Thread: Old School 24" 3Phase thicknesser

Nice score. I take my hat off to you and your helpers, it only takes the SMALLEST rock to stop one of those pallet jacks. Still it will be worth it when you get that up and running.

Rob

Nice job. Keep us posted with photos of the restoration.

That's a bit of a beast!!!

Good to see an older machine being brought back to life again.

Steven.

Square cutter block? Start investigating a helix one, or at least get a round one made. Square blocks are death traps.


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Originally Posted by spokeshave

That's a bit of a beast!!!

Good to see an older machine being brought back to life again.

Steven.

I think the square cutter blocks are only a problem with jointers, if you get your hand between cutter block and table.

There's not much chance of getting you hand stuck in a dedicated thicknesser.
A custom made spiral head would certainly be tasty though.

Originally Posted by veloaficionado

Square cutter block? Start investigating a helix one, or at least get a round one made. Square blocks are death traps.


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Square heads were outlawed a long time ago due to the amount of trauma suffered if u did touch the spinning head. These days, the european CE standard tests via. Sticking a pigs tail into a cutterhead to see how badly it rips it apart. Obviously you still get injured when u hit a safety head, but on a safety head u will probably only lose a fingertip, a square head will take your hand and ask for more.

Thanks for the reminder guys.
This particular machine has a heap of safety issues that will need to be addressed before it is switched on.
At this stage I'm about the only person in our mens shed that is likely to use it so there also the question as to whether we will even keep it.

Originally Posted by mark david

I think the square cutter blocks are only a problem with jointers, if you get your hand between cutter block and table.

There's not much chance of getting you hand stuck in a dedicated thicknesser.
A custom made spiral head would certainly be tasty though.

True. However, ANYTHING that gets caught in them doesn't bounce off, it wraps around, like wire, cord, etc. 'Twasn't pleasant when I saw it happen, once.
I think Byrd in the US will make custom cutterblocks, however, you'd want a donation the size of the price of a used car to get it done…



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Fingers should never be anywhere near the cutter block on a Thicknesser.
That said back in the 80s one of the IA lecturers let a Lecturer from another department use the wood machinery after hours.
He pushed a piece in and used his hand instead of a piece of scrap.
He got caught and was trapped for a few hours.
Dont know much more about it. It was a 12inch Woodfast.
Same lecturer left the guard off the guillotine and a student took off a fingertip.
His name is on one of the more famous woodwork textbooks.
So maybe in any workshop that more than the owner uses, everything should be fool and expert proof.
H.

Originally Posted by BobL

The thicknesser belonged to the husband of the lady in the photo and we will be naming it "Tom" after her husband.

Is that "Template Tom" ?

And a square header... the noise

Originally Posted by rod1949

Is that "Template Tom" ?
And a square header... the noise

TT is still alive and kicking .

Yeah the noise will be a shocker to those that are not aware.

Originally Posted by clear out

So maybe in any workshop that more than the owner uses, everything should be fool and expert proof.
H.

Is there such and animal????

The Maryborough tafe had a fingernail in a jar from a prevocational student who stuck it under the clamping ram of a 1/2" capacity guillotine. The guard was on and the gap was only enough for the material and the ram was at least 2 1/2" back from that, so is there anything idiot proof????

Originally Posted by Kuffy

Square heads were outlawed a long time ago ..............

I've seen this unsubstantiated claim plenty of times.
Still to have a claimant point to the relevant laws or regulations.

I wouldn't dream of using a square head planer, but since I use a square head in my thicknesser, a Jeffwood from Queensland, Aust... I thought it would be worth the time to actually check these assertions I see about them being "outlawed", and what I suspected was exactly what I found in the official safety organization's websites.
Suggestions and recommendations aplenty...but no information on "outlawed" square cutter heads.

Ironically this is the first specific reference I found....

http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksa...-and-machinery

Apparently in Western Australia....
"Square head cutter blocks are not prohibited provided they were originally designed and manufactured for the machine."

So my strong recommendation is to ignore folk who don't know about this type of machine.
If you plan to use them....
Get to know your square cutter head machines, understand the engineering principles that apply to their manufacture and use.
Get everything including the guarding right.
Listen carefully to competently trained and experienced users. (the sad reality is that they rarely visit places were "internet qualified" safety experts are found)

Regards,
Peter