Entry thicknesser for hardwood

[GentleBen]

Hi guys,

Looking to pass through some hardwood stumps that were taken from under the house as I turn it into a table. Just getting started in the big wide world of wood working but only 30 years old so plenty of time left to get use out of machines.

Really need to prove to myself good continued use so looking to spend <$700 on a thicknesser but want to make sure it will do the job. Initial wood is 100 x 100 ~80 year old redwood of various lengths from 300 to 2000mm.

My table saw is a cheapie Ozito that I bought to get into it all and it does an alright job of cutting, but think (correct me if I am wrong) but a good thicknesser can compensate for the saw and is the important part of a job. So would this be OK:

W813 | T-13A Thicknesser - Bench Mount | For Sale Sydney Brisbane Melbourne Perth | Buy Workshop Equipment & Machinery online at machineryhouse.com.au (http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W813)

Or should i pay the extra for

W815 | T-13S Thicknesser - Bench Mount | For Sale Sydney Brisbane Melbourne Perth | Buy Workshop Equipment & Machinery online at machineryhouse.com.au (http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W815)

Or look at another option? Thanks all!

[mark david]

Hi Ben,I dare say both machines are ok but probably not good options long-term.
You are still going to need a way of surfacing the timber so unless you are into hand planing are going to need a surface planer/jointer.
Getting hold of a second/hand combination jointer/thicknesser would serve you much better if your budget is this tight.

I initially bought separate bench-top machines due to budget limitations, but soon found them inadequate for my needs and eventually sold them and bought a 10x8 combination machine.This is not really an ideal way to go but you might be better saving up and purchasing the right machine from the start.

[elanjacobs]

I think the timber you have is redgum, not redwood.
Make sure you give them a good scrub with a wire brush before running them through any machine, all the built up grit and dirt will kill your blades very quickly.
Also, a thicknesser isn't much good without a jointer to get a flat surface to work from, do you have one or are you planning to get one?

[GentleBen]

Just a quick update. Saw one of these on gumtree today and picked it up

Woodstar PT85 204mm Planer Thicknesser 230V | Jointers & Thicknessers | Screwfix.com (http://www.screwfix.com/p/woodstar-pt85-204mm-planer-thicknesser-230v/89544)

The one I got is the same as this but it is a Aldi branded one that came into the country a few years ago. This one is unused and I picked it up for $150.

Definitely not ideal or the like but for the price I couldn't pass it up and it should do 80%+ of what I want/need.