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[badgerballs]

I have recently bought several Proxxon Tabletop Tools and am looking to purchase the Proxxon Thicknesser. Has anyone any idea if I can produce 1mm*3mm planks with this. I have the table saw for cutting the width, and I know that it gauges in 1mm increments, but I would like to know if you can practically produce 1mm*3mm planks from hardwoods.
bfn

[tigertiger]

Hi Badger.

I cannot answer your Q as I have never used a thicknesser.

What is a thicknesser?

I also have a question about what the planks will be used for?
If they are to be used for hull planking you may have a problem, in that hardwoods are very brittle and won't bend easily.

[badgerballs]

I am currently building Nelsons Navy ships. At present HMS Badger. I am also building a scratchbuilt HMAV Bounty. I am using Walnut, Lime and Holly. The planks are 1mm thick by 3,4,5mm wide. They bend fine and I use Window cleaner to do tighter bends. Most of the wood is glued with Aliphatic. To save myself agro I want to produce my own planks by running cuts from my 6" * 1" walnut planks. I can cut fairly accurate 6mm by 1" strips using my Startrite 310 bandsaw. I can then cut the smaller planks on my proxxon table saw. I just figured the proxxon thicknesser would make a more accurate job.
bfn

[tigertiger]

You will be very accurate, I think.
But will a thicknesser waste more wood?
Would you need to cut the plank down to almost 1mm first?

I am always asking dumb questions, but I am learning something here.

[derekwarner]

Hi all....I am also very interested in some additional wood working machinary

I noticed Peter Finess from Melbourme [OZ] displayed his Proxxon table saw in a posting...and another member [image of him with grand child  ....Barry?]....metioned his new same Proxxon  saw as a Christmas gift!

I am very interested in the same saw.........but to answer your question ..by alternate comment...are planks for model building not sliced from a peeled laminate/veneer sheet??????

I doubt if these timbers would have the tensile strength & capable of being  passed through a thicknesser & dressed down to a 1.0 mm final thickness...& yes would be a gross waste of your hard earned $ & timber....Derek 

[Dave Buckingham]

Hi Derek
I have a thicknesser from proxxon and it is a wonderfull tool.

As supplied it will go down to 1mm and is very accurate it can be adjusted to very close  measurements.

I also due to the safety stop at 1mm to stop you digging into the bed I have a 1/2mm sheet of plasticard/styrene
that I can put on the bed (T Bar under to stop it going through) and now can use it down to 1/2mm.

Even at 1/2mm gives a wonderfull finnish.

Note Tend nowdays to buy sheet material 3 or 4 ins wide of various thicknesses and cut to width

Dave

[Bee]

I've not tried it but one could line up a load of planks into a wide 'sheet' then run an orbital sander over them. The ones at each edge might get a bit rounded over. I have hand planed 1/8 thick like this - I clamp at the far end and do one end at a time. Not for controlling thickness but just cleaning up saw marks.

[tigertiger]

Hi Bee.

One of the problems with cutting planks from sheets is that it is impossible to get a straight plank from a thin sheet, even with a small table saw.

The favoured option discussed on websites is, for example:
If you want to cut planks that are 10mm x 2mm, cut a batten/piece of wood into 10mm thick strips, these will be straight. Then cut 2mm slices using a small saw. There probably will be saw marks on the face of the plank, but the edges will be straight.

I assume (a dangerous thing on here) the thicknesser is used to plane the faces of the plank. Now I understand it, I want a thicknesser.

[djrobbo]

Hi tiger.....a thicknesser is basically an electric plane buried inside a metal casing with an adjustable height setting for the blades....On mine the lower table has a powered feed on the input side , so you get your wood to almost the right size on your table saw then pass it through the thicknesser so you take of a few millimeters.then readjust the depth of cut until it is down to the thickness of timber you want

                 fabulous tool !   can make really usefull bits of timber out of old dross , with a bit of care.

                            regards   bob...

[bigH]

    Hi BB with regards the Proxxon thicknesser  (Joiner / planer) it will do what you want but, it is expensive and do not forget that if your plank is not level across the length, (that is, equal thickness.)  then you will have to present it into the planer again and again, so make sure that one side of your plank is sanded to a reasonable level and any dips in it are no lower than the required thickness.   bigH

[Mutley]

I have a 10" planner thicknesser and if i wanted to go down to 1mm i would run it through on a squared off block of wood, use double sided tape to hold each end to stop it kicking out, i wouldn't want to risk going that close to the bed.

[Dave Buckingham]

Hi Mutley

The proxxon has a stop at 1mm and I would hope most machines have the same .

Dave

[badgerballs]

Wicked, this is what I wanted to hear. My supply of walnut planks was free so I need to get the best out of it. By the sound of what you have said I can rough out my strips on the band saw to 1.5 mm thickness and then finish them to 1mm with the thicknesser.
For the benefit of other users so far I have bought the MF70 Milling Machine, KS230 Table Saw, DS 230/E scroll Saw,DB250 lathe and MT300 shaper with relevant chucks and tooling. These tools are superb.
As an exercise I turned a 1cm capstain and handles. I used the MF70 with the dividing head mounted vertically to cut 6 faces and 1mm slots for the handles.
I am very impressed with the accuracy and finish of these machines. I reckon my next step is to get the CNC equipment for the MF70 which I hope to run from my Acer Aspire One Netbook. There are some good vids on youtube showing the CNC.
I reckon it will create some great ships in bottles.
bfn

Hi Derek
I have a thicknesser from proxxon and it is a wonderfull tool.

As supplied it will go down to 1mm and is very accurate it can be adjusted to very close  measurements.

I also due to the safety stop at 1mm to stop you digging into the bed I have a 1/2mm sheet of plasticard/styrene
that I can put on the bed (T Bar under to stop it going through) and now can use it down to 1/2mm.

Even at 1/2mm gives a wonderfull finnish.

Note Tend nowdays to buy sheet material 3 or 4 ins wide of various thicknesses and cut to width

Dave

[Mutley]

I went to my local Axminster shop this saturday (24/1/09) and they have a shop soiled one reduced.........

It was the Sittingbourne shop in Kent that have it.

They also have 2 Milling Machines reduced as well.

[tigertiger]

Grab them quick.