Hi,

I sometimes think about getting a thicknesser but I'm confused by all
the types out there. I was looking for an entry-level, i.e. budget,
machine to test the water. When I looked in the machine mart catalogue
a few months back, I saw machines like these:

6 inch:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...r-thicknessers

8 inch:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...er-thicknesser

Given the choice between these two, I guess it's worth going for the
8" machine as it gives you a bit more versatility, 2 inches more to be
precise?

Since then, thicknessers seem to have become more common. Even B&Q are
selling them now. But the thicknessers I am seeing now are more like
this:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...le-thicknesser

Please can someone tell me the differences, the pros and the cons, of
the two types?

The latter accepts wood up to 10", so based on width alone, the last
one seems the most versatile but...

I went to MM for something else and asked about thicknessers and they
confused me even more! They said that the first type was better
because they are planers and thicknessers, whereas the second type is
a thicknesser only. Don't you need to plane one side before
thicknessing the other?

I'm not too sure how the first type work. The illustrations appear to
show wood being planed across the top but how does thicknessing occur?
Is there another path through the middle?

MM also sell a 6" planer that does not do thicknessing and it looks
very similar:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...r-thicknessers

but the body is not as tall, which makes me wonder whether there is
something in the middle of the thicknessers that is missing from the
planer?

On a slightly different note, when the timber yard thicknessed a
floorboard for me, they put the board through "the wrong way round":
this way "|" rather than "-" that way. I wouldn't have thought the
machines would grip narrow edges very well. Of course they will have
machines in a different league to the ones I have linked. What is the
smallest piece of wood you could put through a thicknesser?

TIA

On 29 Oct, 22:20, Fred wrote:
Hi,

I sometimes think about getting a thicknesser but I'm confused by all
the types out there. I was looking for an entry-level, i.e. budget,
machine to test the water. When I looked in the machine mart catalogue
a few months back, I saw machines like these:

6 inch:http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...0-152mm-planer...

8 inch:http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...0-204mm-planer...

Given the choice between these two, I guess it's worth going for the
8" machine as it gives you a bit more versatility, 2 inches more to be
precise?

Since then, thicknessers seem to have become more common. Even B&Q are
selling them now. But the thicknessers I am seeing now are more like
this:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...0-portable-thi...

Please can someone tell me the differences, the pros and the cons, of
the two types?

The latter accepts wood up to 10", so based on width alone, the last
one seems the most versatile but...

I went to MM for something else and asked about thicknessers and they
confused me even more! They said that the first type was better
because they are planers and thicknessers, whereas the second type is
a thicknesser only. Don't you need to plane one side before
thicknessing the other?

I'm not too sure how the first type work. The illustrations appear to
show wood being planed across the top but how does thicknessing occur?
Is there another path through the middle?

MM also sell a 6" planer that does not do thicknessing and it looks
very similar:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...52mm-surface-p...

but the body is not as tall, which makes me wonder whether there is
something in the middle of the thicknessers that is missing from the
planer?

On a slightly different note, when the timber yard thicknessed a
floorboard for me, they put the board through "the wrong way round":
this way "|" rather than "-" that way. I wouldn't have thought the
machines would grip narrow edges very well. Of course they will have
machines in a different league to the ones I have linked. What is the
smallest piece of wood you could put through a thicknesser?

TIA

Very good advice from John, as usual!

What sort of work are you thinking/wanting to do with it?

If it's processing a lot of old floorboards, you may be hoping for a
bit too much from a budget machine.

A good planar/thicknesser is an incredibly heavy and well-built thing
- portable thicknessers are aimed more at trim joinery - and most
machines struggle as you put timber through approaching their maximum
width.

The joy of a planar/thicknesser is that you can true-up any
distortions in a piece of timber - a thicknesser will only faithfully
copy the twists in the timber down to a thiner version of what went
in.

That said, a hand plane - (or even a hand-held power plane if the
distortion is dreadful) can be a more efficient tool for attacking the
high points in a twisted timber.

The likes of the machines you're looking at will likely be fine if
you've plenty of patience to do lots and lots of light cuts (say
around 1mm or less per pass) and you're looking at working with odd &
interesting bits of timber to make light furniture, or want to make
fully custom-sized bits of trim joinery (e.g. around boats).

OTOH if you're looking at a lot of heavier timbers, consider hiring a
more substantial machine.

In fact I reckon hiring-before-buying is a good bet anyway with a type
of machine you've no experience of. After that you'll know what a good
machine should do to make comparisons.

And don't forget John's mention of dust extractors - thicknessers
really need them.

On 30 Oct, 02:45, " wrote:
On 29 Oct, 22:20, Fred wrote:









Hi,

I sometimes think about getting a thicknesser but I'm confused by all
the types out there. I was looking for an entry-level, i.e. budget,
machine to test the water. When I looked in the machine mart catalogue
a few months back, I saw machines like these:

6 inch:http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...0-152mm-planer...

8 inch:http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...0-204mm-planer...

Given the choice between these two, I guess it's worth going for the
8" machine as it gives you a bit more versatility, 2 inches more to be
precise?

Since then, thicknessers seem to have become more common. Even B&Q are
selling them now. But the thicknessers I am seeing now are more like
this:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...0-portable-thi...

Please can someone tell me the differences, the pros and the cons, of
the two types?

The latter accepts wood up to 10", so based on width alone, the last
one seems the most versatile but...

I went to MM for something else and asked about thicknessers and they
confused me even more! They said that the first type was better
because they are planers and thicknessers, whereas the second type is
a thicknesser only. Don't you need to plane one side before
thicknessing the other?

I'm not too sure how the first type work. The illustrations appear to
show wood being planed across the top but how does thicknessing occur?
Is there another path through the middle?

MM also sell a 6" planer that does not do thicknessing and it looks
very similar:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...52mm-surface-p...

but the body is not as tall, which makes me wonder whether there is
something in the middle of the thicknessers that is missing from the
planer?

On a slightly different note, when the timber yard thicknessed a
floorboard for me, they put the board through "the wrong way round":
this way "|" rather than "-" that way. I wouldn't have thought the
machines would grip narrow edges very well. Of course they will have
machines in a different league to the ones I have linked. What is the
smallest piece of wood you could put through a thicknesser?

TIA

Very good advice from John, as usual!

What sort of work are you thinking/wanting to do with it?

If it's processing a lot of old floorboards, you may be hoping for a
bit too much from a budget machine.

A good planar/thicknesser is an incredibly heavy and well-built thing
- portable thicknessers are aimed more at trim joinery - and most
machines struggle as you put timber through approaching their maximum
width.

The joy of a planar/thicknesser is that you can true-up any
distortions in a piece of timber - a thicknesser will only faithfully
copy the twists in the timber down to a thiner version of what went
in.

That said, a hand plane - (or even a hand-held power plane if the
distortion is dreadful) can be a more efficient tool for attacking the
high points in a twisted timber.

The likes of the machines you're looking at will likely be fine if
you've plenty of patience to do lots and lots of light cuts (say
around 1mm or less per pass) and you're looking at working with odd &
interesting bits of timber to make light furniture, or want to make
fully custom-sized bits of trim joinery (e.g. around boats).

OTOH if you're looking at a lot of heavier timbers, consider hiring a
more substantial machine.

In fact I reckon hiring-before-buying is a good bet anyway with a type
of machine you've no experience of. After that you'll know what a good
machine should do to make comparisons.

And don't forget John's mention of dust extractors - thicknessers
really need them.

I would be really sure that you do have adequate use for such a
machine - I bought one some years back and really can't justify now
what I paid for it. I can't offer you any specific machine related
advice. I might be worth your while looking at the Tool Review forum
in www.ukworkshop.co.uk.

Rob

"Fred" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I sometimes think about getting a thicknesser but I'm confused by all
the types out there. I was looking for an entry-level, i.e. budget,
machine to test the water. When I looked in the machine mart catalogue
a few months back, I saw machines like these:

6 inch:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...r-thicknessers

8 inch:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...er-thicknesser

Given the choice between these two, I guess it's worth going for the
8" machine as it gives you a bit more versatility, 2 inches more to be
precise?

Since then, thicknessers seem to have become more common. Even B&Q are
selling them now. But the thicknessers I am seeing now are more like
this:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...le-thicknesser

Please can someone tell me the differences, the pros and the cons, of
the two types?

The latter accepts wood up to 10", so based on width alone, the last
one seems the most versatile but...

I went to MM for something else and asked about thicknessers and they
confused me even more! They said that the first type was better
because they are planers and thicknessers, whereas the second type is
a thicknesser only. Don't you need to plane one side before
thicknessing the other?

I'm not too sure how the first type work. The illustrations appear to
show wood being planed across the top but how does thicknessing occur?
Is there another path through the middle?

MM also sell a 6" planer that does not do thicknessing and it looks
very similar:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...r-thicknessers

but the body is not as tall, which makes me wonder whether there is
something in the middle of the thicknessers that is missing from the
planer?

On a slightly different note, when the timber yard thicknessed a
floorboard for me, they put the board through "the wrong way round":
this way "|" rather than "-" that way. I wouldn't have thought the
machines would grip narrow edges very well. Of course they will have
machines in a different league to the ones I have linked. What is the
smallest piece of wood you could put through a thicknesser?

TIA

looked at the machine mart stuff but went for the Axminster entry level
planer thicknesser (as was quite a bit cheaper than the clarke one at
machine mart) and dust collector

don't have a lot of space so the combination machine was the way to go for
me

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster...er-prod801599/

well pleased

Only gripe is that blades are a fiddle to set up accurately

but new blades cheap at £18 (missed a bit of embedded nail)

a bit of sniping sometimes but may be me not supporting on the output side

have thicknessed 70mm wide 1 metre long hardwood planks to 6mm thick without
problem

regards