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Post by jimturn on May 5, 2008 19:32:20 GMT
Hi everyone, its been a few months since I last asked for some advice/guidance, although I'm a regular viewer/ reader of other messages and responses. The knowledge of members is quite something else.
I'm looking to buy a PT with a budget of around £500. I have seen three that interest me ( although there may well be more I'm unaware of). 1) Axminster AW106PT2 £531.34:
2) Charnwood W583 £599.00: 3) Fox F22-586 £599.00 including a Fox 1HP Dust Extractor. Like most, I'm always up for a bargain.
The PT is only for DIY/Hobby use but I would appreciate your views on the best available around this price.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Jim.
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Post by engineerone on May 5, 2008 20:03:55 GMT
don't personally know any of them, but from my experience with my little mafell, the most important thing is not price, but decent inexpensive to buy and sharpen knives, and an easy and accurate way in which to instal same. so you will need to think about adding a dial gauge and stand to your budget, plus some kind of magnetic devices to hold the blade in position until such time as they are properly installed. paul  |
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Post by jimturn on May 6, 2008 19:53:00 GMT
Hi Paul,
thank you for taking the time to reply, it is much appreciated.
Yes I realise there are more things to think about than initial cost, as is evident from a number of replies to other queries. I tend not to think too hard about the extras as additional costs but more the general running costs. I know this may sound somewhat niave
but the perception is it hurts a little less and to an extent, can be justified.
Forgive my ignorance but are the dial gauge, stand and magnetic device absolutely necessary? I had a small hobby PT (mini-kity) and the method was to install the blades approximately, then lay a piece of straight hardwood over the edge of the infeed table, turn the cutter block by hand if the blades just caught and dragged the wood forward an inch or so, repeated 2 or 3 times over the length of each blade, that was it. Not very scientific or fast I know but for a hobbiest it seemed to work. Maybe this is another unanticipated price of 'moving up' to bigger and better. It's certainly food for thought.
Many thanks Paul.
Jim.
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Post by engineerone on May 6, 2008 20:38:48 GMT
jim, whilst you can indeed use the wood method, the problem with some of the bigger machines is that they have a number of fixings for the blades, so the dial ensure accuracy all along the length. there are of course some other jigs too i would suggest you think carefully about the kind of wood you can easily get to give you a guide to the size and type of machine to buy. as for the cost of these things, the problem is if you don't cost them at the get go, when you need to sharpen the blades it is another cost at a time when you are spending extra any way. good luck paul |
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Post by gazza on May 6, 2008 22:14:41 GMT
Hi Jim, this (click on new semi professional, then planer thicknesser as it doesn't directly link)may be of interest to you. A bit cheaper than most. They are all basically the same machine with a few different stickers on them . I think the newer axminster has an upgraded cast iron fence. For your £600 (maybe even less) you could pick up an old beauty on Ebay that will be ten times better than any of these. Food for thought I'm sure. HTH Gazza. Ps, the wooden straight edge works for me |
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Post by Scrit on May 7, 2008 12:43:54 GMT
For your £600 (maybe even less) you could pick up an old beauty on Ebay that will be ten times better than any of these. An example of which might be the Whitehead PTJ as discussed in this thread. The Whiteheads were often sold in single-phase form and were popullar for training establishments, building maintainance shops, small joinery workshops and schools in the sixties and seventies in much the same way that Sedgwick's are today. Nice, solid cast-iron machine (even the "body" is cast, no sheet metal) with a cast-iron fence to boot. The only downside is that older machines often have only a 2-knife block rather than a 3- or 4-knife one as often found on modern machines As for setting blades I favour the magnetic setting jigs like the Panhans type:  With those once you've set-up one blade the other one is automatically the same and every time you need to swap blades your resharpened blades will pop in in a few minutes with the setting always being correct. A real boon when dealing with a 3- or 4-knife block Scrit |
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Post by jimturn on May 11, 2008 20:32:06 GMT
Paul, thanks again for your advice (not to mention patience and understanding), sorry to sound so ignorant but I've never heard of a mafell. I'm not sure if you meant this as an endorsment of this machine or a lesson learned because of it. If it's an endorsement are they still available and where? Thanks again, Jim.
Hi Gazza, thank you too for your time and input. The link you provided looks very interesting and certainly worthy of consideration. I have been looking on ebay for a few months now but on the odd occasion I have seen a good PT (Wadkin/startright) I have waited until around the last day for bids and usually been significantly outbid. But I'll keep looking. Thank you,
Jim.
Hi Scrit, you must spend an awful lot of your time giving advice to fellow members and whilst I would not presume to represent them, and not wishing to sound too sycophantic, I hope you realise just what a fantastic source of information you are. This is the second time you have offered me advice, the first was last year after I purchased an AGS10 and needed advice about sourcing a manual and a replacement mitre fence. I purchased an 'Osbourne' direct from the USA and I guess I was lucky in not having to pay any duty and overall, the cost was around £80.00. I have also today fired up the AGS for the first time, after having to replace the floor in my workshop and having a rewire. Compared to the 8" mini-kity I used for years it whispers like a Rolls. I can't wait to put it to work. May I impose upon you once again, in the knowledge that you possess an AGS too and ask your advice on blades you would recommend, i.e. makes, type etc.
Many thanks. Jim.
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Post by engineerone on May 11, 2008 21:37:48 GMT
jim actually the mafell is only a small machine being 6x4 output, so probably not suitable for what you are looking. however, it is available through nma agencies, but they also do a smaller and cheaper item which if you can stay at this size is only around 200quid. paul |
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Post by wizer on May 12, 2008 17:16:26 GMT
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Post by Scrit on May 12, 2008 18:37:38 GMT
The best rarely are. All I can say is that everyone I've shown mine to has gone and bought their own, eventually. I got mine because I was really struggling with a 4-knife block on my Casadei P/T |
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Post by Scrit on May 12, 2008 18:48:05 GMT
Hi Scrit, you must spend an awful lot of your time giving advice to fellow members..... May I impose upon you once again, in the knowledge that you possess an AGS too and ask your advice on blades you would recommend, i.e. makes, type etc. Sometimes, sometimes....... I'm glad that your AGS has turned ouit to be such a winner. I suppose the best I can say is to bite the bullet and stick with the better-known "trade" suppliers of saw blades, e.g. Ernest Bennett of Sheffield (British firm, makes excellent blades and very knowledgeable), Leitz (in Leeds, Manchester, London, etc), Stehle, Oppold (once a family-owned firm, now part of Leitz), etc. Freud are also OK. You'll probably need 2 or three blades, depending on the usage. A dedicated rip blade is always worth having, for general use a combination blade can sit on the saw for a large part of the time whilst a dedicated crosscut is a boon for sizing (although personally I'd tend to use a chop saw or radial arm for that rather than the table saw - less blade changes). What size blade does your machine use? Are there any other uses (e.g. MFC, plywood, etc) Scrit PS Startrite (Robland) and Multico did all right P/Ts, but for quality Wadkin was streets ahead |
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Post by wizer on May 12, 2008 20:09:26 GMT
At least they come in a nice box Kidding. They are on the wish list as I do find knife setting a PITA |
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Post by jimturn on May 13, 2008 19:09:24 GMT
Hello again Scrit. My AGS is 10" and yes I will be using it to cut plywood and MFC. In fact in the near future, among my plans to remodel my workshop (16' x 8' so not much room) I intend to make a workbench on wheels at the same height as my sawbench and so use the bench as an in or out table for the saw when cutting long stock. I am hoping to use MFC for this purpose as well as for stands for a router and my chop saw. Would it be advisable to purchase a specific blade for MFC?
Incidentally I checked out the Panhans planer knife setter and they look the business. I agree with Wizer that they seem expensive but I'm sure they would be a good investment in terms of less time to set up and therefore less stress and strain on my blood pressure. Many thanks again for your advice.
Kind regards. Jim.
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