Can anyone identify this Planer Thicknesser?

Master of None · 18 Sep 2021

A friend of mine has bought this old tool without a motor.
He prefers to recycle the old heavy stuff than buy light diy stuff.
Can anyone identify it to give us a chance of sourcing a 240v 1PH motor?
He has the bottom pully and could fabricate any mounting brackets required.
I notice these tools are usually around 1500w.

Any help appreciated.
Sorry, Images now attached.

blup · 19 Sep 2021

Some kind of thicknesser but using a drum sander instead of a blade?

Blup

Munroast · 19 Sep 2021

Where is the drum sander ?

Just looks like a planner to me, could be a nice bit of kit when its going.

Diver Fred · 19 Sep 2021

Blade is visible in 4th picture.

As for an electric motor - try asking at a rewind works.

Deleted member 174758 · 19 Sep 2021

It is an overhand planer, not a thicknesser. It might be a Dodds or Tyzack (Zyto) or any number of other makes. There were a lot of small machines like that made from the 1930s up until the 1970s.

It looks like a 6in (or maybe even a 4in) wide block, so in fact the motor only needs to be about 3/4 to 1 HP (550 watts/0.55kW to 750 watts/0.75kW), but ideally it should be an induction motor which will be far quiter than any universal motor as well as being far longer lived and having greater torque. Look for a motor with a foot mounting, like this:

The motor should be what is called a capacitor start/capacitor run type and you really to need budget for an appropriately sized no volt release starter switch (abbreviated to NoVR or DOL = direct on line) for safety's sake.

You will also need a drive pulley sized appropropriately

The accepted surface cutting speed for planer cutter blocks is about 5000ft/min (1520m/min), so in order to calculate the motor speed and motor pulley size you will first need to measure the diameter of the cutter block and the diameter of the drive pulley currently attached. Publish those and I or someone else can calculate the rest for you and show you the formula

Master of None · 19 Sep 2021

Thanks for the replies,
I will get the required dimension's and do the calculations.
Thanks JobAndKnock, I will measure the cut width to judge the kw and report back. 1520m/min is a key bit of required information so thanks for that. I used to be a metal machinist in the 90s so I understand what you are saying.
I will also check the pulley keyway and shaft diameter dimensions for an easier fitment.
Do shaft diameters and keyway dimensions conform to any sort of standards for kw power. If not this will be the hard part. As said he has the motor pulley.

Deleted member 174758 · 20 Sep 2021

Up to about 3HP a single pulley will suffice. There are standards for motor shaft diameters and keyway sizes, but as your machine is fairly old, what's the betting it is Imperial, whilst modern motors will all be metric?

Master of None · 21 Sep 2021

I have more information now and its not looking good.

After looking around on the internet this is going to be difficult to source.
Might be better just to buy something like this and fudge it somehow.
Buy Challenge Corded Impact Drill - 500W | Drills | Argos

Master of None · 26 Sep 2021

After struggling to get a motor he decided to bodge it.
At £15 good enough for occasional use I think.
The cutting speed it a bit lower than recommended but he can just ease up on the feed rate,
It appears to work adequately for now.
My only concern currently is the axial load on the drills bearings that they do not usually experience. We will see.

Deleted member 174758 · 26 Sep 2021

Actually, it isn't just a case of sub-optimal cutting speed, if the speed is too low you have a greater risk of kick back, so make sure your cutters are really sharp and do go very carefully. The quoted drill speed will undoubtedly be the no-load speed (looks better on paper), and being a Chinese drill is probably optimistic in any case. Typically a large enough drill will slow down to under 1/2 of the rated speed under load, or maybe 1200 to 1500rpm, giving you a cutter block surface speed of maybe 400 to 500 m/min.

I think I'd have gone for a second hand washing machine or tumble drier motor (you could get a machine off Freecycle) and maybe a larger pulley to get the rotation speed up to nearer optimal.

Master of None · 26 Sep 2021

The problem with the washing machine motor we tried was the wiring complexity. I had 2 red and 3 black connections and was rated at 400w. I am guessing the complexity was to do with speed control.
The drill performance is known and seemed like an easier solution. Yes, 3000 rpm is the no load speed.

Deleted member 174758 · 26 Sep 2021

Yes, but you could still get a more appropriate speed by having a larger pulley wheel mounted on the drill to give something like a 1:3 pulley wheel ratio, which means that under load you'd likely achieve your target speed.

Many years back I had a drill powered wood lathe where the input speed was between 650 and 2850rpm (it was a 2-gear, 2-electronic speed drill) but because the difference between no load speed and full load speed was so great it was all but unusable. As soon as I started to make a cut the speed would drop dramatically. When I finally put on a (very secondhand) 1/3HP induction motor I found it ran at a much more consistent speed, under load or no load, making it far easier and safer to use. Properly sized induction motors slow down a lot less under load than universal motors, which is why I recommend one to start with. Not all motors are equal

When I changed from a (universal motor) drill power to an induction motor, which didn't slow anywhere near as much under load, I found out that how pants I was at turning!

(before that I always thought it was the lathe

) Since those early days I have had plenty of opportunity to practice, so these days I'm merely "adequate"

(or good enough for people not to notice once a coat of paint has gone on my spindles

)

mrrusty · 28 Sep 2021

I don't think the drill bearings will last 5 minutes with that side load. I think it would have been slightly better to configure an external bearing as well.

conny · 28 Sep 2021

How is the drill locked on? The planer blade(s) need to run continuously for effective planing, however, if you need to keep the trigger pushed in by hand then you won't have full control over the work piece. Those straps will not hold the drill securely if there is a snag on the wood. The inertia may cause the planer to move even though it is bolted to the box. A 0.75kW single phase, B frame, (foot mount), motor would sit comfortably inside that box with a large hole cut in the left side to allow air flow into the cooling fan. It would be bolted down through all 4 feet and they are designed to belt drive accessories with sealed for life bearings. As Mrrusty says, the drill bearings will not last long but may marginally last a bit longer than the drill armature. Bodge jobs are never a good idea especially when safety is thrown out the window, (as well as the bodge up there is no guard over the belt drive). If your friend, (or anyone else who used it), got hurt by this contraption your friends insurance, (if he is a householder), would not pay out for a claim.

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Can anyone identify this Planer Thicknesser?

Master of None

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mrrusty

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