Advice in thicknessers please

[Ankali]

Hi

I'm very new as a member but have been roaming the forums for a while. I would like opinions/information on thicknessers. (I have used search but can't find quite what I want).

My use of a thicknesser would be mainly for small pieces timber for intarsia so that I could have say 6, 9 and 16mm thick pieces of the same timber. Most of the thicknessers I have seem are $900- $1500 or higher which is way over the top for my needs and way, way !! outside the available funds.

I have heard that GMC or Ryobi make cheaper/less expensive ones but I'm wary of safety/quality.

Advice please.

[craigb]

You can get thicknessers much cheaper than that. Carbatec and Hare and Forbes both sell Chinese/Taiwanese thisknessers for around $400.
Also Timbecon.

Craig

[Bunyip]

Ankali,

Do you have your heart set on a thicknesser. For small work like intarsia, a drum sander may be the better options.

By the sounds of your budget, a commercial drum sander would be out of your league. You could be creative and make your own (see ozwinner's thread), or use a drill press and sanding bobbin arrangement, or use a jig and a bench-top belt sander.

I have used an old Ryobi, and is was fine in function and quality. Cannot comment on the Ryobi of today nor the GMC.

[rev]

Another option might be to make a jig for a router to do the job. Three are several variations on a theme to be found on the net, but here is one that should suit your needs: http://www.woodzone.com/tips/planerjig.htm

[Baz]

Never tried intarsia but if you are only using small pieces couldn't you use a belt sander and calipers to detirmine the thickness. As the edges of the pieces are slightly rounded the thickness would not be critical?
Cheers
Barry

[bitingmidge]

Now that Ozwinner and others have done all the hard work, here is a link to a couple of plans of varying sizes :rolleyes: of Drum Sanders (http://www.mimf.com/archives/thickness_sander2.htm) There are a number of others out there which use belt sanders as Baz said..I think that a thicknesser may be a bit too agressive for your purpose?

Cheers,

P

[Baz]

Also passing small pieces through a thicknesser would not be much good because of the snipe but I guess you could glue some scrap onto the timber you wanted to thickness. If the pieces are all small perhaps they could all be glued end to end to give a reasonable length.
Cheers
Barry

[John Saxton]

As has been stated Drum Sanders would be your best approach here to get uniform thickness in the dimensions you require and in a safe manner.

Personally I have a Jet Performax 16/32 which is without a doubt in my view a great machine to get down to thinner or laminal needs in timber and providing that uniformity.

There are various brands around some very much cheaper than the Jet which may suit your needs or you could build one from the link provide by biting midge in an above post.
Have a good look about because there are cheapies but not that cheap around.

Cheers :)

[Ankali]

Thank you all for your help. I'm not really set on a thicknesser, just though it might be the way to go. I don't really have room for one anyway. Unfortunately that goes for a decent drum sander as well (and any other largish stuff I might like!!) the lathe and workbench have taken the available space!

I already have a small belt/disc sander so will learn to use this until I have more money/space.

Ankali :)

No time to work but can't afford not too!!

[riffi1]

I bought a new Ryobi at the Brissie WWW show - a little over $300 and they threw in another set of blades which at the rate I work will be needed in another 10 years :p

I'm quite happy with it but haven't tried small pieces as yet. It doesn't take up any room as the support tables fold up when not in use and it sits nicely on a folding workbench (just use the plastic inserts to hold it in tight). It's a bit weighty but not too much that you can't pick the whole thing up and put it up against the wall when you are finished.

cheers
ROD