Sagar Planer Thicknesser Monster

[Andy RV]

They always look smaller in the photos!

I picked this machine up last Wednesday after winning it on ebay, although mine was the only bid!
It's a Sagar 16" planner thicknesser that weights a tonne, literally! Getting it in the van was a bit of mission using a winch and planks to roll/ pull it in, to get it out I removed the tables which allowed me to get an engine hoist over the centre of the machine then lifted it and drove the van out of the way.

Tables removed:

I took the back off the drive system and degreased the gears and chain, everything is very free and runs smoothly, the shaft at the very bottom is the drive for the thicknesser feed which runs off a flat belt, the drive then goes through a 3 speed gearbox then onto the chain:

This is the motor that came with it, it's over a foot in diameter and weights approx 150kg, its huge! The previous set up had the motor bolted to the floor with 2 belts to the cutter block and then another to a converter type system that then transfers the motion to a flat belt for the feed.

The machine rebuilt:

Plans are to fit a 4HP single phase motor and make some dust!! :twisted:

And does anyone want the big three phase motor? It seems a shame to scrap it.

 

[Stormer1940]

Hi Andy, I love these goldie oldies. Does look like a monster. What was the winning bid if you don't mind me asking?

 

[heimlaga]

I like that machine. It is a bit smaller and probably half a ton lighter than my monster but I think it will be a very good machine.

Excuse me for being a sissy but I am just a little bit worried about that cutter head. To me it looks like a clam shell head. Does it have any built in feature of some kind that prevents the knives from flying if the bolts get loose? Some cutterheads had that feature and some hadn't. Personally I would not use a clam shell head without that feature for safety reasons. Cutterheads can be shifted out if it should become necsessary.

Is there any back guard protecting the cutterhead behind the fence? If there isn't I have a good design that you could make easily.

Good luck with you fine machine!

 

[Andy RV]

Thanks for the interest, I paid £300, about the same price as a new lightweight bench top thicknesser.

I've not had the cutterblock apart yet but it would appear to be a clamshell system with only the pressure from the clams holding the knives in place.
At 90 degrees to the knife clams are another two, only around 8" long which I think are for moulded knives? I'll have to get some detailed pictures of the cutterblock system.

Andy.

 

[wallace]

I love it Sagar have amazeing build quality. What other lumps of cast iron have you got hidden in there. Was that a wilson I spied
Mark

 

[tool613]

The british cutter block are nothing like the Oliver merican clam heads the Oliver safty head is a POS when compared. I did a post on the head and its workings and i believe sagar Robinson pickles had the same design.
wadkin-s-old-plate-type-cutterblock-help-t56926.html

I am working on a Over under at the moment and am rebuild the head and drive system. Not as old as yours but very much the same.
you can view the rebuild here

http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/sh ... ot-planner
BTW the wadkin saw looks like a SO. Or the SN rip saw from for the 20s the predecessor to the wadkin SO. I believe the rise and fall where place at an angle in the SO and the blade size was upped to 20". cool saw
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/2238/4020.pdf
it does look earlier than 1936 and Matty has an older wadkin catalogue that it may be in. Is it line belt?

jack
English machines

 

[Andy RV]

My other pieces of iron are a small wadkin 6inch planer and a wadkin 12inch table saw, I'll have to have another look at the name plate that came with the machine for the model, I remember that last time I searched nothing came up, its originally had a big cast iron motor which I've still got so it must be early 20th century.

I'd love to do a restore like yours Jack but I'm just going to get it running for now, iKll have to get some detailed pictures of the cutterblock.

Thanks guy.

 

[tool613]

Plans are to fit a 4HP single phase motor and make some dust!! :twisted:

And does anyone want the big three phase motor? It seems a shame to scrap it.

Andy
would you like to sell the motor tag of that motor? I need one for my rebuild. do you have a pic of it(the tag)

jack
English machines