Do many hobbyists own planer thicknessers?

[Prizen]

Just purely out of curiosity, many people not earn a living from this but own a planer thicknesser?

I would have thought very few diyers have P/T, as a lot of projects may involve sheet goods or Pao solid timber.

If you are a hobbyist and own one, do you use it much?

 

[Noho12C]

I do have one. I used pre planed boards for quite some time, but it is quite a lot more expensive than sawn boards.

Also, moisture in the garage means that planed timber will warp again after some time.

I don't use it a lot, but all my projects start with the PT.

The downside is the space it takes in the shop. But wouldn't be without now.

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[MikeG.]

Just purely out of curiosity, many people not earn a living from this but own a planer thicknesser?

I would have thought very few diyers have P/T, as a lot of projects may involve sheet goods or Pao solid timber.

If you are a hobbyist and own one, do you use it much?

There's a few assumptions there. I very rarely buy sheet materials, or PAR wood. I buy planks of sawn wood. For decades I used to clean them up by hand, but a planer thicknesser (£85 from Ebay 15+ years or so ago) transformed the amount of work I can do. I use it a lot. I think I've produced about 18 or 19 bags of shaving making my stairs. Owning one is a great way of getting people to move away from projects involving just sheet goods to projects involving planks of wood. There's still loads of hand planing to do, but a lot less than there used to be. My one regret is that the planer doesn't have a longer bed.

 

[TFrench]

I've got one - a kity, it's brilliant and I wouldn't be without one.

 

[woodbloke66]

Any or most amateur (ie; one that doesn't get paid) woodworkers who are serious about what they do will own a p/t; for me, it's the basic 'must have' bit of kit. There is a somewhat of a trend though for woodworkers to forgo all machinery and do everything using hand tools which is fine if that's what you're about; not for me. All the machinery does (especially the p/t) is to take the 'grunt' out of preparing material which then not only speeds up the entire making process but allows the woodworker to concentrate on some of the other making processes - Rob

 

[Distinterior]

I have a Hammer A3 31 that I got from an ex member of this forum. It hadn't seen much use so I was very happy with the purchase and I feel it was worth every penny I paid for it.
Like NoHo and Mike, I don't use mine day in, day out but I wouldn't want to be without it.
The ability to produce PAR material from rough sawn timber in reasonable quantity is really useful.....!

 

[thetyreman]

like anything you don't need one, but it's going to save time, I don't use one because I don't have the space and actually like doing it by hand using traditional methods, it's still a good idea to learn that way even if you end up using machines in the end.

 

[John15]

I'd definitely recommend one if you have the room and can afford it. I use mine (once a month or so) in my garage where I store all my sawn timber. It saves hours of time over hand planing and gives identical dimensioning for multiple pieces.

John

 

[sunnybob]

I only use hardwoods. The P/T is a great help to me. I buy rough sawn planks of walnut and bubinga and maple and could not physically flatten them by hand.
I'm almost fully on power tools and machines and I have stopped using hand planes altogether now, in fact I have them all for sale locally.
Any flattening of smaller pieces is done with a router sled. 8)

 

[That would work]

I guess the answer is in your question. A 'DIYer' most likely would only use sheet materials and PAR timber with generally less regard to accuracy.
For a furniture maker requiring accurate dimensions from timber that is sawn (because you cannot pop down to the local shed and buy some oak etc) then they are essential. Unless of course you are a complete hand worker.

 

[Fitzroy]

Card carrying hobbyist, and owner of planer and thicknesser. Wouldn’t be without it, hours in the shed are limited and whilst fun planing a board flat and true takes time and effort.

Reading a number of woodwork forums my observation is that us hobbyists often play above our league in the tools we own.

We don’t need to justify economically the cost of a machine or tool, we just need sign off from the better half and we’re off to the shops/for sale forum.

Fitz.

 

[Noho12C]

We don’t need to justify economically the cost of a machine or tool, we just need sign off from the better half and we’re off to the shops/for sale forum.

^^ quite an accurate statement 8)

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[FatmanG]

No but I'm 100 gazillion trillion % going to get one as soon as my new workshop is built my current building can only fit my bench and my belly wall to wall at the moment and by the time the new shop is built I will have gained enough hand planing experience. I think you should only get a p/t once your competent with using a hand plane. Only then a p/t can be a useful time saving machine and not a short cut.
Fatty

 

[Sideways]

Yes. Was a Kity, now a Sedgwick.

 

[ScaredyCat]

I don't have a workshop and I have one. It's quite heavy and I have to carry it into the house once I've completed using it. It's stored in the hallway right now, but I get the evil eye every time the boss walks by and sees it.

.

 

[samhay]

Some of us don't have a planer thicknesseser, but do have a lunch box/benchtop thicknesseser as these don't have to take up any permanent floor space.
Much less work to straighten and square an edge than to flatten a board.

 

[AndyT]

I don't have one. Partly because I enjoy using hand tools and am in no hurry to complete projects. But also because the kit and the extraction would fill up all the remaining space in my small workshop.

I have two useful compromises which help me stick with this decision. When I have needed to I have happily paid the extra to a timber merchant to plane to the sizes I wanted. Done to order, this was much better than just buying stock PAR.

I also have several friends in easy reach who have generously offered to let me use their planer thicknesses if I ever need to. Some of them will probably be reading this!

 

[Fitzroy]

my current building can only fit my bench and my belly wall to wall

Brilliant, a new unit of measure, the belly.

Fitz

 

[sneggysteve]

I'm DIY and have an old Kity bought on e bay. Excellent machine. I get most of my timber from Pugh Auctions in Ledbury which is all sawn hardwood. Wouldn't be without it.

 

[sunnybob]

No but I'm 100 gazillion trillion % going to get one as soon as my new workshop is built my current building can only fit my bench and my belly wall to wall at the moment and by the time the new shop is built I will have gained enough hand planing experience. I think you should only get a p/t once your competent with using a hand plane. Only then a p/t can be a useful time saving machine and not a short cut.
Fatty

Your logic is flawed; Youre going to do all the work that a P/T can do in a tenth (or less) of the time, and THEN youre going to get a P/T when theres nothing else to use it on :shock: :roll: :lol:

I was never competent with a hand plane. I tried a couple times, found it slow, boring, and painful on the wrists. Or, I can run a 3 metre x 30cm plank both sides through a P/T in just under minute, and then go on to do something I really want to do.
Hmmmm tough...... 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)