Danckaert

[Chris_belgium]

Anyone have some experience with this planer/thicknesser?

 

[JonnyD]

No direct experience with the planer thicknesser but I used to use a danckeart overhead router which was solidly made and built to last. A local joinery shop to me has a dankeart surfacer which is probably 50 years old and still going strong.

Jon

 

[Chris_belgium]

Thanks, that was my impression also. What exactly does one have to check when purchasing a second hand planer thicknesser like this? Flatness of the tables and look if they are in line with each other comes to mind, but how exactly does one do this? A straight edge this length will also cost a fair amounf of money. Asking price is 600 euros so am willing to do some fettling/upgrade some worn parts.

Also found this felder, asking price is 2100 euro, more than triple the price, is a Felder really that good that it's worth that price?

 

[OPJ]

Don't know about either of these machines but other things I would check include - condition of blades and cutter block, rise and fall mechanism of thicknesser bed/surfacing tables, guarding, fence and, if you can, get a look inside at the state of the gears and pulleys that drive the machine... Of course, I would always ask to see it running before handing over the cash.

 

[JonnyD]

The felder looks pretty old and doesnt seem to have any guards so at nearly £1 to a euro looks pretty expensive to me. Olly has given you some good advice try to hear the machine running is always good as you can hear play in the cutterblock bearings etc. Otherwise have a good look at it check anything that moves.

Jon

 

[Chris_belgium]

The felder looks pretty old and doesnt seem to have any guards so at nearly £1 to a euro looks pretty expensive to me. Olly has given you some good advice try to hear the machine running is always good as you can hear play in the cutterblock bearings etc. Otherwise have a good look at it check anything that moves.

Jon

I also find the price a bit steep, I think I'll go for the Danckaert. As for the guards, you'd have to search pretty hard to find one with a guard over here. No HSE nazis here (yet )

 

[OPJ]

Well, I don't think it's as much a question of abiding by the regulations as it is pure common sense. Regardless of whether or not your machine will come with appropriate guarding, you owe it to your own health and safety to do something about it. Push blocks aren't the answer! Otherwise, one day, you may well live to regret it! :?

It's not just the guarding of the cutter block either. You really should have all the gears and all 'moving parts' concealed so that no loose clothing or hair stands a chance of getting caught.

Best of luck with your purchase. I hope we get to see some more photos in time. :wink:

 

[FatFreddysCat]

I can remember going past Dankaert's works at the end of City Road in the late 1980s when we were fitting out an office block there. It was derelict and by that time the firm had already gone bust in Belgium as well. That makes the p/t probably 30+ years old - a lot older than the Felder.

As for the guards, you'd have to search pretty hard to find one with a guard over here. No HSE nazis here (yet )

You may regard the HSE as Nazis; they're not, but they do seem a bit misguided at times. If you ever happen to take a couple of fingers off on an unguarded planer you'll find that it smarts a bit. And that your life insurance are a bit reticent to pay out. I have a neighbour who did just that on a Samco planer last year in his garage. Which is why it's now in my garage - with a guard :lol:

 

[Chris_belgium]

Hi, thanks for the advice, am definately planning on adding some kind of guard if I should purchase the machine.

Found another 'safe' machine when browsing local adds, title was ' very handy small combine woodworking machine' looks like a death trap to me

 

[Digit]

Jesus wept! I'm no 'elf 'n safety enthusiast but there are limits!

Roy.

 

[OPJ]

Good Lord!! I hope that's not a photo of it in your workshop, Chris?! :shock:

 

[Chris_belgium]

Good Lord!! I hope that's not a photo of it in your workshop, Chris?! :shock:

Nope, even for me this is way over the top :shock:, friend of mine lost three fingers recently cutting firewood on a tablesaw (not this one) so I'm even more scared of a tablesaw than I used to be!

 

[TheTiddles]

If you zoom out on that picture you'll probably find the previous owners arterial blood sprayed over the walls! What posesses someone to do that?

Aidan

 

[Tim Nott]

Holy mackerel - that IS scary. Is the bicycle wheel part of it?

 

[newt]

It does put a whole new meaning to losing your nuts

 

[Chris_belgium]

If anyone want's to be the proud owner of this machine, I can arrange shipping for you :twisted: :twisted:

 

[FatFreddysCat]

so I'm even more scared of a tablesaw than I used to be!

You wouldn't want to use our rip saw at work - 26in blade and 10HP motor so we can rip nearly 9in deep on it. Deeping 12in wide stock can sometimes get a bit lively but generally it's much better behaved than 10 or 12 inch saws I've used providing you don't mind the size of the blade

 

[Chris_belgium]

Another classic I found during my search for a planer/thicknesser.

homemade planer

 

[Night Train]

Thanks, that was my impression also. What exactly does one have to check when purchasing a second hand planer thicknesser like this? Flatness of the tables and look if they are in line with each other comes to mind, but how exactly does one do this? A straight edge this length will also cost a fair amounf of money.

I bought a really old planer with a 12"x 60" bed.
I checked it for flat with a long steel rule on each bed and then used winding sticks to check each bed and on both beds to check they align to each other.

The good thing about these old machines is that everything is adjustable and usually really solidly built.
On mine I replaced the 3ph motor for a 1ph one. Must make a new guard for the belts sometime but as it is coverd by other machines I haven't been able to get near it to measure it never mind have an accident. :wink:

 

[Chris_belgium]

Finally bought myself a planer/thicknesser. Brand is "Gebr Decock" a belgian brand, long gone now. Price was 420 euros.

Max planing width is 400mm, it's a two blade axle measuring 90mm diameter.

Planer fence has to be removed to lift the two separate tables for thicknessing. Max width is 20cm.

Some wear and tear on the rollers, but still look reasonble for a machine this old.

Electrics, still wiring everything up, two motors, one big 4hp one for the blade axle, and one smaller one for the thicknessing rollers. Thicknessing speed has two settings. Also has an automatic star/triangle switch (literally translated form dutch hope it's the same in english) wich keeps down the load on the fuses.

Main motor is huge and weighs a ton, there is no system to keep tension on the belt, just it's own weight is enough!