Thread: Real Planer Thicknesser

Originally Posted by DavidG

Re-badged Rockwell.

Is it really? I know it looks similar although I thought it looked a little more robust. Well there you go!!!

So it seems that Rockwell/Draper are the only bench top Planer Thicknesser combo on the market then. Now there's an opportunity for the more trusted brands.

Very similar. Probably out the same Chinese factory.
Slight variations to suit the badge.

Still trying to work out the relationship between Rockwell and Delta.
Porter-Cable

Originally Posted by MeasureTwice

Here's a nice looking machine.

DRAPER BENCH MOUNTED 1500W 230V PLANER THICKNESSER | eBay

The UK seem to have access to a larger range.

You can probably add this Dewalt offering to the list of things we miss out on

Originally Posted by T.C

You can probably add this Dewalt offering to the list of things we miss out on

T.C., Absolutely!!! If that machine was available here I certainly wouldn't be so hesitant to buy a combo Planer Thicknesser. DeWALT sell here, and being from the U.K. it would be 240V, so why not make itavailable in Aus too?

I see someone else has already suggested doing the jointer part of dressing the timber with hand planes, then making use of a dedicated thicknesser for the rest. Why not explore this option? It is obviously more time consuming and more labour intensive, but if you're not doing huge projects constantly maybe it would suffice?

Thanks Poppa. It is a thought, however, I don't know if I'd be able to get an edge straight and square enough that would be suitable for biscuit joining into larger panels.

The use of a dedicated thicknesser would be fine for smaller projects where I just want to reduce the size of the material, however, when I made a larger computer desk getting the wood flat and straight was a major problem. I had to do a lot of sanding to minimise the effect of the cupping in the wood. Wood be nice if you could just buy flat wood.

Originally Posted by MeasureTwice

Thanks Poppa. It is a thought, however, I don't know if I'd be able to get an edge straight and square enough that would be suitable for biscuit joining into larger panels.

The use of a dedicated thicknesser would be fine for smaller projects where I just want to reduce the size of the material, however, when I made a larger computer desk getting the wood flat and straight was a major problem. I had to do a lot of sanding to minimise the effect of the cupping in the wood. Wood be nice if you could just buy flat wood.

Those little jointer/thicknessers or benchtop jointers you are looking at have a mixed reputation -- box makers seem to like them, those working on larger projects do not.

As to getting an edge straight and true, my expectation is that producing a straight and matched edge would be faster and easier with a #6 or #7 hand plane than with a bench top jointer.
Note I nominated a straight and matched edge -- if you plane both edges together, the edges don't need to be exactly 90º to each face, as any error cancells out.

Also, a hand plane is the best tool to flatten a glued-up panel. Search for "traversing" "scrub plane" note that many dedicated scrub planes (eg Stanley #40) are a little short for traversing.