Advice on dissembling planer for shipping?

[Peter Stahley]

I've got a rigid tp1300 13“ "portable" planer I need to get back to Alaska, and shipping the thing would cost me a minimum of $165 it looks like.

However, I am allowed three free bags up to 70 lbs for my luggage, so I'm wondering: what about taking the planer apart a bit to get it under 70 lbs and be safely packed in two separate boxes. It weighs 85 lbs or so

My main worry is disassembling something that would get the machine out of plane or being a huge pain to reassemble. Obviously, something like indeed/out feed flip tables are easy enough, but that doesn't get me the 20+lb reduction I probably need to allow for packing material.

Any ideas on what to do, where to start?

[Mark Rakestraw]

:) I like the typo in the header. Also apt for the situation. Was it intentional or accidental? Sorry I can't help with the question as I'm not familiar with that planer

[Bruce Wrenn]

The motor alone probably weighs 20 pounds.

[Rich Riddle]

That is the previous model of the "lunchbox" style. The newer versions were the 4330 and 4331. Some people change out the heads in those units for spiral cutter heads. There are instructions on the net on how to change out the head for a Shelix upgrade. The head likely weighs in excess of the 20 pounds you need to shed.

[Loren Woirhaye]

Take off the crank and remove the shroud. Take the plate off the bottom and investigate. You can probably remove the 4 posts with the cutterhead mounted on them. You'll need to disengage the chain and figure out how to get the sprockets off the lead screws and remove the posts and screws from the base.