Spindle moulders

[jammyhl]

Ok - on another thread someone suggested I should look at a spindle moulder to cut new grooves in 1000m of flooring. It looks like a meatier more versatile router table. Or do I just buy a CRT table for my router?

Any suggestions on spindle moulder brands? I can probably stretch to £750 and I don't mind used but I just know nothing of this market?

(I am planning on building a 20ft double ender boat once finished with my house so there will be more use for it than just cutting grooves...)!

 

[AJB Temple]

My limited experience as an amateur woodworker. Spindle moulder will be quicker and give more consistent results. Do not consider using a spindle moulder without getting some safety training. Tooling costs can be quite high.

 

[ColeyS1]

Pay a joiner to do the grooves for you. Decent powerfeed is probably gonna cost 300-500

Coley

 

[RobinBHM]

Whereabouts are you in West Sussex? we may be able to help (we are in East Grinstead).

Cheers Robin

 

[deema]

I'm rather biased, so I declare my allegiance before I offer an opinion!

A spindle moulder is IMO one of the most versatile and useful machines in the shop. The three machines I simply could not do without would be a table saw, planner / Thicknesser and a Spindle moulder. The tool I least, if ever pick up is a router.

I would initially recommend a course on spindle moulder use. Peter Sefton I understand runs a superb course and it's highly regarded by forum members. This will let you know what it can be used for and also what to look for in a machine through using one. The normal rule of thumb applies for this machine the bigger and more massive the better.

Tooling is IMO when compared to router bits very cheap. Blocks can be bought very cheaply secondhand apart from very specialist tools such as window sets. (It can be done with simple tooling but requires more and longer setups). The variety of tooling and what it can do opens up new opportunities.

For the budget a good second hand machine should be achievable. Perhaps a Sedgwick SM3 for instance.

 

[jammyhl]

Ah - now don't get me started on PT's ... very much next on my list of machinery once I've got this flooring job out the way!

 

[deema]

Well.....I'd definitely get a P/T before a Spindle, it's the second most used machine IMO. First is the table saw and third is a Spindle.....in my shop anyway!

Now for a P/T a lovely Sedgwick with a Tersa block was my first choice, a Wadkin, Diminion or Cooksley were also on the list. There is one thing they all have in common, the tables do not lift up! The accuracy you need for the registration of the tables IMO means that only the very best....read expensive......machines of the new vintage can achieve it. I actually have owned one, and could not see the point of lifting tables.....it took me more time to change over than the Sedwick, it took up the same amount of room, and worst of all needed adjusting far more often as the tables inevitably moved.

 

[RogerS]

Well.....I'd definitely get a P/T before a Spindle, it's the second most used machine IMO. First is the table saw and third is a Spindle.....in my shop anyway!

Now for a P/T a lovely Sedgwick with a Tersa block was my first choice, a Wadkin, Diminion or Cooksley were also on the list. There is one thing they all have in common, the tables do not lift up! The accuracy you need for the registration of the tables IMO means that only the very best....read expensive......machines of the new vintage can achieve it. I actually have owned one, and could not see the point of lifting tables.....it took me more time to change over than the Sedwick, it took up the same amount of room, and worst of all needed adjusting far more often as the tables inevitably moved.

We're singing from the same hymn sheet, Deema. Totally agree with you re removable tables.

My advice to the OP is try and get someone else to do it.

Or seeing where you are located an email came through today from John Lloyd who has a cancellation on his machining course and he is close to you