Thicknesser / jointer

[HeliGav]

Ive been looking at getting the dewalt thicknesser which ive read is a great machine, but realising im going end up getting a jointer aswell at some point im not sure whether get the combined machine or save and buy both seperate. Was wondering are the combined machines as sturdy or is it just a gimick for hobbyists. Anyone who has experience in using them, advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance.....

 

[marcros]

i would go for separates every time, given the budget to buy decent ones, and the space to operate them in.

It is more for ease of having them set up, rather than the combined machine being a gimick.

 

[PAC1]

For a one man hobby set up a planer thicknesser makes sense especially if space is limited. You will never be using both at once and you plane a face and edge and then either rip to slightly oversize and then thickness or just thickness. The time to set up from planner to thicknesser is neglible.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Mine is combined (Kity 439).

I don't really like the compromise, although as the planer tables are fixed, the changeover is faster than the lifting-outfeed sort. The main issue is that the DX hose comes out in opposite directions depending on which operation you're doing. Presently my DX is in a corner of the 'shop, at one end of the p/t, and the hose only just reaches for planing operations.

On the other hand, it is really hard to get at the thicknesser drive rollers, to clean them (and you NEED to clean them, regularly). A lifting-table p/t or a separate thicknesser (or rollers that don't gum up!) would make this a lot easier.

If you have the space - separates. If you only have room for one machine, look at how the DX is arranged, and the height off the deck (my Kity is at a really awkward working height when thicknessing but ideal for planing), and noise - the induction motor types are quieter, as are the ones with spiral cutter blocks (if cost no object), and I'd guess that having a heavy chassis also helps the noise thing too.

HTH.

E.

 

[sploo]

I picked up a Metabo DH330 lunchbox style planer as I needed something with a fairly wide thicknessing capability. It's loud, and I get more snipe than I'd like, but it's relatively easy to move around (I try to use it outside due to the large volume of chips it produces, and the dust extraction port isn't great).

I realised I really also need a jointer/planer, so picked up the combined Titan TTB579PLN 204mm Planer Thicknesser from Screwfix when it was on offer - and only use it as a jointer/planer. Again it's small enough to move around (i.e. use it outside). It is loud. Very loud.

In an ideal world, I'd have the space for a couple of nice heavy cast iron induction motor powered separates, but the above pairing, whilst a bit cheap (in terms of build quality), do me well, and I like the fact I can just jump from one to the other whilst working. For the money (and small space they take in the workshop) I'm more than happy with them.

 

[deema]

With the exception of Felder, SCM and Hammer the following would be my personal views
1. Avoid any modern machine with lifting tables, I've looked at many and owned one and the conclusion I came to is that the structure of the machines is too light to hold the planning tables ridgid and allow repeatable lifting causing the tables to go out of alignment.

2. Remember to pay for the machine and not twiddly stuff. By this I mean anything that you are paying for accurate thickness settings is not worth it. For a project you will normally mill all of your stuff in one go. Since you are making the item as long as all the stuff is consistent it doesn't really matter to that its not 0.1mm accurate to the size specified. You can get to within 0.5mm using a micrometer if needed, but in reality, leave the stuff overnight and it will have changed its thickness.

3. The longest heaviest cast iron beds should be your priority. 12" wide is great, but most people don't use much more than 10" wide. The length of the beds significantly improves getting stuff straight. The longer the better.

4. If at all possible get a machine with a Tersa block. Simple and unbelievable easy to change the knives with absolutely no setting required. Spiral blocks are seen as a step up as they are quieter. However, for simplicity and ease of use you can't beat the Tersa system (IMO)

5. If at all possible get one with planer tables that will lift off, or better still pull back out of the way. This makes cleaning the rollers and cutter bock much easier.

6. Rigidity is the key, choose a machine where there are cast iron pieces bolted together that house the planer tables and thicknesses tables in one rigid solid lump. Yep they are more difficult to move around a workshop (you shouldn't really move them as they settle when sat) but you will spend more time doing wood work than fiddling around with a machine that produces taper cuts and needs all of the beds resetting frequently.

Recommendations,
Well, anything from Wadkin, Cooksley, Robinson, Dominion are all sound investments that you won't ever loose money in. They are however all out of business and they are only available secondhand. Plenty of choose on auction sites. For a modern machine, you can't buy a better machine at a moderate price that a British build Sedgwick. (I choose the 16" Sedgwick with Tersa and it's simply brilliant again IMO). They do a 10' 12 and a 16" version. Again also available secondhand, and parts are available should you ever need any (almost unheard of, they are built to last many generations of use). They are based in Leeds.

Top end stuff is Felder, SCM and the cheaper brand from Felder, Hammer. I don't have any experience of any of them, but they are primary foundation machines for serious modern industrial applications.

Extraction is best run to a take off point directly above the machines with a flexible hose down. This allows the change of side of the extraction bucket to be accommodated without any real problems. Mine is at head plus an arm height with a blast gate I can reach from the normal operating position.

 

[wcndave]

Changing from planing to thicknessing is a pain IMHO on a single machine, as you have to wind the table all the way down, change extraction etc.. I often plane ten pieces, then thickness, then want to go back to planing...

however, the lunchbox types have little infeed and outfeed support. On the other hand, they can do wider boards often.

I would say:

if space and money are no issue, get high quality separates. (thicknesser like the powermatic big ones)
if space is a problem get a high quality combined, however they're still often largish, or
get a high quality planer and portable lunchbox type thicknesser


I have a friend who put my bench through his thicknesser, and the boards were 1.5m x 70cm x 10cm maple, and the machine was never gonna tip or anything. Must portable lunchbox designs can't cope with any decent sized boards without lots of roller stands etc.

So my criteria was, if I don't have space / money for a very good floor standing thicknesser, get a very good combined machine, and put up with the hassle.

In the end I got a big scheppach, which cost > £1,000 but I probably prefer the brands mentioned by other posters above if it were possible.