Wood planer cutting speed?

[RonA]

Hi All,
I was given (sometime ago) a very old but very solid cast iron wood planing machine or more correctly the business end of one I.e. the table & rotating cutter.
Upto now haven't had much use for it so its sat at the back of the workshop.
That's now changed & I finally have a use for it.
I intend to make up a support frame for it using box section & I have a spare 1hp motor to drive it (equally ancient but working).
The question is at what speed does the cutter need to rotate.
I need to select the correct pulley sizes.
Is there (like metal) an optimum cutting speed?
Anybody own a planer & if so have you any idea what speed the cutter blade travels at?

RonA

 

[desmo11225]

Hi RonA
These old machines are superb, I have refurbished one or two and you can get new blades for them, I have just ordered Cobalt carbon steel Blades and you can get them sharpened.
What is the make of your machine that would help, also how long are the blades????? I'm sure you will be able to make a nice solid frame for it and we can find out the cutting speed for it, persevere with that and you'll have a nice piece of kit, also think about fitting it out with a movable platform so you can tuck it away when not in use. All the Best desmo11225

 

[ford34/2]

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/which-motor-pulley-for-bench-planner.44336/


Stan

 

[RonA]

Hi RonA
These old machines are superb, I have refurbished one or two and you can get new blades for them, I have just ordered Cobalt carbon steel Blades and you can get them sharpened.
What is the make of your machine that would help, also how long are the blades????? I'm sure you will be able to make a nice solid frame for it and we can find out the cutting speed for it, persevere with that and you'll have a nice piece of kit, also think about fitting it out with a movable platform so you can tuck it away when not in use. All the Best desmo11225

Hi Desmo11225,
When I said old I should perhaps have said really old (see attached picture). There doesn't seem to be any manafacturers mark on it but the cutting head is 3.75" in diameter across the blade tips. The plain bearings seem ok no slogger & shaft rotates quite freely, not being ball bearings suspect it will need frequent lubrication in use. I'd be interested to know where you had the blades sharpened?

RonA

 

[RonA]

Mine (planer/thicknesser) runs the cutter at 9000rpm (approx. 1.5" dia with 2 blades).

Hi Peg,
If yours has a 1.5" dia head & rotates at 9000 rpm, would I be right in assuming as mine has a 3.75" head I could get away with 1.5/3.75 x 9000 = 3600 rpm cutter speed.

RonA

 

[Crater Creator]

That 3600 sounds right to me as circumference (linear blade movement) is a direct function of diameter so yes your sums add up.

 

[ford34/2]

Any local "saw sharpening co" near you??

Perhaps too far away from you for Sharpening::

North Shields Grinding.
Tanners' Bank,
North Shields
NE30 1JH
Phone:0191 257 2342
site is under re construction
http://www.northshieldsgrinding.co.uk/


Bennets worth a try?
http://ernest-bennett.co.uk/

Stan

 

[RonA]

Any local "saw sharpening co" near you??

Perhaps too far away from you for Sharpening::

North Shields Grinding.
Tanners' Bank,
North Shields
NE30 1JH
Phone:0191 257 2342
site is under re construction
http://www.northshieldsgrinding.co.uk/


Bennets worth a try?
http://ernest-bennett.co.uk/

Stan

Not out of the way if I can't find anything nearer. Thanks for that.
RonA

 

[ford34/2]

I`ve used them since the 60s one of many firms offering sharpening services and they have survived many atttempts to Imitate their services. Not sure if they still have a collection/delivery service though.

Stan

 

[desmo11225]

Hi RonA
That looks like a good old solid machine, the first one I refurbished was probably built between the wars and was a saw planer, I had to install another motor because a double ended motor [ Which it started off with was £300/400 so a second hand scrap yard motor £10 was fitted with a movable platform and appropriate pulleys, you have a great fence there which was a major problem, I had to make one, the boy's have all ready given you a selection of speeds, so you have plenty of choice there, that machine was run on 3 phase and has been replaced with 240 volt machines, it also got sold on ebay and went to Africa.
Re. sharpening Ron , I live in Luton, Bedfordshire so a bit far away from you but your blades are 6 inches long I'll bet and if you ca'nt buy or get them sharpened I'll do them for you if you pay the postage, I have a Tormek sharpening system and do sharpening all the time. All the Best Ron , looking forward to seeing your planer all cleaned up, mounted and ready to go. desmo11225

 

[RonA]

Hi RonA
That looks like a good old solid machine, the first one I refurbished was probably built between the wars and was a saw planer, I had to install another motor because a double ended motor [ Which it started off with was £300/400 so a second hand scrap yard motor £10 was fitted with a movable platform and appropriate pulleys, you have a great fence there which was a major problem, I had to make one, the boy's have all ready given you a selection of speeds, so you have plenty of choice there, that machine was run on 3 phase and has been replaced with 240 volt machines, it also got sold on ebay and went to Africa.
Re. sharpening Ron , I live in Luton, Bedfordshire so a bit far away from you but your blades are 6 inches long I'll bet and if you ca'nt buy or get them sharpened I'll do them for you if you pay the postage, I have a Tormek sharpening system and do sharpening all the time. All the Best Ron , looking forward to seeing your planer all cleaned up, mounted and ready to go. desmo11225

Hi Desmo, Just noticed your post, thanks for the offer If I get stuck I might well take you up on it.
RonA

 

[Newlands]

If you need new blades talk to Doug at http://cutting-solutions.co.uk - I buy my planer blades from him and they're really good quality and very good prices. The thickness is important to make certain it clamps in the cutter block correctly. Check the blade clamp bolts and replace if necessary, as these often get abused by chippies who don't understand complicated things like spanners and allen keys.
My old DeWalt planer ran at 6000 rpm, with probably a 65 mm cutter block, and the Sedgwick I now use has an 80mm dia block and runs at 4000rpm, so you wouldn't be too far off at around 3600rpm (or maybe a touch slower).