Axminster MB9020 Benchtop Planer Thicknesser Mini Review

[Chems]

Thanks CJP.

The thing I've realised about P/T is that they are a rough tool. Its just the first stage, sanding, scraping, hand planing give the final finish. This machine gets the stock square and true so I'm very happy with it.

 

[ciscoeuk]

i would like to ask, i am looking to replace my separate ryobi thicknesser and rexon jointer, to one machine

i have look at the EB 260m on the bay, but a little to big for my shop,

would you rate this unit as a good purchase? at £177

have you had any problems with the unit, niggles etc

the fox version is very similar

i have read the post i get the impression that for the machine is to your liking

 

[Chems]

Its perfect, does exactly whats needed, its only got 2 small let downs, the length of the tables means you can't joint very long edges anything over 1.3 meters easily. And the noise, its a brush motor and makes a lot of noise, which is fine if your well isolated from your neighbours.

 

[ciscoeuk]

Its perfect, does exactly whats needed, its only got 2 small let downs, the length of the tables means you can't joint very long edges anything over 1.3 meters easily. And the noise, its a brush motor and makes a lot of noise, which is fine if your well isolated from your neighbours.

thanks

the fox version has an induction motor but is £289

neibours are ok, but i might have to pad the garage,

one thing i did ready is the use of 2 set of ear protection try these noise cancelling ear defenders they cost from £40 but worth every penny, take from someone who has 30% hearing loss, the best way to cancel hi noise is with noise like music

http://www.thepresentfinder.co.uk/produ ... =base_feed

 

[cjp]

measure twice, cut once, WATCH THE FINGERS!... Ouch, that's another one gone!!!

My dad gave me similar advice "Measure twice, cut once". One day I hope to make larger projects than just shelves. But I can't figure out how to make a table with just one cut.......... :roll:

 

[Eric The Viking]

the best way to cancel hi noise is with noise like music.

I may be misunderstanding, but if you're using music to drown out the sound, you really, really don't want to be doing that with modern digitaly recorded music*.

I couldn't find the paper I was looking for (around 1980-ish), but this one:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10465907 pretty much covers the same ground.

Basically, what it means is, if you listen to digital drum tracks on headphones, you run the risk of notching your hearing at the exact points used most for recognising speech. Impulse noise (percussion, shooting, etc.) is the most quickly damaging, but planers, routers, saws, etc. also do harm. Hearing damage from environmental factors (loud noise) is almost always permanent.

The audio industry picked up on this at the start of digits, which is why professional headphones often nowadays have sound limiters built in. There is talk amongst those in the know, of a "deaf generation" in 10-20 years' time, when the effects of over-use of iPods etc., kicks in and that generation become forty-somethings.

The best thing, for your hearing's long-term health, is good ear defenders together with well-fitting soft earplugs.

I'm not trying to put you down at all, but I used to make my living with my ears, so I had to know the risks.

Cheers,

E.

*digital percussion can be louder than it appears to the brain, which is one factor in how the ear gets quickly damaged (likewise with target shooting and drop forges). Audio from analogue tape doesn't trick the ear in the same way, so doesn't tend to be as harmful.

 

[Chems]

I'm ok at protecting me own ears, its others ears I'm worried about.

Regarding ears. I go for a very indepth medical every few years with the Fire Service, my first one was about 2 years ago when I joined. My hearing was perfect. 6 months ago I had another, and bemusing to the nurse who does it, 6hz on my hearing is completely dead. I started woodworking about 3 months after joining the fire service. I didn't buy my first set of ear defenders till about a year and half in. So I'm guessing that one of my tools killed off my hearing.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I'm ok at protecting me own ears, its others ears I'm worried about.

Regarding ears. I go for a very indepth medical every few years with the Fire Service, my first one was about 2 years ago when I joined. My hearing was perfect. 6 months ago I had another, and bemusing to the nurse who does it, 6hz on my hearing is completely dead. I started woodworking about 3 months after joining the fire service. I didn't buy my first set of ear defenders till about a year and half in. So I'm guessing that one of my tools killed off my hearing.

'Fraid that's likely.

The original research I couldn't find was on a village in Siberia that had a drop forge and almost no other industry or mechanization. The researchers had a perfect control group, as residents either worked at the forge or didn't (in which case they were almost certainly not exposed to damaging sound). They found that within a year, workers developed notches at the crucial 3-4kHz band (important for speech sibilance and formants).

There was some other research (although I never saw a full write-up) on Saharan tribesmen, who still had 20Hz to 20kHz at the age of 70+, proving (in their case) that without environmental noise the ear doesn't necessarily lose its top end response. I believe some specialists think that the high noise levels of the Western world (traffic, radio/TV/music, machines, etc.) are largely responsible for the 'normal' fall-off in HF response as people get older.

I try hard to look after my own ears, but I haven't had them properly checked in ages (since I stopped working in the broadcast industry). I think my own HF is tailing off , but I don't know how badly.

 

[Chems]

All part and parcel of getting older. I can suffer not hearing so great if it means I get to enjoy modern life.

My boss is sure he's slightly deaf because of the constant sounds of sirens for the 30 years he's been in.

The interesting thing about my hearing, and if I could find the printout I'd show you, was that it was perfectly normal through the range, then just bang, stone cold deaf in 6hz and then after that fine again. It was so odd she tested me twice thinking I'd just missed it.

 

[ciscoeuk]

I'm ok at protecting me own ears, its others ears I'm worried about.

Regarding ears. I go for a very indepth medical every few years with the Fire Service, my first one was about 2 years ago when I joined. My hearing was perfect. 6 months ago I had another, and bemusing to the nurse who does it, 6hz on my hearing is completely dead. I started woodworking about 3 months after joining the fire service. I didn't buy my first set of ear defenders till about a year and half in. So I'm guessing that one of my tools killed off my hearing.

'Fraid that's likely.

The original research I couldn't find was on a village in Siberia that had a drop forge and almost no other industry or mechanization. The researchers had a perfect control group, as residents either worked at the forge or didn't (in which case they were almost certainly not exposed to damaging sound). They found that within a year, workers developed notches at the crucial 3-4kHz band (important for speech sibilance and formants).

There was some other research (although I never saw a full write-up) on Saharan tribesmen, who still had 20Hz to 20kHz at the age of 70+, proving (in their case) that without environmental noise the ear doesn't necessarily lose its top end response. I believe some specialists think that the high noise levels of the Western world (traffic, radio/TV/music, machines, etc.) are largely responsible for the 'normal' fall-off in HF response as people get older.

I try hard to look after my own ears, but I haven't had them properly checked in ages (since I stopped working in the broadcast industry). I think my own HF is tailing off , but I don't know how badly.

do you recommend NC ears or would you say the plugs and muffs are better?

 

[Eric The Viking]

do you recommend NC ears or would you say the plugs and muffs are better?

I would guess that in this case plugs and muffs are better.

NC works best at low-mid frequencies (wavelengths where it can have the biggest effect). I doubt it works well at high energy levels and high frequencies, and in any case it's risky, as you're nulling-out rather than attenuating (making smaller) the unwanted noise.

Plugs and muffs will greatly help, as both are most effective at higher frequencies - the ones that do the most damage at high energy levels. You've also got two lines of defence, and no danger of nasty surprises.

FWIW, I always wear soft earplugs on long-haul flights, and listen to the in-flight movie with the plugs in under the headphones (usually take my own). It kills the jet noise pretty effectively.

I use noise-cancelling algorithms in audio editing software. It's very hard to make it work effectively, especially at HF, although it's separating out sounds rather than cancelling everything. I wouldn't trust NC headphones to protect my ears at all, although they might do fairly well with jet noise, as it's pretty constant and pretty broad spectrum, and a lot quieter than a planer!

Your mileage, etc.

 

[cjp]

Well I ordered mine last night, and it looks set to arrive tomorrow. Only problem is, it's Chagford show tomorrow and I'm gonna have to decide between cider and playing with the new toy. Probably unwise to combine the two!

Chems & sparkymarky (and others who might own this)- How do you find the working height once it's plonked atop your bench? I know that's a subjective thing, but have you found yourself making a dedicated table so that it's a bit lower? I'll soon find out myself, but I'll pick up some wood before I go out tomorrow if the general consensus is that it needs to be lower. That way I can get straight to work on it Friday (if the hangover isn't too bad that is :lol

Cheers,

Charlie

 

[Acanthus]

Hi CJP

I have had a version of this machine for several months, it appears to be identical to the model that Chems has. Mine came with a badge from 'Record' The guy in my local tool shop did a great deal for me, and told me that there are loads of identical machines out there with different badges, but they all come from the same factory somewhere in Italy. Might be true.

I found that trying to use the machine on my bench was too high for comfort, and I therefore fashioned a low table for it. My table hight is 500 mm including the locking casters, so that the working height of the planer table is 860 mm, which is perfect for a tall guy with a bad back.

I am still quite extraordinarily pleased with the work that this little baby does for me, but I dread the day when I will have to attend to the blades. The instructions in the trivial little pamphlet (let us not call it a manual) basically say - work it out for yourself.

Hope you have as much fun with yours as I am having with mine, and that you have space for a monster composting bin to render down the mountains of shavings ready to use as a mulch for the garden.

David

 

[cjp]

Thanks David, I'll plan to make a stand for it then - I thought that would be the case. Hopefully when one of us needs to change the blades we'll be able to offer each other advice - but who will get there first! :lol:

As for the shavings, I don't really have the need/space for composting - but if you say they make good compost then I'll stick an ad up in my local area as I'm sure someone will appreciate them. I must admit that the smaller amounts I've had so far I've just been incinerating, which does seem a shame. Thanks for the tip.

Charlie

 

[ciscoeuk]

any of you guys herd of


freecycle, why no check them out great way of stopping stuff going to landfill

http://www.uk.freecycle.org/

 

[cjp]

Thanks ciscoeuk I'll check that out.

I'm just assembling the machine and I notice the fence doesn't seem to run totally parallel to the tables. It seems to overhang a touch on the outfeed, and too far in on the infeed. I have set it up as per the manual, so I can't see that I've done anything wrong.

In practice does this matter?

Charlie

 

[9fingers]

Thanks ciscoeuk I'll check that out.

I'm just assembling the machine and I notice the fence doesn't seem to run totally parallel to the tables. It seems to overhang a touch on the outfeed, and too far in on the infeed. I have set it up as per the manual, so I can't see that I've done anything wrong.

In practice does this matter?

Charlie

I can't see that mattering. It is out in the right direction as you want to support the timber in the infeed side. The edges of the knives must be under the fence by a little to ensure you cut the full width of the wood.

Check that the fence is flat by comparing to the tables in several places and that you can mount it at exactly 90 degrees to the plane of the tables.

Bob

 

[cjp]

Ideal thanks Bob, I was able to get the fence to 90 degrees with no problems. Done my first cut - very happy!

Cheers,

Charlie

 

[MichaelM]

I have read this thread with great interest as I too have been considering this planer but there are a couple of issues raised by a two part video review I saw on the Woodford version of it.

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=E7UKx8ccpC0

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=YNTTusX_0YE

In the videos the owner refers to the infeed surfacing table not lowering itself equally on each side i.e. exposing slightly more of the blade on one side than the other. He says that when given a thump it drops down but seems to imply that it will not stay there which needless to say would do nothing for accuracy. He also referred to blade height issues whereby the blade on his planer has to be set quite a bit above the outfeed table otherwise the marks made by the feed roller on the thicknesser don't get planed off. I'd be very interested to hear the opinions of owners on those issues just in case this person simply got a poor one. I'm also curious as to how to adjust the bed in the thicknesser so it is exactly parallel with the blades. Like many others I'm on a very tight budget nowadays and basically I'd like to know if this machine is generally better than the one the reviewer has.

I've never had a planer thicknesser before, but given that I recently was very dismayed at a price I was quoted for some pitch pine skirting etc I decided it might not be a bad idea to make it myself. With that in mind, would this planer possibly be too small for playing its part in doing that?

Thanks,

Michael

 

[alec]

I have had 2 MB9020 planer/thicknessers and have got to say disapointed with both. The first would not cut edges straight and the second kept siezing, in the end i got a good deal on a second hand Metabohc260 off ebay and not looked back. Quite a few of the members have bought the axi and had good results i personally would not recommend it. The upside is if you buy one from axminster and have issues with it their after sales and service are second to none and problems are resolved quickly and without a fuss.