. | 1,650 lbs. | 1,900 lbs. |
| Domestic shipping weight | 1,275 lbs. | 1,500 lbs. | 1,700 lbs. |
| |
| Square Head, regular solid lips | No. 121 | No. 181 | No. 241 |
| Telegraphic code word | Elden | Enlin | Enome |
| |
| Square Head, steel 1ips | No. 122 | No. 182 | No. 242 |
| Telegraphic code word | Erato | Gande | Gamon |
| |
| Safety Head, regular solid lips | No. 123 | No. 183 | No. 243 |
| Telegraphic code word | Gowan | Hecti | Henco |
| |
| Safety Head, steel lips | No. 125 | No. 185 | No. 245 |
| Telegraphic code word | Heran | Hamar | Hymen |
Mail orders should mention number of machine. Telegraph orders should mention code word. Further designation is not necessary.
Equipment. Each machine is furnished with one pair of knives, one countershaft, one fence, one pressure spring, one wrench and one Jointer Guard.
1912 Catalog
According to the 1912 catalog, that issue marked the introduction of two new sizes of Crescent Jointers. These would be the 16 and 20-inch models. With this introduction, Crescent now offered jointers in the 8, 12, 16, 18, 20 and 24-inch sizes.
Engravings of the jointers in the catalog also show one other new feature – a vertical scale being added to the fence. The scale was designed so that it read the thickness of a piece of wood placed against it after the cut would be made. Using this feature, one could adjust the depth of cut to match the final dimension of after the cut. The catalog does not specify when this feature was added but one could speculate that it was a feature added in 1911 as it was not mentioned in the 1910 catalog but detailed as a feature in the 1912 issue. New catalogs were issued by Crescent yearly and any new features for that year were stated at the front of the catalog.
Vertical Scale
One other change noticed in the engravings between 1910 and 1912 is on the front hand wheels on the jointers. In the 1910 catalog, all jointers in the catalog had two hand wheels on the front of the machine which were used to tighten the in-feed and out-feed tables to allow them to move laterally in and out from the cutter-head. In the 1912 catalog, these hand wheels were replaced with levers mounted on the back of the jointer on the 12-inch and larger models. The front hand wheels remained on the 8-inch jointer.
Hand Wheels
Some differences were also noted in the dimensions tables between the 1910 and 1912 catalogs. The length of the tables on the 8” jointer were changed from 33 in. and 30 in. for the front and rear tables respectively to 33 ½-inches for each table. Table lengths on the 12-inch and larger jointers were also changed from 42 in and 36 in for the front and rear tables respectively to 40-inches for each table. The change in table lengths resulted in the 12-inch and larger jointers being about 2-inches longer than earlier models. The 1912 catalog also states that the width of the tables on the 12-inch and larger jointers were also made a slight bit narrower than what was described in the 1910 catalog. The only other differences noted in the dimensions table was that the weight of the 12-inch and larger jointers had increased slightly over what was reported in the 1910 catalog, assumingly due to the longer tables.