Thicknesser

[elderly]

I am thinking of purchasing a cheap thicknesser and I am looking at the Carba-Tec Economy twelve and a half in thicknesser. Does anyone own one or had an experience of one? I do not know anything about thicknesser and I would appreciate it if someone could tell me if this particular one is worth buying. I will be using it mainly for small work.
Thanks

[watson]

All the thicknessers in that price range are just about the same.....(probably all made to the same specs in the same factory).
They all snipe, (because of the way they are made) but there are heaps of ways to combat this problem.
Treated with respect, and with some jigs and pre-planning, they will all perform the tasks you require, unless you wanna take 6mm bites off jarrah planks.
The selling points to consider would be warranty, and availability of spares ( including blades) and that's about it.

Have fun with it

[elderly]

Thanks for your quick response. Just had a look at your profile and saw that you were born a few days before me. Makes me fell young, Ha,Ha. I was born on the first of Jan 1943

[watson]

Bloody pup!!!

Bet you only got one present off the relos for Birthday and Christmas too.

[Mr Brush]

elderly - I presume you already have a jointer to create one reference flat surface and edge on your timber before putting it through a thicknesser??

[munruben]

I have one of the cheap thicknesser machines for about 3 or 4 years now and had no trouble with it.. As suggested above, only take up to 3mm at a time off the timber you are thicknessing and it will serve you well. I wouldnt be without mine.

I dont own a jointer so I create a flat surface as a reference surface on a jig I made for my TS sled if I am not using more than 4inch thick stock. If I am using stock thicker than 4 inches, I use my bandsaw and a similar sled jig to resaw the timber and provide a flat surface to work from. I would love a jointer but hard to justify the cost. I know a few guys who have one but never use it and use other methods to joint their timber.

[elderly]

Hi Mr Brush,

No I don't have a jointer I was thinking of useing other methods as mentioned by munruben. Like him I can't justify buying a jointer.
Thanks for your reply

[elderly]

Hi munruben,
Thanks for your response. I am afraid I too will have to make do without one at this stage.
Cheers Elderly

[rrobor]

Agree with Watson on the thicknesser, they all do a job. I bought a cheapie and it snipes. So you cut off the snipe, its a couple of cm and its a cheap price to pay. A jointer, Yes I have one. Would I recomend getting one ? no. I built a 3 sided box out of Radiata pine. I have a clamp system on the side and I fit my stock into the box and clamp it in. This way I feed it through the thicknesser and get the best edge I can for the least waste. If you use a jointer and lets say you have a bow up.
If you hold the front down, you chop away and finish the cut well short of the end. In your final cut, you find your stock is now wedge shaped and most of it is in the dust extractor. Ok sure it should be done the other way round, but often stock does not conform to any defined shape.
Being able to see the best cut for the maximum stock salvage is a great advantage.
The jointer as a finish tool, Yes its luxury. Like a very good malt, its smooth and just a touch of class. But hey, most of us still get our high from Johnny Walkers old roughie.

[GraemeCook]

Agree with Watson on the thicknesser, they all do a job. I bought a cheapie and it snipes. So you cut off the snipe, its a couple of cm and its a cheap price to pay.

Good Morning Elderly

Rrobur's on the money again. But I am more of a cheapskate.

I have a 305mm Icon thicknesser that cost $109 new from M10. Blades are $60 a pair! Icon is made by/for GMC and is/was its downmarket or fighting brand. It actually works quite well but it does snipe on the exit side, but not on the infeed end.

My solution is to use a push stick the same thickness as the stock being cut and to feed the push stick through the thicknesser while still in contact with the stock. The feedstick then holds the cutter assembly in position; Result is no exit snipe, and I do not have to cut off that 100mm or so, that the extravagant rrobur wastes.

Cheers

Graeme

[elderly]

Thanks everyone for your help. I have decided to buy the Ryobi one from Bunnings. Although we don't have a Bunnings here we have to go to Bendigo in a couple of weeks and I will pick one up there.

[Black Bear]

Thanks for your quick response. Just had a look at your profile and saw that you were born a few days before me. Makes me fell young, Ha,Ha. I was born on the first of Jan 1943

You kids....Me 01/10/38, but last century like you two.

However, in regards to snipe on that thicknesser and the one from Ryobi that I have, after three or four years of putting up with some snipe by allowing longer substrate than I wanted to use, and by putting 'sacrificial strips of timber beside the bit to be thicknessed, I have made a discovery, only just today.

I do not know if anyone else has come up with this but I found on thicknessing short lengths (300 and 180mm lengths) that If I pressed down on the substrate as it went in and then as it came out the other side there was no snipe, none, nil, nix nothing.

On another bit that I just let go through, it snipped and it only took two runs to remove the mark using the press down menthod.

Try it and see if I am dreaming. but I think you could only do this on the overhead thicknessers like the ones mentioned.

BB