Thickness planer

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For a dust extractor, would this be suitable to use with a benchtop P/T? Price is £120 with free delivery:
https://www.kendaltools.co.uk/product/charnwood-dc50-fine-filter-dust-extractor/
NO a PT needs a chip extractor not a dust extractor.

A not so secret solution to long lengths is to make all of your machines movable and of the same height so one can be used as an extension to another, set up the PT with the blades level to the outfeed table, forget all these fanciful ideas of how to set up the blades they cause snipe. Tim hat on.
 
I have a 14ft x 8ft room in my cellar, 7ft high.

I have a 7x3 workbench with my tablesaw built in on one side of the 14ft side, on the other side I have a 2ft x 8ft cross cut Station that has my cross cut in the middle, pillar drill on one end and I plan to put my (new to me) 1/2" blade cast band saw. On 1 of the 8ft sides I have a sheet storage bin and above that I have shelves of 4 x2 RS and 6x2 live Edge.
On the other 8 ft side I have a 210L drum with my vacuum hooked up to it going to various points in the room, in the space that's left I want to put a P/T next to my disc sander.
I have a ready supply of 6x2 live Edge soft wood and soft maple and have done for a long time so pretty much everything I want to make and have made has been with that, I don't really have the need to work with hard woods as most everything I build is for the grandkids. Next project is a 3 way bunk bed system so all my 3 grandkids have a bed and can all stay over together.
Affordability is as cheap as possible but able to do the job.

I hope that's enough information to gain some advice. Anything else please let me know.
Kind regards
Lee
Hi, I can't give advice on what planer/thicknesser to go for however; if you need to get a machine down into your cellar you may want to avoid a largish solid cast table. I have the Axminster AW106PT and you wouldn't want to move that down some stairs. I'd say weight of the machine could be a factor.
 
Hi, I can't give advice on what planer/thicknesser to go for however; if you need to get a machine down into your cellar you may want to avoid a largish solid cast table. I have the Axminster AW106PT and you wouldn't want to move that down some stairs. I'd say weight of the machine could be a factor.
This is what's now putting me off. It took 3 of us to get the (new to me) band saw down there. And it's pretty obvious now the cheap titans of the planer world are either not rated or just not fit for purpose.
Thanks.
 
I must be doing something wrong then. I’ve struggled with heavy ~2m long (200mm+ wide) boards where only ~1/3 of the board is referencing the table at the start and the end of the cut. The problem is definitely compounded when there is bow in the board meaning the end of the board is hanging below the level of table when starting the cut.

My F-I-L has added extensions to his tables and this seems to work well. I’ve seen other people mod their machines like this and I’ve been contemplating doing the same.

How do you manage long lengths and relatively short tables @Jones? Genuine question.
First cut your board up into the approximate size you need so the twist and bow you're planing out is minimized. Then plane with the bow or cup up so you're just getting the ends first. You might need to run just the ends over the cutter holding the board to work out any twist, probably flipping the board and working both ends. If you snap a chalk line on the edge you can do this fairly well by eye. If you pull back over the cutter make sure to lift the board enough that it doesn't contact and throw back. Once it's more or less right you can feed the whole plank normally.
 
Depends on what you want to do but with smaller stuff you can get by with a bench top thicknesser alone to some extent. Stuff cut to length first and then passed through hollow side down - when flat then turned to do other side. Maybe help with some hand planing to get it flat enough to machine.
Save money and smaller footprint.
I had one in the workshop once and found it much better and more useful than expected - alternating a bit of hand planing with a bit of machine planing.
 
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Some years ago I bought a secondhand Elecktor-Bekham HC260 ( from memory I think I have that right!) and have been more than happy with it. 10" wide cut with aluminium tables. Also bought a secondhand dust extractoras I foundthis to be essentialjust to clear the chips. Added adjustable height rollers to support longer work pieces for both the p/t and chop saw.
I had, before I moved house, an 18 x 8 foot workshop so not much bigger than yours and in order to optimise the space put most of my machines on castors so I could push them into a corner when not in use.
What someone hinted at above but it may not be clear is that once you have planned a face flat you can put that up to the fence (set at 90°) to get a side planed accurately at 90°. Nice feature.
Have fun
Martin
 
Some years ago I bought a secondhand Elecktor-Bekham HC260 ( from memory I think I have that right!) and have been more than happy with it. 10" wide cut with aluminium tables. Also bought a secondhand dust extractoras I foundthis to be essentialjust to clear the chips. Added adjustable height rollers to support longer work pieces for both the p/t and chop saw.
I had, before I moved house, an 18 x 8 foot workshop so not much bigger than yours and in order to optimise the space put most of my machines on castors so I could push them into a corner when not in use.
What someone hinted at above but it may not be clear is that once you have planned a face flat you can put that up to the fence (set at 90°) to get a side planed accurately at 90°. Nice feature.
Have fun
Martin
Even today I don't really have an issue getting a good enough edge for glue up, my jig on my table saw gives me an almost perfect edge. It's the face of the boards I struggle with a bit. It's a lot of surface to hand plane. The thicknesser was or I thought it was a way to get the face of the boards pretty much close then go it and refine with a hand plane. How wrong was I lol.
The whole thing is now most definitely on hold as I just can't see a way of including a chip extraction unit in a space that's already cramped.
Thanks for the advice
Kind regards
Lee.
 
May I ask what P/T your using and what type of extraction please. I've pretty much been totally put off even thinking about getting one now. Feel like I'm punching above my weight. Thanks.
Don't be put off, I think you're on the right track. I wouldn't worry too much about extraction for the HC260 type machine. As you stated earlier a brush can be effective.
I wonder if there is a member living within striking distance who would be willing to give you a demo. I suggest opening a new post with Wirral and PT in the title to grab the attention of members not following this post.
Brian
 
NO a PT needs a chip extractor not a dust extractor.

A not so secret solution to long lengths is to make all of your machines movable and of the same height so one can be used as an extension to another, set up the PT with the blades level to the outfeed table, forget all these fanciful ideas of how to set up the blades they cause snipe. Tim hat on.
Did you watch the Charnwood video that’s on the page that I posted the link to? The reason I ask is because their demo machine seems to be full of chips, as well as dust. I’d like to buy a Charnwood benchtop P/T later this year (for occasional hobby use) and was hoping that this dust extractor would be suitable to use with it, but maybe it isn’t? I’m confused now! 🤣
 
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Its a HPLV (High Pressure Low Volume) vacuum cleaner, fine for picking up dust (Low Volume) but not for picking up the larger chips from a PT for that you need a HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) Chip extractor, Charnwood and others have been selling these type of dust collectors for years with 100mm inlets, but they can not do the job of a Chip extractor the volume of chips is too much for them to handle, I tried with a twin motor Numatic at first on my PT it left behind too much and needed attention after nearly every pass, bought a Chip extractor and it never needed as much attention if any at all, there is no confusion they do different jobs, despite what the sales hype says.

Read the Charnwood ad it says "where fine dust is a problem"
 
So it's this simple.
I don't have the budget or space for a P/T and a chip extractor so I've decided to just totally forget the whole idea and stick to my hand planes and brush and shovel.
Thanks for all your advice.
 
There is a lot of professional purist advice in this thread. My take on it:
  • Soulmiester has a workshop 14ft long. The maximum length that could be planed is probably a little over 6ft
  • I assume the machine will need to be moved downstairs to the cellar - large heavy cast iron machine will be a complete pain to install
  • the size of the workshop means that all machines are competing for limited space. Long infeed and outfeed tables will compromise all else in the workshop
The advice to cut wood to approx size and then thickness is sound. I would also be concerned to ensure there is reasonable dust extraction, although chips are less of a health risk.

I have a lunchbox thicknesser and separate small planer, and little problem in using either, although snipe can be an issue if the board is not properly supported.

They may not operate with the repeatable precision of a larger machine and would probably not be suitable for a professional workshop. For occasional hobby use they are entirely adequate - certainly better than my amateur efforts with a hand plane, noting that wood can bow, twist etc with moisture changes anyway.
 
I have to say
So it's this simple.
I don't have the budget or space for a P/T and a chip extractor so I've decided to just totally forget the whole idea and stick to my hand planes and brush and shovel.
Thanks for all your advice.

I really agree with what Terry has just said.

I think that you have been given a lot of excellent advice in this thread, but the advice is all 'idealist'.

I run a small planer thicknesser using a shop vac as the extractor, via a 50mm hose. It isn't perfect, but it's perfectly adequate for my purposes. I am a hobbyist/DIYer so it doesn't matter to me if it only collects 90% of the chips and I have to do a bit of hoovering afterwards. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make my setup 'a little bit better on a budget', but that is the nature of being a hobbyist and not a professional. If I was a professional of course I would be only willing to accept a proper fit for purpose set up.

You can get a small planer/thicknesser used for very cheap if you are willing to look on facebook marketplace. I started off with the Titan screwfix one (£199 now in screwfix) which isn't great but does work. I have had it for a little over a year. It takes a bit of setting up and does need the fence modified, but plenty of examples on youtube of how to modify it (I just replaced the fence with some birch ply). Will it stand up to day in day out use on heavy timber and being bashed around - no it wont, will it require occasional adjustments to keep it all square etc - yes it will. Is that perfectly fine for a hobbyist who doesn't use it every day - yes. I knew it wouldn't be perfect when I bought it as there are enough reviews on the internet. However screwfix will take it back happily within the 2 year garuntee period if I decide it doesn't do its job ok, so I couldn't see a problem with buying it and giving it a try.

That is WELL within your budget and is a no-risk option, if it's crab and you dont like it just return it to screwfix within 30 days no questions (after that they will want to repair/replace but if they cant give you one that works properly then they will refund still).

As it happens I then decided this winter that I would try and sort a better/bigger model, so got a Kity 636 (like the one I linked you earlier on facebook). These go on facebook for between £250 - £400 second hand), picked one in a non-working condition up for £60 and made repairing/restoring it my winter project. If you are a bit patient you will find one of those in working condition for £200 or so (or there are plenty of similar second hand models like the scheppach and Elektra etc that have been mentioned). These machines have a much better build quality than the titan screwfix one, but no warranty of course and will possibly require a bit of effort to get working and dialled in. You might be lucky and have one which needs no adjustment, but obviously they are used so the onus would be on you to sort out and whether you feel like you have adequate experience or knowhow to do that is down to you. I would say I learned a lot from my titan one which has helped me understand how to sort out my kity better (although i have asked for plenty of advice on here which has been forthcoming). Will this one stand up to day in day out heavy use - no it isnt an industrial one. Will it stand up better than the titan and be perfectly adequate for hobbyist/DIY use - yes (I hope so once I get some more experience myself!)

Then it comes to dust extraction. I run mine using a shop vac and again it isnt perfect but it is perfectly adequate for DIY/Hobbyist use. I have a 6X8 shed as my workshop so I won't hear any excuses from peiple that their shop is too small! I might one day try to get a compact chip extractor that i can stor under my bench and get out when I need it, but until then I do fine with my dust extractor (it is attached to a cyclone to make emptying and cleaning easier, but it certainly isn't neccersary.



Overall what I am saying is - just becasue what you get wont be PERFECT doesn't mean you shouldn't try and get something. We all spend ages looking at these fancy setups that professional shops have or people who have collected tools/machines and built their set up over 60 years of woodworking. That isn't how anyone starts, you have to start small and then work out what will improve your own set up slowly as you use it.

Also - and I really think this next point is often overlooked when buying second hand things. If you buy a used P/T for £250 on facebook or ebay, and it turns out it is rubbish/you dont use it/you dont like it, then you can sell it again. probably for £250! These things once used don't really loose their value, so don't see it as a big risk you are taking in trying something out. Get one, try it out and see how you get on. If you find it's good but you need better extraction then address that as best you can. If you find it's not heavy duty enough then make do with it until you see a better one available cheap and sell the old one for it.

Lastly - almost certainly your results at the start are going to have far more to do with your experience level than the machine itself, something which applies to almost any tool and machine, even something as simple as a thicknesser which is effectively a wood postbox. How many people do you see unable to use a philips screwdriver properly! It will take time and experience to use any of these machines so at the start I don't think you need worry as much about how much you are spending on the machine. Of course an expensive one might make the process and learning curve a bit easier, but if the expense means you don't buy one at all then that doesn't seem a very logical approach to me. Of course people will reccomend more expensive stuff becasue with their experience it is ovbious they are worthwhile, but you don't have that experience and will have to gain it in your own time and learn the same lessons everyone does.

Don't be put off by people suggesting perfect solutions, they are all giving good advice, but it is easy to miss the point when giving out advice and end up making people feel like it isn't worth bothering at all unless it's perfect, which is not the case at all.
 
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Look at these right near you:

A Kity 635 going for £155 on ebay 40 miles from you

A chip extractor for £110 (which you could probably negotiate to £90 or maybe cheaper)- won't take up much room and you will be able to use it for all sorts of tools and machines as and when you get them, plus hoovering the floor etc.

You could get the planer probably for £200 from ebay (it finishes in 8 hours) and the chip extractor for within your budget,

or you could just get a planer and see how you go.
 
I agree with Jacob that a bebchtop thicknesser may be the answer for you. They are about 35 kg or so and you would manage to get that down in your celler. I managed for years with just one of those and no jointer. (not just Americans use the term). Most boards you can make one face flat enough to not rock on a flat surface with hand planes or even an electric plane. They are then fit to go through the thicknesser. For really warped boards you can use a sled.
Joint with a Thickness Planer - YouTube
The ideal 2 machine setup is a jointer(surface planer) and a thicknesser but like most of us space and or funds get in the way. A combo planer thicknesser can save space but the cheaper ones are problematical. All that having to flip up tables and that, the lower range ones tend to go out of alignment pretty fast. Usual thickie will take a12'' perhaps 13'' wide board and be getting more towards your budget.
Regards
John
 
This would be better suited to the job: Axminster Workshop AW37E Dust Extractor - 230V even though the web description is wrong, it is not a Dust extractor its a Chip extractor.
Ah ok, thanks for explaining and showing an alternative machine, it’s really helpful. Unfortunately I don’t have space for something that big so will have a re-think.
 
It’s 50cm x 40cm x 40cm?
I looked at the spec and it was listed as 1100 x 380 x 415mm, but even so, that’s not as big as I’d originally thought so will keep mulling it over. I’m looking for something that I can use outside in the garden and put away in a garden storage box when not in use, so this might actually work for me!
 

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