SS jionter vs other brands

[putttn]

I think I read where there's one in your neighborhood of Mo., Eric? I think it is Hawk Tools. Heard they were pretty good too, but I would guess they compete with W&H.

[dusty]

putttn

I was just funnin with ya.

However, it does make your point. Buy a really good machine and it'll be around for awhile. Fifty or so years.

The Williams & Hussey Model 206 retails for $2699.00 but it is a moulder. You can watch it at work on This Old House. Tom Silva shows it off every now and then with a set of custom blades (delivered over night) that he probably pays another $2700.00 for.

If you haven't been there, you might be interested in OWWM.com. They feature Old Wood Woorking Machines.
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Making Sawdust Safely

[johnnyr]

Great thread. I figure I might as well throw in my .02Cdn. I have the SS Pro Planer and a 12 1/2" Delta lunchbox. The Delta has good power, easy knife changes, a good head lock and the thing is portable. The downside is that it uses a universal motor to drive the cutterhead and the feed rollers. The motor gets hot and every so often brushes need to be changed. The SS planer has three knives as opposed to the two in the Delta and although they are a bit tougher to set up, provide a smoother cut overall. The cutterhead is driven by an induction motor that will run all day and never break a sweat. Feed rate is continuously variable using a separate motor so the cpi is easily set for the particular job at hand. The SS comes off so much more as a "professional" machine that with care should reasonably last a lifetime.

Jointers you ask? In addition to the SS I have a Rockwell 6" "carrier" with the cabinet base. I cannot find any difference in the end result from either machine with the advantage going to the Rockwell based on size and weight.

I have pretty much every major SS tool that there is including a Powerstand that is set up with the belt/disc sanders and my old 500 table on the disc. My dad gave me all of this SS stuff many years ago and with my own aquisitions over the years I have ended up with one of those "two of everything" shops. The stand alone tools now overshadow the SS but the potential of having multiple setups on the same type of tool is great for production runs:D

[putttn]

Dusty, I told you I was a green pea/newbie. I wouldn't know which end of the planer to use let alone a new or old one. The picture you sent me did make me pucker a bit when I thought about putting that in my garage. My wife is already looking at me like I'm a bit crazed, especially when she saw me waxing my SS! I tried to explain wax vs oiling but just got a strange look.

[ericolson]

I think I read where there's one in your neighborhood of Mo., Eric? I think it is Hawk Tools. Heard they were pretty good too, but I would guess they compete with W&H.
If it's what I'm thinking of, then you may be thinking of Hawk/RBI molder/planer combos. Those're nice too. You can swap out the planer cutterhead for a molder. Some other options are drum sander, gang rip saw, etc. Nice machines. One of these days I'll hopefully blunder into one, as usually happens with my machinery acquisitions.

[ericolson]

Dusty, I told you I was a green pea/newbie. I wouldn't know which end of the planer to use let alone a new or old one. The picture you sent me did make me pucker a bit when I thought about putting that in my garage. My wife is already looking at me like I'm a bit crazed, especially when she saw me waxing my SS! I tried to explain wax vs oiling but just got a strange look.
puttn;

I would recommend (finally, I get around to it, after highjacking the thread with sawmilling for a while) that you get yourself a portable planer. And the word "portable" can be used loosely for some of those planers. Delta and DeWalt are quality machines. I had a Delta for years before I got my Parks. If I remember correctly, I only had to swap out the knives twice in all that time. As far as jointers, well, I'm of the opinion that bigger is better. As I've said in my previous posts, I work with pretty big stock "in the rough", which is stock pretty much as it came out of the lumber mill. I do all of my milling myself, so a 4" SS jointer wouldn't work for me. Too small. I even think my 8" is too small. Wow. That last sentence could be taken WAY out of context!! :D At any rate, if I get the opportunity to get a 12" jointer, I'll jump all over it. Remember, though, I have the good fortune of having a rather large stand alone shop, with plenty of space, so I can spread out a bit with larger machinery, as well as my SS. However, the more stand alone tools I get, the less room I have. I, like many, started out in the standard two-car garage with one half occupied by a vehicle, so SS was the way to go. Over time, the vehicle moved out and more tools moved in. Now that I'm where I'm at, I've had the opportunity to spread my wings, so to speak. Being new to woodworking is, in it's way, more of an advantage than having a bit of experience. This is where you learn your fundamentals and gain your good/bad habits (hopefully more "good"). Throw your questions, comments, concerns our way and the good folks on this forum will get you the guidance you seek, in one way, shape or form.

[putttn]

I find this thread really interesting in that I have 4 acres of pine and fur trees. I didn't know I could actually process these trees for my own lumber. I know I'm far from the necessary experience to do so but I would sure like to be able to do that at some time.
Is it your experience that a Hawk or something like that is too much for a newbie? I am just starting to get some equipment and need just about everything but don't want to spend a fortune doing so. But, at the same time, I don't want to buy something that is difficult to set up and operate and would end not being used. Sounds like the Delta or DeWalt might be a good compromise?

[charlese]

Chuck;

Well, I bit the bullet and bought an Alaskan sawmill attachment for my chainsaw.

One of the two downed oaks has a limb 13" in diameter, so it'll definitely be useable. I'll let you know how many board feet I get.

Pretty exciting move Eric!! Best Wishes on the use of your mill!

I am particularly interested in how the limb wood comes out. Since Oak has tension wood on the top of limbs, the boards cut from the top of the limb should warp upward. If you could mark the upper part of the limb you could check this out. Supposedly it shouldn't matter if the top of the limb is plain sawn quartered or rift, the lumber should warp upward.

Thank you for "hijacking" this thread for a while. We obviously had something to say about this. I've not seen such a response elsewhere!