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Post by andy king on Oct 16, 2007 16:19:45 GMT
Hi everyone, hope you don't mind me joining...  I've got a question for Scrit if he doesn't mind helping, and if I can help anyone in return, please feel free to ask away! Anyway, I had an email from a guy who has a Dodd jointer, complete with overhead thicknesser attachment, wanting more info. The attached (I hope!) pics show the setup, but it looks like something maybe missing. I'm not sure, as I've never seen one in the flesh. I know Scrit said on the UKW forum that these were outlawed in the 70's, so I was obviously too young to see one  I think Multico used to have a similar option on their jointer, but again, info seems to be non existant. Anyway, does anyone here have any info to shed any light on it? It looks like a poor way of thicknessing from what I can see, outlawed or not! Cheers, Andy PS. Had to use andrew as I wasn't allowed andy king for some reason. I think my Mum must be a moderator.    |
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Post by jfc on Oct 16, 2007 16:41:06 GMT
Didnt BBlack just sell a Dodd ? He may be able to tell you if it has any parts missing .
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Post by andy king on Oct 16, 2007 17:50:55 GMT
Didnt BBlack just sell a Dodd ? He may be able to tell you if it has any parts missing . Hopefully he can! I think the guy who emailed me is hoping to try and use it, but I did speak to him today to say it isn't likely to be the best or easiest route, even if it's all there. ( I said it looks like there should be something in the cast bracket and knob on the side of it, but he says that's all he's got) I think he'd be better off investing in a cheapish thicknesser to go with it rather than try and make do with what looks like quite an archaic device. Andy |
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Post by Scrit on Oct 16, 2007 18:11:14 GMT
Hi Andy The thicknesser attachments were often "badged" versions of the device which I believe was patented and sold under the name Gabro. Similar devices were sold by Coronet, Startrite-Inca and Multico (shown below):  They were quite common in the 1940s to 1960s but were never offered by any of the major machinery manufacturers. They consist of a horizontal plate positioned over the cutter block which can be adjusted up and down to control the depth of cut. The Multico had probably the best depth adjustment device of any of them with a handle and screw-thread depth of cut adjuster making for accurate cuts. The Dodd, on the other hand, has no fine adjuster and might prove to be a PITA to set the depth on unless you already had a pre-planed piece of timber which was exactly the right size. One or two springs are attached to the infeed bed of the planer to push the workpiece upwards against the underside of the horizontal plate and the infeed bed is dropped to expose the leading edge of the cutterblock. Needless to say this Heath-Robinson affair has no anti-kickback pawls, no power feed (making the last part of the feed through potentially a bit traumatic) and the guarding of the cutterblock is somewhat less than ideal. The depth of cut also needs to be limited as trying to take more than about 1/16in at a pass can result in a fairly hairy kickback! Looking at the photographs you've supplied the device is missing the infeed bed pressure springs. I've got a catalogue with a clearer illustration of the Gabro attachment and I'll try to scan and post that image later on as it shows the springs much more clearly. As for the bracket I think that might be there to hold the pressure spring or springs although I wouldn't swear to it. These devices were outlawed by the 1974 Woodworking Machinery Regulations which mandated adequate guarding, etc. although the lack of anti-kickback pawls would always have made them an "iffy" attachment in a commercial shop. Given the choice I certainly wouldn't want to use one. My advice would be to keep it as a planer, but buy a lunchbox thicknesser for thicknessing. Life will be less "exciting" that way. Scrit |
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Post by andy king on Oct 16, 2007 18:20:40 GMT
Fantastic! Thanks Scrit, as comprehensive as ever!  |
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Post by davyowen on Oct 16, 2007 18:41:54 GMT
Hi Andy, your display name is sorted now.
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Post by andy king on Oct 16, 2007 18:46:15 GMT
Nifty! Thanks Davy.
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Post by Scrit on Oct 16, 2007 21:21:11 GMT
Hi again Andy As promised here is a page from a 1960s catalogue showing the Gabro thiocknesser atttachment:  The springs can clearly be seen and it's these which are missing in your photos Hope this helps Regards Scrit |
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Post by andy king on Oct 17, 2007 7:59:11 GMT
Thanks a lot Scrit, very much appreciated! |
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