a tool too big for your shop

[Roddy Thibault]

well i have a old planer that takes up alot of space, but it works so great, but it takes up so much space, but it works so great..... you get the point the planer is a old jos.poitras and son 12" 1000lbs cast iron planer. my brother gave it to me to use (im not allowed to sale it,i have to give it back to him if i dont want it)
all i have for space is 1 1/2 car shop that allready has a ridgid 3650 tablesaw,2 stage 80 gallon aircompresser , New Yankee router table,2 tool chests.so.... im thinking of down grading to a lunch box planer .but not sure
what would you guys do?

[Mike Heidrick]

Build a shop.

[Bruce Page]

If you can’t build a new shop…the new benchtop planners actually do a great job at planning. You’d get the same capacity or more in a much smaller footprint.
I’m all too familiar with a too small of a shop or machines too large. If it were me, I’d buy a DeWalt.

[richard poitras]

Yea but you can’t get a Poitras planer in a lunch box style…..

[Peter Quinn]

Can you get a chance to use what you will source as a replacement before giving back your current planner? A few hours with a lunch box planer and you may find room for that old iron after all, or you may decide it is a boat anchor. A few hours of being limited to 1/32" or less per pass may help make up your mind.

[Mike Heidrick]

Where would you put the lunchbox? Where would you put it so you can use it.

What are the physical dimensions of a poitras?

[Rick Fisher]

Poitras is a great old Iron machine. Its in a different league than any lunchbox. Try to find some space for it.

[glenn bradley]

Where would you put the lunchbox? Where would you put it so you can use it.

What are the physical dimensions of a poitras?

Mike hits the point I would make. Any lunchbox that you can "whip out" whenever you want to use it is pretty lightweight. A reasonable machine will be 80 pounds and up. You will probably want a dedicated stand or a fliptop with another tool (you didn't mention any that might work there but you may have one).

People are often surprised that that BIG bandsaw or Drill Press takes up no more room than the "smaller" tool that is supposed to save room. At a half a ton, I assume rolling it around is out so position may be part of the problem. I have a lunchbox and am perfectly happy but, I would try to test drive one for a day or two before committing if at all possible. Good luck with your decision.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I'd vote downsize the air compressor, unless you spray a bunch, or are a mechanic in your spare time, and keep the old iron. A lunchbox planer without a dedicated place to live is about the most obnoxious thing to always be moving out of your way, which leads to the point having already been made by Glenn and Mike.

A little pancake compressor will fit nicely under the outfeed of your tablesaw.

[John Bailey]

Build a shop.

Build a shop!!

John

[Paul Ryan]

The lunch box planers are great. I have the newest model ridgid an really like it. The nice thing about them is there aren't that heavy. so, you can just pull them out when you need it and then put it back. I am in the same situation you are and floor space it really resticted. Since I don't use a planer that often the lunch box is the way to go. I just used mine this weekend a bunch though. Made 3 quick cutting boards. After the final glue up I used it to clean up the end grain instead of doing all of that harsh grit sanding and it worked great. I was afraid of tear out, but I used a technique from another guy on the creek. I rounded over the edges first and then took real small cuts. No tear out at all.

[David DeCristoforo]

Well you say you can't sell it but you didn't say you couldn't trade it. So, I'll buy a LB planer and swap you for it..... Barring that, best advice so far is "Build a shop"!

[Dewey Torres]

I suggest you post 5 or six (or more) pics of your shop to this thread and let us help you figure out where you can reclaim the space needed to keep it. Just an idea... ever see those woodworking magazine shop makeovers? I bet it can be done.

Heck, look what this guy did:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=99368&highlight=bathroom

No you don't need to be that extreme:D I just think you have some other area in your shop to improve upon.

[John Carlo]

I sometimes think I was more productive working out of my basement with just a Shopsmith, 6" Sears jointer and Belsaw planer. Today, I have a lot more large capacity machinery in a 24x44 building and I spend far too much time working "on" the shop than working "in" the shop. Yes, all those tools make it easy to accomplish certain tasks but sometimes you just wish for a little space to turn around. When tools become an obsession, productivity suffers.

[Aaron Berk]

Well you say you can't sell it but you didn't say you couldn't trade it. So, I'll buy a LB planer and swap you for it..... Barring that, best advice so far is "Build a shop"!


:D:D:D LOL David you beat me to it. I wanted to suggest a trade also.:D

[Steve Schoene]

I vote for old iron. Make an addition for your shop--if nothing else a small lean-to shed for the compressor, to also keep the sound out when it runs. Combine the router table into the side wing of the table saw--between the rails of the fence.

I assume the car already lives outside--they last longer that way, putting them in a garage during the winter just accelerates the corrosion from road salt.

Lunch box planers give a good surface, but at the expense of being noisier, and requiring many more passes, and the almost inevitability of having some snipe--though the better, heavier ones are not horrible about snipe anymore. Even with a lunch box, you will soon want to have it on it's own stand, and there the advantage is substantially reduced.

[Sonny Edmonds]

And then he said,
"Never lost no fingers woodworkin, but I lost some toes to a planer once.
Durned thang pinched them wigglers rite off when it ran them over comin off the ramp." :D

I think David has you covered. You get a lunch box, he gets the ship anchor.
I bet that anchor would out plane my DW 735 on slow speed.

Do watch your toes unloadin it. :eek:

[Roddy Thibault]

if i trade it my bro would hang me
i have some older pics of my little shop
I have a few more cupboards now but most of the machines are the same
I do spay a lot and my neighbors hate me
but here is a few pics of my shop and bros shop called"north 40 fine furniture"

if you care to poke around and take alook and let know what you think that would be great

heres the link http://www.webshots.com/search?query=rodthibault

[Charlie Plesums]

I had a 3650 saw and a lunch box planer in my garage shop. I sold them when I got my combo machine with 5 hp 16 inch jointer planer slot mortiser, 5 hp table saw with scoring blade and 8 1/2 foot slider, and 5 hp shaper. Still in the same garage.

1. The lunch box planers are good, but having had both, a heavy duty planer is really a lot better. And the planer portion of my system is far under 1000 pounds, so I bet yours is really really good.

2. I bet you could make it fit. In addition to the machine above, I have a 14 inch bandsaw, 24 inch bandsaw, dust collector, full-size lathe, drill press, radial arm saw, drum sander, two wheel compressor, turbine sprayer, disc/belt sander, plus a full range of hand tools and hand-held power tools. And the equivalent of 30 or so full sheets of plywood and a couple hundred board feet of hardwood. And today I delivered a queen size Murphy bed that I built in that 2-car shop.

C'mon, you can do it!

[Dewey Torres]

You can easily keep this planer in your shop. As I offer some ideas let me post this to the rest of the Creek for ideas. Here we go...post away guys and gals. These are the pics where I think we can be of most use (improvement wise): Lets help him keep that planer!;)

http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/43319/2957612930100223291S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/12757/2533508050100223291S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/42537/2035373810100223291S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/41367/2955803090100223291S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/12045/2040311400100223291S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/42371/2620349530100223291S500x500Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/42625/2258630530100223291S500x500Q85.jpg

If these are anywhere near current we just have to get more things on the wall and off the floor as a general comment. More to follow!

[Jim Becker]

Roddy, there are a number of factors at play here. Most have already been discussed. While I could have missed it, the type and size of projects you do comes into play, too. That big old heavy planer has a lot of good things going for it and I'd probably opt to keep it regardless. You could always change your spray method to a turbine system and downsize the compressor for pneumatic nailers, etc.

Of course, the larger shop idea is always the best solution! LOL

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Roddy, if those photos are anywhere close to accurate now, as Dewey said, you need organization in the worst of ways. In general, get all the clutter out of the way, and you'll be amazed at the room. What are the dimensions of your shop? Looks like 22x15 or so?

[Jeff Duncan]

I bought a 7-1/2 hp cyclone that was over 2' too tall for my shop, but it was just too good to pass up. A couple hours with a sawzall, some 2 x 4's and drywall, she fit right up into place no problem:D
So I guess my answer is you need to keep it. Put her on a mobile base and just push it out of the way when not in use. See how easy that was;)
good luck,
JeffD

[Dewey Torres]

I am going to post some storage tips. Remeber the main goal here is to get as much off the ground as we can. This gives you more floor space and gets you better organized:

Idea #1
http://images.meredith.com/wood/images/2007/11/p_convertspiderweb.jpg

Idea #2) Swingout pegboard rack
http://images.meredith.com/wood/images/2005/10/m_swing-outrack2.gif
http://images.meredith.com/wood/images/2005/10/m_swing-outrack1.gif

Idea #3) Double wall cab
http://sitelife.woodmagazine.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/4/0/04895a30-df95-433a-8068-fb41de6c109f.Large.jpg

Idea #4)
These ideas came from the Woodmagazine site but look though the workshops on this page as they show the layouts and storage ideas. Scroll down about 1/2 way and look for shop that is the same or smaller than yours.

http://www.woodmagazine.com/ideas/wood-shop-showcase/

and even more ideas here:

http://www.freeww.com/workshopstorage.html

and more:
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=710


Hopefully you can look through all these and at least get and idea of where you can reclaim enough space to keep your planer. Take your time and build or buy some cabinets and think of where things can be stored that you don't use all the time. Those will be the most likely places to save on space.

You should load every inch of your walls with storage. Even a low hanging lumber rack above your garage door would help get boards or other long materials out of the way. Put drawers everywhere you can think of and get as much out of your shop that doesn't have to do w/ woodworking as you can.

[Jim Kountz]

I suggest you post 5 or six (or more) pics of your shop to this thread and let us help you figure out where you can reclaim the space needed to keep it. Just an idea... ever see those woodworking magazine shop makeovers? I bet it can be done.

Heck, look what this guy did:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=99368&highlight=bathroom

No you don't need to be that extreme:D I just think you have some other area in your shop to improve upon.

Now thats using your noggin!! Good idea!!

[Tony Bilello]

"I'd vote downsize the air compressor, unless you spray a bunch......"

An Air Compressor is my 2nd most valuable large tool after the Table Saw.
Not only for spraying but also for air sanding. I find air sanding far superior to an electric sander and also for blowing down the shop everyday before clean-up. A Pancake air compressor is only good for nailing.

As for the planer, thats another story. I dont own one now and buy all of my hardwood lumber S2S. Even when I had a 5HP 12" planer, I still used to buy S2S. For the small additional charge it wasnt worth it to me to plane everything. It all depends on what kind of work you do. A planer is pretty high up on my list of things I really need but I'm not sure of what size. I think I will end up with a 24" drum sander and a lunch box planer. as opposed to a 20" planer and a small sander. I build furniture so my requirements may be different than yours. I also am tight on space and money so I cant have it all.

[Adam Grills]

That is 10x the planer any lunch box will ever hope to be! Very well built machine- much the same a a General 130. You will find that a lunch box will take up almost the same foot print. You will regret every min after you let it go for a lunch box.
Adam

[Craig T. Smith]

Roddy, Build a room outside for the air comp.(it's quieter too! ). Get a table saw wing for the router. Build a shelf and flip down bench for the miter saw. Then keep the old iron. Just my opinion. Happy Woodworking, Craig

[John Sanford]

One other thing that will improve space utilization is reclaiming all that empty space under the table saw wings.

Me, I'd stick with the old iron as well. A lunchbox planer needs to be stored somewhere, it's best utilized on a stand with some sort of extensions for the beds (even if the extensions fold down), etc, so by the time all is said and done, it takes up pretty close to the same footprint. Perhaps the only real weakness the old iron may have is in the chip/dust collection department.