Thread: thicknesser addvice???

I accidentally (another story) got the GMC thicknesser from Bunnies for $300 a few months ago and since I got it I have been wondering why it took me so long. The cost of wood drops dramatically when you go from DAR to rough sawn so the money that is saved can be spent on purchasing tools that are more capable than the cheaper stuff that I would have had to purchase if I was getting the clean wood. The GMC has been fantastic and as others have said you can put everything through it, I have done pine, jarrah and camphor and its all good. Just be aware of the capabilities of the machine and there shouldnt be any probs... dont try to take 3mm passes on jarrah.

Originally Posted by corbs

dont try to take 3mm passes on jarrah.

Don't try to take 3mm passes on anything !

agree with gumby, wouldn't even try that on a real thicknesser

I think that I had as many, if not more, problems with the ML392 as anyone else. Just read the threads. However, now that all the problems are ironed out I believe that it is a great piece of equipment and good value. Just be prepared for poor quality control and to rectify problems yourself.

thats fine , i only want to remove the bandsaw marks on old oregon that i resaw...i get 10x2s and bandsaw them in half for table tops, i won't be using any hardwood and will be running about 10 to 30 metres of the oregon through a week, does that sound like a lot or a little?

old oregon carport beams which were about the full width (250mm) are all I've really put through mine. You need good dust extraction (recommend 2HP) but they are fine. Just watch how much you take off in one pass, particularly with wide boards. I have run some pine through and it is brilliant. Buying warped boards and making them flat is very satisfying. I don't know how i managed without it. (Carba-tec also stock this machine)

Those oregon boards were abot 3m each and went through quite a few times before I got them the size required. I don';t think the amount you are talking about is very much. oregon is pretty soft anyway.

here's a thought...take about $900 and with this i could buy a heavy duty model of some kind....or....i could get a gmc, a bunch of pipe clamps, bearing guides for my bandsaw, some router bits, etc,etc and still have change left to buy a movie ticket to see war of the worlds...

Originally Posted by la Huerta

thats fine , i only want to remove the bandsaw marks on old oregon that i resaw...i get 10x2s and bandsaw them in half for table tops, i won't be using any hardwood and will be running about 10 to 30 metres of the oregon through a week, does that sound like a lot or a little?

I think thats well within the capacity of a portable machine, heck I often do that myself on a Sunday afternoon It sounds like you only need the machine for a couple of hours use a week, and like Gumby says they will handle 10" softwood fine as long as you take small cuts.

Cheers

Ian

Originally Posted by la Huerta

...or....i could get a gmc, a bunch of pipe clamps, bearing guides for my bandsaw, some router bits, etc,etc and still have change left to buy a movie ticket to see war of the worlds...

but you wouldn't have a jointer

no , i won't have a jointer but having a thicknesser is better than having nothing, imagine planing enough boards for a large dining table by hand, i have done it a few times and it's just not much fun...i can easily joint the edges of my boards with a straight bit on the router and smaller stock like rails and legs can be passed through the gmc on all sides...one quick question , what if i have a piece of 4x4 and it's not square, is this a problem that the gmc will solve or a jointer or a tablesaw?

If you're going to be making tables and edge joining I strongly recommend you get the combo instead, otherwise you will waste a lot of time trying to get edges straight

You can try using the tablesaw / thicknesser combo which is what I do (Triton/thicknesser) but it is fiddly. It can be done with a router but once again it is a PAIN.

If you are doing this for work get the combo.

Originally Posted by la Huerta

no , i won't have a jointer but having a thicknesser is better than having nothing, imagine planing enough boards for a large dining table by hand, i have done it a few times and it's just not much fun...i can easily joint the edges of my boards with a straight bit on the router and smaller stock like rails and legs can be passed through the gmc on all sides...one quick question , what if i have a piece of 4x4 and it's not square, is this a problem that the gmc will solve or a jointer or a tablesaw?

But thicknessing and jointing are two different operations. A thicknesser won't flatten the boards without a jig , which is time consuming. It will make them an even thickness but the twist will still be there. Jointer mode fixes this.

i have a large selection of boards from my local supplier so i can pick straight ones no problem, infact they are usually all nice and straight...