Thicknesser overhead block

[jackal]

Hi all

I been looking for ages but can,t find anything that is suitable. I have a 10 inch planer thicknesser and a Jet table top planer which I like the concept as the height is adjusted by the altering the cutter block which is good if set up with outfeed tables ect. My question if any of you fine folk know of any, more industrial versions of around 16 inch wide?

The Jet has been great and man has it had some old hard Oak through it but I think it is a little tired now with some play in the rise and fall causing some inaquracy!

Merci

 

[Myfordman]

I agree with your sentiment but I don't think you will find one on either side of the Atlantic.

The cutter head/motor assembly is so heavy when they get to the sort of widths you want that it is best for the machine design, to have a fixed head and a moveable relatively light table.

I'd willingly buy one to replace my 'lunchbox' type thicknesser to have the relative quiet of an induction motor but I do want to continue to have my table saw as part of the outfeed support and a nearby bench to support the infeed for longer jobs.

If you find one shout it from the roof tops!

 

[jackal]

Sounds a bit of an impossible request, but I will keep looking!

 

[blackrodd]

You don't say which models you have.
Most of the older and well used thicknessers are a bit slack like that.
If you are not able to adjust or fix the wear in the bed risers, set the bed when using on the way up usually helps.
Regards Rodders

 

[Job and Knock]

The type of thicknesser you are looking for is an American design. I cannot recall ever seeing any similer models made in the UK, nor by manufacturers such as Lurem or Chambon in France. The reason is as stated - the weight of the head is far higher than that of the table, but also thetre are side guarding issues on the cutterblock which American model need to address. Larger machines of that type were produced (by the Germans amongst others) for use in continuous production lines where the bed of the machine needs to remain fixed, but you are talking about 36 to 54in wide panel planers (thicknessers in modern parlance) weighing a number of tonnes, a very different prospect. I can recall there being one member of the forum a while back who'd imported a 15in wide thicknesser from the USA, but I don't recall who, or for that matter what make/model. There was also someone in South Wales (?) who was importing US lightweight equipment for a while, but that was some years ago and I understood there were issues with stuff not being CE-compliant, etc

 

[Myfordman]

JnK,

These are exactly the type of machine that the OP (and I) don't want. The head stays still and the tables go up and down.

 

[jackal]

That's very interesting but those ultra wide machines are a little overkill. I nake staircases and when I thickness a string I really dont want to mess with roller stands. Thicknessing treads is ok with a conventional thicknessor as short but without support sniping is an issue.

 

[Job and Knock]

These are exactly the type of machine that the OP (and I) don't want. The head stays still and the tables go up and down.

Sorry, very similar, still a poor piece of design IMHO

The head DOES go up and down on that one. Having open sides makes the tool noisy, less safe and have poorer dust extraction FWIW

 

[jackal]

Is that Delta machine available in europe?

 

[jackal]

Is that delta definetly a thicknesser or a drum sander?

 

[Job and Knock]

It is a thicknesser, marked as discontinued, though Looking around in the USA, Delta appear to have dropped that type of thicknesser. The other US suppliers have all seemingly gone over towards the bed rise/fall type machine - looked at Grizzly, Powermatic and Shop Fox (the recession seems to have thinned out other makers I was familiar with, like Bridgewood and Lobo) - and then I found the Steelex copy which seems to have what you are after

At about $1300 on Amazon USA they look cheap enough, but I bet that shipping, import duties and VAT would hike that to £2k or more. Steel City do a similar model at a higher price. And thare'a also a General International offering. I just can't see there being much of a market for them in the UK, or for that matter - most of the trade guys buy 500 or 600mm thicknessers new and smaller kit in that market tends to be combi planer/thicknessers

Maybe you need to start up your own import firm

 

[Myfordman]

Good shout JnK! I want one!

Now can I make room for it in my workshop?

 

[Myfordman]

Here is a Jet badged variant that is not being marked as discontinued??
Different stand arrangement but still a moving head fixed table scheme.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/825638 ... S-3HP.aspx

 

[heimlaga]

I have never seen a thicknesser with fixed table and the head moving up and down. However I think a proper industrial thicknesser will be able to handle a stair stringer without any snipe issues. You just support the ends of it a little with your hand as it passes through.

As usual I would look at the secondhand market.
A heavily built thicknesser with a lot of cast iron in it. 24 inches was a commin width. You could get one of those for the same amount of money as one of those lightweight Deltas.

Another option I came to think of is an old British style planer/thicknesser. Let's say a Wadkin or Sagar or Stenner. They have a very long thicknessing table which gives the workpiece a lot of support.

 

[blackrodd]

I have never seen a thicknesser with fixed table and the head moving up and down. However I think a proper industrial thicknesser will be able to handle a stair stringer without any snipe issues. You just support the ends of it a little with your hand as it passes through.

As usual I would look at the secondhand market.
A heavily built thicknesser with a lot of cast iron in it. 24 inches was a commin width. You could get one of those for the same amount of money as one of those lightweight Deltas.

Another option I came to think of is an old British style planer/thicknesser. Let's say a Wadkin or Sagar or Stenner.
They have a very long thicknessing table which gives the workpiece a lot of support.

Where did you see one?I'd love to see a pic, please.
I've used Stenner bandsaws a lot in the past, never heard of a Stenner planer, only bandsaws or resaws.
The factory is 40 miles away, in Tiverton. and our wheels were sent there to be re-crowned. every 3, or 4 years.
http://www.stenner.co.uk/machinery_range/

The only reason for snipe on a thicknesser is the pressure bars, each side of the cutterblock need cleaning out and servicing, or the bed rollers are gunged up with sap etc, or again need removing and a clean and service,
Or just set to high, because of the above.
If you're planer thicknesser is working hard and 5, or 6 hours a day, it will need all these jobs done every couple of months to be running right.
Regards Rodders

 

[heimlaga]

blackrodd
I have seen one or two Stenner planer/thicknessers advertised for sale secondhand. They looked like they would be elderly. Probably pre-war designs.

 

[Job and Knock]

However I think a proper industrial thicknesser will be able to handle a stair stringer without any snipe issues. You just support the ends of it a little with your hand as it passes through.

Extremely poor and completely unsafe practice! You support materials on roller stands - never with your hands! Kickbacks can occur, even on machines with anti-kickback pawls

A heavily built thicknesser with a lot of cast iron in it. 24 inches was a commin width.

You didn't mention the requirement for 3 phase, 10HP and 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 tonne weight. Realistically a machine like that also needs at least a 3HP 2- or 3-bag extractor as well

Another option I came to think of is an old British style planer/thicknesser. Let's say a Wadkin or Sagar or Stenner.

Stenner more or less turned into a band resawing firm in the 1950s and in any case were a relatively small firm. Sagar ceased trading in 1957 and very few machines of that make are still around. You missed the more obvious UK candidates of Robinson who made large thicknessers right up to their demise in 1987

Realistically pre-WWI machines are not the best thing to go for. Older, large thicknessers frequently had square blocks (in fact this was stll relatively common until the late 1950s) which in comparison to circular blocks are considerably more noisy and somewhat more dangerous because if wrongly set they can more readily pick-up and kick back timber towards the opoerator.

 

[heimlaga]

However I think a proper industrial thicknesser will be able to handle a stair stringer without any snipe issues. You just support the ends of it a little with your hand as it passes through.

Extremely poor and completely unsafe practice! You support materials on roller stands - never with your hands! Kickbacks can occur, even on machines with anti-kickback pawls

A heavily built thicknesser with a lot of cast iron in it. 24 inches was a commin width.

You didn't mention the requirement for 3 phase, 10HP and 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 tonne weight. Realistically a machine like that also needs at least a 3HP 2- or 3-bag extractor as well

Another option I came to think of is an old British style planer/thicknesser. Let's say a Wadkin or Sagar or Stenner.

Stenner more or less turned into a band resawing firm in the 1950s and in any case were a relatively small firm. Sagar ceased trading in 1957 and very few machines of that make are still around. You missed the more obvious UK candidates of Robinson who made large thicknessers right up to their demise in 1987

Realistically pre-WWI machines are not the best thing to go for. Older, large thicknessers frequently had square blocks (in fact this was stll relatively common until the late 1950s) which in comparison to circular blocks are considerably more noisy and somewhat more dangerous because if wrongly set they can more readily pick-up and kick back timber towards the opoerator.

Well..... supporting long timbers with one hand was the way I was taught in vocational school in the late 1990-ies. I was also taught to stand beside the timber and grip an edge not the end. Right or wrong that is how I was taught and how I do it.

I run old heavy machinery all the time. It is not an option for everyone but it should be mentioned as one option among several. They are as safe as anything new but I had to pick my machines wisely (avoiding square heads) and weld up some modern guards and modernize the electrical wiring. The cost including rebuild costs is roughly equal to the cost of new lightweight machines with much smaller capacity.
Fortunately I have 400volt three phase power and a farmer nearby once helped me unload one machine which was to heavy for the small front loader on my Massey-Ferguson 165. The thread starter did not mention anyting about his limitations (space and strenght of floor joists and avaiability of power) so I though every option had to be mentioned. Being prepared to invest that much money specificly in stair making indicates that he has a serious workshop.
Having grown up on the countryside I have learned that everything doesn't have to be new and ready made. There is so much more on the market than the stuff sold by Jet and Axminster and there will never be a machine that fit's everybody's needs and limitations.

Yep I missed the obvious Robinson just by misstake beacause they are very rare in Finland. Sagar is a more common brand around here.