Ticknessers and Planer/Thicknessers.

[Paul Barrett]

I need to cut some pieces of beech to 9" x 5" x 3/8" (some to 1/4")

I can bandsaw to an approx size but even with a full height rip fence, cutting the thickness is particulary difficult.

I am only a hobbyist so budget is limited.

I see machines advertised that are thicknessers and others that are planer / thicknessers. I assume the latter is more multfunctional and planes each face separately while the former is a dedicated thicknesser (does it plane two faces at once?) Or something like that.....

Which would be best for my task?

 

[Shultzy]

A planer only planes one side at a time. If you run the opposite side over the planer you will get a flat side but not necessarily parallel to the first side. A thicknesser planes one side parallel to the opposite side. After planing a face side and face edge on a planer the piece is put through a thicknesser to produce a flat and parallel sided piece of wood.

 

[Paul Barrett]

A planer only planes one side at a time. If you run the opposite side over the planer you will get a flat side but not necessarily parallel to the first side. A thicknesser planes one side parallel to the opposite side. After planing a face side and face edge on a planer the piece is put through a thicknesser to produce a flat and parallel sided piece of wood.

Thnaks Shultzy - so what you are saying. in effect , is that the planer is more versatile and, with practice and care, could do the job of producing a parallel side?

 

[MooreToolsPlease]

I wouldnt like to try and make a board parallel simply with a surface planer, especially if any quantity are required.
THe best bet I would have thought would be a planer/thicknesser.
Surface plane the timber over the top, lift up one/both tables and then thickness, much more consistent

 

[mambo]

Thnaks Shultzy - so what you are saying. in effect , is that the planer is more versatile and, with practice and care, could do the job of producing a parallel side?

no! what he`s saying is a planer just planes it has a fence that you can adjust to plane at angles(eg you could plane a 40deg bevel on a board)
a thicknesser will pass a board across a flat plate and plane the top parallel to the bottom at a thickness you set
a planer thicknesser does both these tasks

you need both, some people prefer a combined machine some prefer seperate...space can be a deciding factor here

hope that helps

 

[Paul Barrett]

Thnaks Shultzy - so what you are saying. in effect , is that the planer is more versatile and, with practice and care, could do the job of producing a parallel side?

no! what he`s saying is a planer just planes it has a fence that you can adjust to plane at angles(eg you could plane a 40deg bevel on a board)
a thicknesser will pass a board across a flat plate and plane the top parallel to the bottom at a thickness you set
a planer thicknesser does both these tasks

you need both, some people prefer a combined machine some prefer seperate...space can be a deciding factor here

hope that helps

Gotcha - thanks