Advice needed for new purchase of P/T and saw

[mahomo59]

I'm after some help and advice. Recently moved into larger workshop and now have the space to offer larger items, kitchens, wardrobes etc. I was always worried about renting and leaving the confines of my single garage, however I needn't have been and seem to be comfortable with my workflow. I'm lacking some what in equipment? Also haven't used big kit since I carried out my apprenticeship twenty years ago (army) still confident to set up and use correctly. Just not had the space to purchase before. So I'm thinking this so far... Rather spend the money once. Need single phase as that's all I have.

I have my eye on this eBay. P/T
371378368122

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371378368122? ... EBIDX%3AIT

Saw also ebay.
151740648412

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151740648412? ... EBIDX%3AIT


So far have briefly, plunge saw, mitre saw, ujk cast iron router table, several routers, drills hand tools etc. If I'm honest I'm a little bit of a festool junkie.

I'd welcome all advice from your good selves.

Example - made nine oak drawers boxes recently ranging from 90-220mm high and it was a pain buying par oak 1" thick from Robbins and running through dewalt thicknesser, it took a while. I feel that I'm ready to dimension my own stock, also had dreadful results recently from timbercut4you.

 

[RossJarvis]

I'm after some help and advice. Recently moved into larger workshop and now have the space to offer larger items, kitchens, wardrobes etc. I was always worried about renting and leaving the confines of my single garage, however I needn't have been and seem to be comfortable with my workflow. I'm lacking some what in equipment? Also haven't used big kit since I carried out my apprenticeship twenty years ago (army) still confident to set up and use correctly. Just not had the space to purchase before. So I'm thinking this so far... Rather spend the money once. Need single phase as that's all I have.

I have my eye on this eBay. P/T
371378368122

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371378368122? ... EBIDX%3AIT

Saw also ebay.
151740648412

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151740648412? ... EBIDX%3AIT


So far have briefly, plunge saw, mitre saw, ujk cast iron router table, several routers, drills hand tools etc. If I'm honest I'm a little bit of a festool junkie.

I'd welcome all advice from your good selves.

Example - made nine oak drawers boxes recently ranging from 90-220mm high and it was a pain buying par oak 1" thick from Robbins and running through dewalt thicknesser, it took a while. I feel that I'm ready to dimension my own stock, also had dreadful results recently from timbercut4you.

In many respects I think track-saws are replacing both "mitre/chop-saws" and table saws, do you have one, or can you get a track for your plunge saw?

 

[mahomo59]

Plunge saw and rails of various lengths. 2.7, 1.4, 800. mft table and Kapex. Been using the dewalt 745 a lot, it's a great little saw. Use it a lot for repeat cuts and speed, incidentally saw is second priority P/T is first.

 

[mahomo59]

I'd really like to know if the machines I have suggested are ok, hoping the cast iron Guru's can help

 

[mahomo59]

Some good sound advice. So many little cast iron owners.

 

[No skills]

While youre waiting for real advice I'll waste your time with my advice.

As most know I know **** all about anything, but heres my take. The PT looks pretty good and large for a single phase machine and seems a better choice than the 700-800£ aluminium machines that are so common, are parts available is the real question in my mind. Loosing a weeks use because finding a left handed brass thingy from 1974 is difficult would put me off buying it.

As for the tablesaw I'm sure its nice but wouldnt a large bandsaw be better for converting large rough timbers into smaller sections ready for flattening on the PT and then TS for repeat sizing at smaller dimentions?

As I said I know nothing so take with a pinch of salt.

 

[heimlaga]

I don't have never heard of Whitehead before. Though it looks like a well built and solid British style planer/thicknesser. British style implies fairly short fixed surfacing tables. That style is a lot more solid than tilting table machines. The downside is that the surfacer tables end up a bit on the short side so they don't get in the way too much when thicknessing.
Though I don't know this particular machine I am pretty sure that it will be way better than most hobby machines of today. I think it would be an excellent hobby machine even for an advanced hobbyist though it would probably end up on the small side if you are intending to work wood as a part time business.

Those Startrite table saws have a good reputation. I have no own experience of them but it looks like a perfect saw for an advanced hobbyist or small scale part timer. The lack of sliding table is a disadwantage though.

I could well imagine buying those two. Spare parts isn't too much of a problem with theese old machines. They don't break very often and when they do any good machinist can usually make the parts needed.

This is all I know.....

 

[dzj]

+1 what heimlaga says.

I doubt you can get much better limited by single phase.

 

[mahomo59]

Thanks guys, slight change of thought. Going to make some enquiries re Xcalibur 10 saw, possibly their planer. I do wood occupations full time and earn my crust this way. Gradually moving up to bigger projects. Advice is most welcome on purchases and I really appreciate it. Once again. Thank you

 

[heimlaga]

I do it just as a sideline to carpentry. Out of a former garage but planning for the kind of move you just did... so I shouldn't pretend to be too much of an expert...... though I know what limitations I am suffering from myself.

I think your single phase power supply will be your greatest problem.
Would is be possible to set up some kind of phase converter to get three phase?
How big fuses du you have?

Now I have a Stenberg KEV 600 combination with 16" 5hp table saw and 600 mm surfacer and 600mm thicknesser and 3hp spindle moulder all in one machine.
I would not work wood for profit without a sliding table. I often wish that the sliding table of the Stenberg had a longer stroke and that the table saw blade could be tilted. An Altendorf or Martin panel saw would be ideal but they require too much space right now. In the future I might upgrade.
I already bought a very old Chemnitzer Werkzeugmachinenfabrik 24" rip saw. The plan is to set it up with a 7,5 kW motor and a feedwork and a long outfeed table once I get more space. The rip and resaw capacity of the Stenberg is often on the small side for the kind of work I do.
If you aren't into joinery for older buildings then you should not need this kind of ripping capacity.

I have also outgrown the spindle moulder. I have a Jonsered FM-C with a 4 kW motor waiting in storage in an old barn together with an ELU feedwork. The Stenberg combination cannot be fitted with a feedwork unfortunately and that plus the limited power has became a bottle neck in my workflow. Ideally I would want a tilting spindle moulder but they are a bit too expensive for this small scale of production.

I have found that 600 mm planing capacity is plenty enough. I would say that 400 mm would be enough for most jobs. When my woodworking hobby first grew into a side income I rapidly outgrew my 250 mm Ejca planer/thicknesser. Planing wood took up way too much of my time and became a terrible bottleneck. When I bought the Stenberg with it's 2,3 metres long table I found that it saved me a lot of time since longer pieces became straight at once and I can plane panels and other wide parts flat after glue up.

You should choose the machines that fit you best....... this is just what I have learned.....

 

[RobinBHM]

Whitehead dont exist anymore and are fairly rare so there wont be any spares or such a machine. Of course standard items like belts, bearings, motors etc can be replaced. If the machine is in good order it could last many more years. I've owned a wadkin RZ surface planer for 15 years and it has not had any bearings or other work required in that time.

It will be miles more solid than a new machine at the budget end and will have solid beds and fences that wont flex like an aluminium machine.

Depending on your budget, Id be tempted to hold out for a better 2nd hand machine like a Sedgewick or wadkin, your problem will be finding a machine easily in 240Volts. If you can, go to a 2nd hand machinery dealer and get a feel for an old cast machine then compare it to a new machine. New machines look pretty, but its how they perform that counts.

 

[mahomo59]

Thanks Guys. I spoke with Roy today from woodfords and had a nice chat re 10" xcalibur, he only has the 50" one in stock with only a couple left. Next shipment could be months away...according to Roy he says it's the only saw I'll ever need and will last a life time I've some thinking to do.
Holding out for P/T, taking on board what you fine chaps have said. Thank you.