new panel saw and planer thicknesser advice MJ12-1600 aw106

[kopstar7]

I will be shortly moving into a smaller workshop than the one i share at the moment. I need to replace the panel saw and planer thicknesser which at the moment are both 3 phase and too large.

My new workshop is 3500mm by 8000mm and the scm panel saw ive been looking at is the axminster MJ12-1600. I need it to cut large panels within the space i will have. has anyone got any advice on this machine or a similar one
The planer thicknesser is the usual AW106PT2 axminster im looking at but it will need to plane and thickness over 2 metre long oak sawn timber and i dont know if it will be up to the task

Any advice will be welcome

 

[MickCheese]

I cannot answer your question but welcome anyway.

Mick

 

[siggy_7]

I had a good look around the MJ12-1600 in the Axminster showroom when I was researching to buy my own saw. It seemed well put together and would be up to the task of cutting panels easily, but it's a BIG saw - with the squaring frame and outrigger on one side, and the extension tables to the other, I would have serious misgivings about using it in a 3.5m wide shop. It also doesn't lend itself to being made portable - the sales rep in Axminster dissuaded me from the idea of fitting a mobile base, despite pushing me hard to buy one and knowing that I was concerned about the size. Are you only looking to/mainly cut panels? In which case a vertical panel saw may be better suited to your needs, and a smaller table saw if you need one.

Regarding the P/T, the only concern with length would be arranging sufficient infeed and outfeed support, assuming the planing tables are long enough to satisfy your needs for easy and accurate surface planing.

 

[kopstar7]

Thanks for the reply, its nice to get info off someone who has actually seen one.

The size is tight with the new workshop but the axminster website says including the crosscut table the width is 2280mm so i would have over 1 metre to walk around the outside and i plan on having the saw at the end of the workshop. I current dont have these difficulties as my current workshop is 20 metres square but the rent and rates are too much

I only cut a few panels a month, manily i deal in solid hardwoods sawn and use the sliding bed to put a fairley straight edge to it before planing

I know these palner thicknessers are popular but how easy is the transfer from planing to thicknessing?

I suppose im spoilt at the moment with the space and my 3 phase scm 3 metre slide and watkin p/t but times are tight

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

Hi,

I've got a Scheppach TS4010 and it's not ever used for panels as I prefer to just use a track/ plunge saw. I do have the sliding table for the TS but with the size of it I have never bothered fitting it. I'm told that it operates very well when it's set up. I got my TS4010 for about £900-£1000 including delivery off the 'Bay. I don't think the footprint of the saw is that big.

I've got a Sedgwick 10" P/T that was also off the 'Bay and it is not very big for what it can manage, you don't have to 'convert' anything to switch from planing to thicknessing as you may well know. That was a touch under £600 with delivery.

I think both machines would suit you well and give you plenty of space to move around in. Have a look on Ebay for similar stuff and just wait around for a bargain.

Hope that helps, good luck in your search. Cheers _Dan

 

[gardenshed]

Can't help you with the panel saw you mention, but I used to own the P/T AW106PT2.
I really didn't get on with it, the fence was poor, everytime the tables were moved from planning to thicknessing they went out of alignment, had a lot of trouble with the feed roller chain drives and alignment of the feed rollers. And to be honest it's a bit lightweight for what you want it for imho.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

I cut down quite a lot of sheet material, and have tried various panel saws. I've now ended up with an 8x4 table and a Festool with a 2.7M rail, and am much happier and getting more accurate cuts. Having done the rips on that, I then move the stock to a similar purpose made Festool based crosscutting table. Alternatively I could use a smaller panel saw with a scoring blade, got rid of the last one as I was getting better cuts with the Festool.

It's slower but more accurate and better edges, and to me that's more important, plus it's easier to handle the material as it's the saw moving not the material.

 

[siggy_7]

Does the 2280mm width include the cross-cut fence, or just the squaring table? It's important to bear in mind that the fence sticks out further than the table, and telescopes out further still if you want to have a large length of stock/sheet to the left side of the blade - from memory it was around 2.5m wide measuring from the extension table to the fully retracted cross-cut fence. E.g. if you were planning to take a 300mm strip off the end of a full panel for whatever reason, you'd have more than 2m of material to the left of the blade and all the tables still to the right, which would take up all your available width.

 

[wcndave]

I agree with the track saw approach. My neighbour and my brother in law have big 3phase machines, which are really really nice, however once you get down to something smaller, in a smaller space, it just doesn't work as well. Getting a plunge saw and a rail is much easier to manage. Then you can get a really nice well built cabinet saw for doing the other 90% of your work.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

The planer thicknesser is the usual AW106PT2 axminster im looking at but it will need to plane and thickness over 2 metre long oak sawn timber and i dont know if it will be up to the task

As long as the stock doesn't exceed 10x6 and you don't want to take a lot off in one go, then the machine will be ok for it, as long as the boards aren't too heavy. If you were working with thick stock the problem that can arise is that the machine itself starts to tip when it's nearly all the way through. If you are working with 2" stock you will probably be ok

 

[kevin dwyer]

hi. I used to cut the timber for the local diy / timber store in a very small basement. The owners changed the old saw which was probably a wadkin with ply framework built around to a new italian saw with a sliding table. The sliding table is quick but I was always having to watch not to slice my left fingers off where the sliding table approached the saw. kev.