Follow up from Thicknesser Electrics

[sawtooth-9]

Having sorted out the re-wiring of the manual star - delta start electrics, decided to re-vamp this machine.
Italian Sicma DRT 400 Planer / thicknesser
This is a solid cast iron machine ( probably around 300 Kg )
Driven by a 4 Kw 3 phase motor.
The planer table is 6 feet long
It's not a full restoration, but simply doing some basic maintenance , and getting rid of some rubbish paint.
Looks like the blade set has been wrong, and are VERY blunt.
This machine EATS wood, so it's worth the effort.

 

[deema]

goody goody.

 

[Sideways]

Pictures please

 

[sawtooth-9]

Pictures please

Yes I will send some pics.
Have just made some " protection " around the star delta switch, as it was really open to being bashed ! Just made from some spare stainless steel rod.
Just have to wait a few days for the paint to harden, then can assemble a few "bits".
BUT, while I wait for paint to dry, I have to cut and split a couple of tons of firewood - for next winter.

 

[sawtooth-9]

This machine was built in 1981, but has been neglected for a long time.
Have spent a couple of weeks working on her, and starting to look like a real "Beast" again.

 

[sawtooth-9]

next view

 

[sawtooth-9]

 

[sawtooth-9]

Managed to fit the new star delta switch into the original mounting plate.
Did not like that the switch was open to being damaged, so made up a couple of protection bars, from some spare stainless steel bar.

 

[deema]

That looks exactly like the SCM L’Invincible PT. Parallelogram arms for the fence, same mustard coloured and the attachment point for the slot Morticer off tge spindle. Very interesting. The SCM variant is the machine I’m constantly looking for! I’m envious. Good purchase.

 

[sawtooth-9]

The table had suffered from several years of "rust attack" so a clean up was necessary.
The first stage was to clean up the surface corrosion with a wire brush attached to an angle grinder. That was the easy bit.
The next stage was to hand rub down the tables with a coarse scotch brite ( The black "stuff" ).
Plenty of lubrication required here ( a mixture of 80 % elbow grease and 20 % sweat ! )
Once clean - a good coat of wax

 

[sawtooth-9]

Am now waiting to receive one of those magnetic knife setting jigs and will fit a sharp set of knives.
Think I will also add an "emergency stop" button on the operator side of the machine.

 

[sawtooth-9]

Interesting comment

That looks exactly like the SCM L’Invincible PT. Parallelogram arms for the fence, same mustard coloured and the attachment point for the slot Morticer off tge spindle. Very interesting. The SCM variant is the machine I’m constantly looking for! I’m envious. Good purchase.

on the colour.
Originally this machine was "machine green" - not a colour I like.
Someone painted over that with a hammer tone gold - not real flash after several years.
I only had some "left over" paint, so I did a mix and ended up with this colour. I probably would have gone a bit lighter but ran out of white !
I do have the morticing attachment, but it needs quite a bit of work and one handle is broken. I don't think I will ever use it, so not sure what to do with it. I suspect this was for cutting tennons - and if so, there are other easier ways to do this.

 

[Fitzroy]

Amazing looking machine. Love the table length. I was hanging my nose over a Wadkin Baos by it the tables are so short compared to my old Wadkin BFT9.

I assume they are fixed, in which case do they get in the way whilst thicknessing?

 

[deema]

That’s interesting, SCM went from mustard (they called it brown, but it looks mustard to me) which was the early colour to green for the later machines before moving to white of today. With yours also being an Italian machine, I wonder whether SCM just badged it or Sicma did?.?

Do you have the manual for it you could share? I just have the sales brochure, which I’ve attached.

Is the slot / tenoner the same as was mounted in their slotter? They are very rare here in the UK, I image they are rather like a pantograph system which is popular for routers……I suspect it would be very useful if you got it setup. Im just interested in old iron, and Sicma isn’t a brand / machines I’ve yet played with / restored.

 

[sawtooth-9]

Amazing looking machine. Love the table length. I was hanging my nose over a Wadkin Baos by it the tables are so short compared to my old Wadkin BFT9.

I assume they are fixed, in which case do they get in the way whilst thicknessing?

Both tables swing up and give easy access to the knife block.
It's possible to thickness without lifting the in feed side table, but I usually lift this for convenience.

 

[sawtooth-9]

That’s interesting, SCM went from mustard (they called it brown, but it looks mustard to me) which was the early colour to green for the later machines before moving to white of today. With yours also being an Italian machine, I wonder whether SCM just badged it or Sicma did?.?

Do you have the manual for it you could share? I just have the sales brochure, which I’ve attached.

Is the slot / tenoner the same as was mounted in their slotter? They are very rare here in the UK, I image they are rather like a pantograph system which is popular for routers……I suspect it would be very useful if you got it setup. Im just interested in old iron, and Sicma isn’t a brand / machines I’ve yet played with / restored.


View attachment 142483

Thanks for that.
I do not have any manual or information on this - it's all a bit of guess work.
Before I remove the old knives, I will use the setting jigs to see how much the knives protrude from the knife block. I am guessing about 3 mm ???
As the thickness gauge has no adjustment, I hope to set the knives so that the thickness guide reads correctly.
I have no experience with SCM, but SICMA may be an Italian copy ??
It is just a pity that the Italians couldn't assemble a machine with easy access for maintenance !
Apparently SICMA still manufacture agricultural equipment, so I might see if they can email a manual .

 

[sawtooth-9]

That’s interesting, SCM went from mustard (they called it brown, but it looks mustard to me) which was the early colour to green for the later machines before moving to white of today. With yours also being an Italian machine, I wonder whether SCM just badged it or Sicma did?.?

Do you have the manual for it you could share? I just have the sales brochure, which I’ve attached.

Is the slot / tenoner the same as was mounted in their slotter? They are very rare here in the UK, I image they are rather like a pantograph system which is popular for routers……I suspect it would be very useful if you got it setup. Im just interested in old iron, and Sicma isn’t a brand / machines I’ve yet played with / restored.


View attachment 142483

Yes it looks very similar
On mine, one of the castings that the handle fits into, has broken.
It's either a repair ( of sorts ) or fabricate a replacement.
It would be a bit of work to restore it, and I doubt I would ever use it - so do I keep or scrap ??

 

[sawtooth-9]

That looks exactly like the SCM L’Invincible PT. Parallelogram arms for the fence, same mustard coloured and the attachment point for the slot Morticer off tge spindle. Very interesting. The SCM variant is the machine I’m constantly looking for! I’m envious. Good purchase.

Is this SICMA the same as the SCM ?
Apparently SCM has several manufacturing sites in Italy.
After your comments on the mortiser attachment, I stripped it down and I will do a restoration job on it.
It was "frozen" but have managed to free it up.
a few of the gib grub screws have sheared off, but it must have been my lucky day, because all three were extracted without any real drama.
Aside from a broken casting, it looks like it will turn out fine.
It's part of the machine, so it deserves to be there.
Then I might find a use for it after all.

 

[deema]

Brilliant, we need pictures

 

[HOJ]

The SCM variant is the machine I’m constantly looking for!

I have an SCM L’Invincible, is this the the model your looking for?, you'll have to wait a couple years though till I retire, then it'll be up for grabs.. and its on wheels.