Thicknessing tools...

Jwallkc

Jwallkc

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I have a Byrnes thickness sander and it is great, but works best for finishing IMHO... It can be a real slog if you need to seriously reduce some timber. I also have a 12 inch Planer but it can only go down to about 1/2 inch so usually not thin enough. I like the Proxxon DH40 but the cost is prohibitive (~ $700 USD) ... I am looking at this Jointer/Planer on eBay... Thoughts? Anyone know how thin you can go with one of these or similar? Price seems "in range" more or less...

Jeff
 
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I use a 10" bandsaw (about the same price, maybe a little more) to rip lumber. Say a 1"x2" piece, or any size really. If I need 1x5mm strips, I rip off a strip on the bandsaw about 6 or 7mm then sand it down on the Byrnes to 5mm and then use the table saw to rip 1.1 mm strips and again using the Byrnes thickness sander to sand them to 1mm. Ending up with a nice smooth 1x5mm strip.
 
lakedaisy said:
I use a 10" bandsaw (about the same price, maybe a little more) to rip lumber. Say a 1"x2" piece, or any size really. If I need 1x5mm strips, I rip off a strip on the bandsaw about 6 or 7mm then sand it down on the Byrnes to 5mm and then use the table saw to rip 1.1 mm strips and again using the Byrnes thickness sander to sand them to 1mm. Ending up with a nice smooth 1x5mm strip.
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Yeah I have done that too with my bandsaw... I put in a new Timber Wolf blade to reduce drift and wander in the cut but the cut surfaces are still pretty rough and need a fair amount of work in the sander... And you still need a fairly thick piece to start with to slice off... But it works...
 
Jwalikc. You may have already tried this. I no longer have the internet site which I used for adjusting my bandsaw, but I searched on how to adjust a bandsaw and found several sites to help.

I had the exact same problem and didn't use the bandsaw for a while. But I really needed it. So, I went to the internet for help. These are all the things I found to help cut a straight cut.

I bought a 1/2" saw blade - MY BLADE A 1/2" blade will give you a straighter cut.

Then I adjusted the ball bearing wheels which hold the saw blade in place in the cutting area - side to side and to the back of the blade keeping it in position.

Then I tightened the blade very tight to make it ridgid. I loosen the blade when not in use and only tighten it when needed to keep from getting a flat spot on the wheels.

Then I adjusted to top wheel so the teeth on the blade sets in the center of the wheel.

I can now cut a straight line. And you don't need a thick piece of wood. Sometime I'll cut a few 6mm (more like 1/4"x 2" x 24") strips to use leter. But then find I need a 3/32" strip. I'll take the 1/4" strip and cut it down the center making two thin strips. Then use the Byrnes to finish them to the correct size.
 
Jwallkc said:
I have a Byrnes thickness sander and it is great, but works best for finishing IMHO... It can be a real slog if you need to seriously reduce some timber. I also have a 12 inch Planer but it can only go down to about 1/2 inch so usually not thin enough. I like the Proxxon DH40 but the cost is prohibitive (~ $700 USD) ... I am looking at this Jointer/Planer on eBay... Thoughts? Anyone know how thin you can go with one of these or similar? Price seems "in range" more or less...

Jeff
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There is a trick with the 12" planer....clamp a 1" milled board to the planer bed. Now you can mill very thin strips.
 
I use the Byrnes thickness sand and really like it. With all your planks the same thickness it makes planking the hull easy and not so much sanding to get things even.
 
I also have the Bynes thickness sander and it's great but I found it to be too time consuming if you are doing a lot, I just purchased this Jet 1020 drum sander and it's perfect if your into scratch building ships, it is quite and pretty clean to use.

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For making thin strips from normal wood (3/4") as an example, I use my 10" table saw. I use a finishing blade and a narrow cut throat plate. By finely adjusting the rip fence I can make a very thin strip that needs little sanding. To adjust the width I use a small 4" table saw, again with a finishing blade and narrow cut throat plate. Works for me, yours may vary.
 
I have a Sheppach bench planer/thicknesser similar to the one in your image. I find the thicknesser relatively coarse, accuracy is about +/- 0.2mm and will only go down to about 1 cm thickness, so I have to put two pieces through (or clamp another piece to the platform) to achieve 5mm. I find using the bench planer more satisfactory as I can control the job better and take small amounts off in iterations, measuring between each pass. Works for larger planks. For fine thicknessing of small pieces I would use a sander. I am looking at making a jig for my router to create a vertical sanding thicknesser for small jobs. Olha Bacharov uses a table saw to make thin planks (
)
 
StuWicks said:
I have a Sheppach bench planer/thicknesser similar to the one in your image. I find the thicknesser relatively coarse, accuracy is about +/- 0.2mm and will only go down to about 1 cm thickness, so I have to put two pieces through (or clamp another piece to the platform) to achieve 5mm. I find using the bench planer more satisfactory as I can control the job better and take small amounts off in iterations, measuring between each pass. Works for larger planks. For fine thicknessing of small pieces I would use a sander. I am looking at making a jig for my router to create a vertical sanding thicknesser for small jobs. Olha Bacharov uses a table saw to make thin planks (
)
Click to expand...
This video is only for members with level 'Gold' (subscription)

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Jwallkc said:
I have a Byrnes thickness sander and it is great, but works best for finishing IMHO... It can be a real slog if you need to seriously reduce some timber. I also have a 12 inch Planer but it can only go down to about 1/2 inch so usually not thin enough. I like the Proxxon DH40 but the cost is prohibitive (~ $700 USD) ... I am looking at this Jointer/Planer on eBay... Thoughts? Anyone know how thin you can go with one of these or similar? Price seems "in range" more or less...

Jeff
Click to expand...
I have a Metabo HC260 & by using a 'carrier' & double-sided tape (easy-peel type), I can get down to 1.5 - 2 mm thick with quite a good finish.
 
Jwalikc... Was searching the internet to make a good table top for my drill press and ran across this excellent bandsaw setup. I'm going to recheck my bandsaw. Check it out.

Bandsaw Setup


Another good info site for blade width.

Blade Width
 
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