Here's one straight out of Left-Field!

[Batpig]

Dear Guys,

Cop this! (It's a 180mm-wide Planer from GMC...:oo:)
http://www.gmcompany.com.au/index.cfm?module=products&pid=699
Just in case you couldn't afford either the Makita or the Mafell, GMC have come to the party - just for you! No idea on price whatsoever. Guess they must have thought it would be very "nichey" for them!

What will they have a crack at next?...:?

Best Wishes,
Batpig

[fubar]

What will they have a crack at next?...:?
12 inch jointer would be good:2tsup:

[Wood Borer]

Let's hope they spent more on safety and quality than they did on the technical writer:B


Allows for heavy duty planning of hard woods ....


Provides a heigher rate of material ....

Bad spelling doesn't mean the product is no good, perhaps their products are fantastic - I don't know because I don't own any.:no:

[Claw Hama]

I have been using a GMC circular saw to cut my slabs (big slabs) and today cut a 2.6m x 900mm doorway through a brick wall with brick dust right through it and me, doesn't appear any the worse for wear. I will give it a blow out with compressed air when I get a minute. I also have a little drop saw which I have used to lop up a heap of hardwood boards, decking, and fencing. I don't use it on anything that has to be accurate but as for guts they definatly rate. I would be happy to give the 180wide planer a go.

[Wood Borer]

I wasn't knocking the product just the spelling.

I don't wish to start a debate on people's opinions of different brands and whether cheap is better than expensive.

I was merely pointing out the obvious spelling errors which in my opinion do not reflect very well on a company's eye for detail and quality no matter who that company might be.

Would I make my decision to purchase a product purely on the inability of their technical writer or advertising person to spell? No.

[Claw Hama]

Oops, sorry, I didn't/wasn't having a go, I was just chimeing in with a bit of general info on how I had found them. Horses for courses naturaly ( I love my makita compound mitre saw) but for tools where you don't need a lot of accuracy they seem to be cheap and gutsy.:U

[Wood Borer]

I figured you weren't having a go after checking out your website - nice work.:2tsup:

Obviously such a machine is not a replacement for a jointer but would be most handy and affordable. Having three cutters would give a good finish if the blades were properly adjusted.

I would be interested in reading a review if anyone has purchased one of these machines.

I have a Makita with 2 X 110 mm wide blades which does a good job however the blades are currently blunt.:doh:

I have a planer thicknesser that has never been used due to delays in my shed being built (not far off now though).

I currently use my hand planes which are always a pleasure to use and far easier to sharpen than the Makita blades.:~

The GMC if at the right price might be justifiable for me as it has replaceable blades, 3 cutters and heaps of power.

Any idea of the price?

[Claw Hama]

Hi woodborer, its all good. Glade you like my site. I have a 15" thicknesser but much of my work is well over 380mm so I often find myself flattening quite wide slabes ie 800ishmm and 3m long with my 1 x 75 bosh then taking out the ruts with a large scraper plane I made before going over them with a makita belt sander then sand by hand. I recently had a young guy and his father drive from the Central Coast (Gosford area) (1hour drive) to Newcastle to get me to flaten there $1000 worth of Aust Cedar because they couldn't find anyone else to do it. Not much wide equipment around this area. They went away very happy.
So yes a reasonably priced 3 x 180 would be sweet.

[Wood Borer]

It always amazes me how some people are so tunnel visioned that they think everything has to be done by machine. If their machine isn't capable then they focus only on getting a machine that is capable.

I once saw a you professional woodworker who had spent several hours trying to source a longer router bit (without success) to make a deep mortice. I suggested that he could route mortice to the maximum depth of his router bit and complete the last 20mm using a chisel.

I was met with a barrage of excuses including "it would take too long", "that's old fashioned" and "rough" ...... He had already wasted several hours looking through catalogues and on the internet. Five minutes or so with a chisel and he would have completed the job!

This GMC planer would probably be cheaper than the fuel used just to see a wider planer or drum sander in a shop let alone the expense and mucking around buying the wider planer, getting it home, getting it set up etc. just like the people who drove all that distance for such a simple task.

Of course if you had heaps of planing and time constraints then consideration of a wider machine would be a sensible option.

In the meantime, have a close look at the GMC. It probably won't break the bank and will do an excellent job in not much more time.

[KevM]

Some 7-8 years ago I saw celery top posts & beams being prepared for a 2-3 story house, to be erected at Taroona .

The timber preparation was in the area under the wheat silos in Salamanca Place Hobart, prior to them being converted to apartment accomodation. I should have taken the camera along and got some photos as these were massively big posts & beams. He was using a fork to move them.

Not sure what the style of construction was called, maybe post & rail but the beams were massive, took the mill 2 1/2 years to source all the logs necessary to the provide all the timber of the required dimensions. Could not find anyone with the equipment suitable to dress the posts & beams so it was all done by hand and finished with a floor sander.

A possible use I'm sure for this planer.

[Stuart]

Think this is one that I have been hearing about - sounds like a pretty good 'un. Looks less chunky (despite its overall size) than some of the earlier tools - perhaps there is something in this carbon fibre.

Wouldn't mind getting to review this one either.

(Bring on the GMC domino.......)

[specialist]

That planer is in the latest thrifty link catalogue for 199 dollars, a steal if you ask me.

[Claw Hama]

I much prefer hand tools to power tools and as woodborer says you can spend more time finding the right bits/cutters etc than it would to do the job with hand tools. Power tools are noisey, on go the ear plugs or muffs, they make heaps of dust , on go the dust masks and when you have finished often the mess is spead far and wide. With hand tools you can listen to the music, no plugs, masks, the mess is only local and quite often the job is done in shorter time. But I do this to make a living so yes sometimes I must go to the white mans magic and get out the electrical equipment. I have a great old No 1 adze for things like beams works a treat but you have to be supa careful when using them. I also saw on the GMC website that they are going to sell of the site soon, that could be handy.:U

[SilentButDeadly]

Just so we know what we are looking at...
http://www.gmcompany.com/i/products/699l.jpg

I wonder which Transformer it turns into?

[Stuart]

I just had one turn up unexpectedly at work from GMC so I could do a review of it.

I LIKE IT :) (And that is before I've turned it on) It's huge (and not in a bad way)!

Looking forward to trying the bad boy out. Pictures and video should be available on Stu's Shed after the weekend (I won't get a chance to really try it out before then I don't think).

[irbrill]

I've got the makita 155mm plane, great piece of gear, heavy so it doesn't move about too much. did suffer from tear out on an iron bark post...... need to look in to that more....It cost me $250 second hand so the cost of the GMC looks good ( and parts shouldn't be a problem like the old Makitas)

[Stuart]

Took some photos last night (just of the tool, not of it in use (yet)), will post them when I have a chance.