New machinery

[johnjin]

Hi everyone
I have been a DIY woodworker for a hundred years or so and now I have decided to start to get serious. I have been reading these forums for quite a few months and have learnt an unbelievable amount both directly and indirectly from all of you. So first of all I would like to thank you for all this wonderful and free information. Thank you for the time that you put in helping so many people like me.
I have more or less decided on the following tools and would love to hear your for and against arguments for them before I make my final decision.
The tools are
Bandsaw Axminister SBW3501 B
Thicknesser Axminister CT330
Planer Axminister CT150
Spindle Moulder Elektra Beckum TF100

Thanks in advance for any advice
Johnjin

 

[Adam]

Your choices look good - the only thing I see missing is a method of getting the dust/chips away?

Adam

 

[johnjin]

Thanks for that Adam
Yes i'm working on the dust extraction problem and realise that I am definately going to need something but I can't make up my mind and it all looks so expensive when it dosen't produce anything.
Johnjin

 

[Adam]

John,

I think it would be a serious mistake to try and use both a planer/thicknesser without one. You'd spend hours cleaning up after every session.

Smaller ones on axminster are quite reasonably priced.

Adam

(Also you have your health to consider, which is in itself "priceless", so it might not "produce anything" but if you get lung cancer in 20 years you wouldn't be "producing anything" either :shock: It's making clean air which is important.)

 

[Aragorn]

Just wanted very much to back up what Adam has said.
Dust extraction shouldn't be left as an after-thought. It is essential for your health anyway, but equally essential if you use a planer/thicknesser - these things churn out bins full of chippings a week.
It is also important to consider how you are going to get the extraction pipes away from your machines without causing a trip hazard, so building it into your plan from the start is useful.
I would not recommend one of the low spec extractors - they just won't do the jobs for all those machines.
Your other machines look good for the prices. I'm not personally a fan of Elektra Beckum, but that's just me!

 

[Charley]

Thicknesser Axminister CT330

The CT330 is a good choice. If you haven't already read my review click on the following link https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/review/review.php?id=29

I agree with Adam and Aragorn, a dust extractor is a must! I'll be buying the Scheppach HA2600 when I move. There are alot of happy owners on this forum

 

[Charley]

btw welcome to the forum

 

[SimonA]

Howdy John,

I'd also have to agree with teh guys on the dust extraction front. I know it doesn't really produce anything...apart from a clean workshop and a healthy working enviroment!! If you don't have one your shop will just end up under a mountain of wood shavings. I planed down some rough sawn oak for a table I'm making and it easy filled around three to four large bags!! Bare in mind that two bags would fill a wheelie bin!

These are important machines and its worth taking the time and purchasing a good one. It also makes your machines work better since it clears away all the shavings from the inner workings.

SimonA

 

[johnjin]

Thank you everyone for the concern for my health but if you read my post you will see that I am getting an getting an extrator. I have not decided yet which one to go for. At the moment I am more concerened with getting the machinery sorted out because without that I will not be needing a dust or chip extractor :wink:
john

 

[Alf]

Hmm, nice choice on the bandsaw Personally I still favour the planer/thicknesser combi, rather than the separates. I think 6" of jointing width is a wee bit limiting, but from what I've been reading recently it seems many would disagree with me. I'm curious though; why a spindle moulder? Interesting choice in a starter's list. And no table saw! Huzzah! (Don't tell me, you've already got one... )

Cheers, Alf

 

[Aragorn]

I think 6" of jointing width is a wee bit limiting, but from what I've been reading recently it seems many would disagree with me.

Well I for one agree with you Alf
6" is limiting - I don't know how everyone else gets hold of stock, but I order "boards to cover" because it's cheapest and I can end up with anything from what I've ordered up to 24" :!: wide.
Also, if you're just using, say, 6" of width, the extra 2-4" on wider machines gives you an extra portion of blade that is razor sharp for that last pass through when edge jointing. If you see what I mean.

 

[johnjin]

Thanks for the replies everyone
As for the spindle moulder Alf it goes like this.
I have had a Bosch 1700 ace router for a number of years and when I look at the price of cutters for the router and compare them to the cost of the cutters for the spindle moulder there is no comparison. The spindle moulder from Rutlands is 600 quid and will give me far greater flexibility as far as radius cutting for instance. The router usualy lives in the router table and I plan to get a DeWalt 625 as well. As for the table saw, I have had for the past three years a Ferm contractors saw. Which has cut everything thrown at it to my satisfaction. I guess it leaves a lot to be desired in comparison to a good table saw and I will no doubt be updating it in the future. But after sawing comes the planing so I get by. I don't understand why everyone seems to think I am a novice as i have been woodworking for the last 40 years and I am on my fourth Table Saw. I must admit the first three did not last too long but two of them were the 10 inch cheapies from Machine Mart which was all I could afford at the time. Moving on to the Planer being only 6 inch I've got to agree that it does seem a bit limiting but to go wider seems to mean a lot more money
and I don't like the idea of a planer/thicknesser cos knowing me I will be forever changing it from one to the other. Also when I thought about it just how often would I need to plane anything wider than 6 inches.
Anyway thanks a lot for your interest
john

 

[CYC]

Hi John & Aragorn,
On the subject of Planing thicknessing, I think you both have good points. But I would favor the seperate machines just like John, because it means I don't have to change over. I am too lazy :wink: and even if apparently it doesn't take long to change it's still time consuming when you have to do it several times in a woodworking session (us DIYers don't get enough time in the workshop do we!?!).
One other important point, the likes of the CT150 has a longer bed than most combi machines and that is an important point I think.

John, I have also decided to go for the CT150 and the Delta 22560 thicknesser (and I am not the only one out there :wink: ). It won't be until I can save enough to do so though so please let us know how you get on with yours

 

[johnjin]

Hi CYC
Thanks for the imput and I will be pleased to let you know how I get along with all of these but you will have to wait another 5 weeks. I work in Israel and don't get home too often so I will be having them delivered then. But then they will be subjected to a good two week workout and I will post a report on them after that. Your words about the planer/thickneser could have come out of my own mouth as far as describing my feelings go. However I am still looking for some input on the spindle moulder as it is the machine that I am least sure of. Never having used one I would like to know if they are a good idea or not.
Best of luck with your choice of tools
John

 

[Alf]

I don't understand why everyone seems to think I am a novice as i have been woodworking for the last 40 years and I am on my fourth Table Saw.

I think probably 'cos you started off by saying you'd learnt stuff from us... :lol:

I know what you mean about the tooling costs between the router and spindle moulder; although the initial expenditure can be a bit :shock: making. I don't know, I think I have a mental block on the spindle moulder; I always think joinery rather than anything else. No one need jump down my throat and tell me how wrong I am, peeps, it's just how I always view them.

Well I do agree that a stand alone jointer beats the pants off a P/T for table length, but a 6" width just wouldn't make sense to me. Possibly because I use the surfacing ability to face plane stock, while edge jointing is largely done by hand. I suppose an 8" would be just about bareable, but the increase in price for those extra 2"! :shock: Almost worth getting a P/T for the surface planing and a separate thicknesser at that point. Although I can't honestly say I've been much hampered by having to change from one task to the other. Gosh, maybe at last I've found a plus point to the Maxi... :wink:

Aragorn, forgive my ignorance, but "boards to cover"? :?

Cheers, Alf

 

[Aragorn]

Aragorn, forgive my ignorance, but "boards to cover"? :?

You... Alf... ignorant??? I don't think so - this must just be local terminology:
"Boards to cover" is sawn timber that "covers" the specified sizes ordered - i.e. it's whatever they've got on the rack at the sawmill, so no machining costs to cut down to size. Maybe they call it something different at your sawmill.
So I'll ask for, say, '2 boards of 8ft 5x2" stock, boards to cover' and they might deliver 9ft of 11x2. Usually they deliver several feet more timber at the same price, so I end up with a nice amount of good sized hardwood off-cuts. I've been meaning to make toys for the kids for months and months :wink:

As for the planer/thicknesser debate - I have separates and am very happy. Changing over from planer to thicknesser over and over is one of those things that gets annoying after a while.

JohnJin: as for spindle moulders, I think it's a good idea. If I had the space I'd have one. They are so versatile and the cutters so much cheaper. Also you can make your own cutters if need be, for matching up a profile. After about 5 years of growing my router cutter selection, I now have a hell of a lot of money's-worth sitting in a little wooden box, so in time you end up spending the same.
I think the tilt and reach of a spindle moulder makes them worth it alone if that's the kind of work you do. But it's not going to replace a router is it :?:

 

[Alf]

Maybe they call it something different at your sawmill.

Ahh... that may be why I've never heard it before. No sawmill round here I get only that for which I have paid. Top whack usually I wonder if it is a local term. Anyone else familiar with this one? You never know, one day I may need to know how to deal with a real sawmill. :?

Cheers, Alf

 

[Aragorn]

Alf
I don't actually order direct from the local sawmills. I've still yet to investigate that route as it's probably cheaper still. I use a local timber merchant that deal in hardwoods and they source it from the local sawmills for British woods and get it in direct from America for the usual stuff.

 

[Alf]

Ah well, no decent local timber merchant round here either :? I dunno, what with that and the prevailing dampness of the atmosphere I can't help sometimes wondering why I even try woodworking in Cornwall...

S'cuse me while I just go and feel sorry for myself for a bit will you? :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[johnjin]

Alf thanks very much for asking the question I guess I was feeling a bit shy or didn't want to show my Ignorance.
And Aragorn thanks for such a straight understandable answer.
Yeah no matter how old I get I learn something every day
John