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Thread: Finally up and running

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Western PA
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    1,242

    Finally up and running

    It was a bear to get into my basement space, but I finally wired it up Friday night and got to use it over the weekend. Wanted to plug Jack's service providing VFDs for phase conversion. I didnt realize he did this, and it was actually Dave that suggested the idea. My original game plan was to replace the 3 phase motor with a single phase 5-7.5hp baldor with a new switch. After going the VFD route, it was considerably cheaper and easier to setup. Years ago i went through the hassle of swapping motors and controls on a unisaw, and i dont think i would do the same thing today. One, i gave up a 5hp for a 3hp on the unisaw, and secondly, it would have been faster to wire the VFD. In that case, after selling the rabbit ear 3 phase motor, i think swapping motors was the same or slightly less than a 10hp VFD. Hopefully this italian motor has a fair amount of life left in it before it needs to be serviced, and the VFD lasts for awhile. But, this is something i probably wouldnt have undertaken without knowing i had someone to hold my hand through the programming end of the VFD. Wiring is no problem for me, but I probably would have spent 2 annoying hours bumbling through the manual and unit to get it programmed correctly. Matt took me through it at 10pm on Friday in about 7 minutes.

    Had a counter height bench and island top to make for a client, and it gave me an opportunity to run the machine a bit. The new Tersa knives planed the 8/4 walnut beautifully. Interested to see how long the edges will last, but so far so good. Surprisingly, my homemade bridge guard works well. I cobbled it together out of some 3/4" plywood scraps and two woodpecker jig knobs I took from my FF jig. I can see why people like bridge guards after using this one for a bit. Edge jointing is especially nice with it. Id love one of the automatically adjusting bridge guards, but ill take free over $1500+. I need to find a way to mount the VFD remote switch, and i think i will improve the DC connection. For the time being im reusing the 6" to 4" line i had for my old 12" grizzly. I ordered the hose to make this 6" all the way to the machine, but i want to go a step further and create an internal funnel for the DC hookup. As it is today, the port is about 24-36" from the cutterhead. I imagine something similar to the euro combo machines with the dust pan design right next to the cutterhead. Then again, im really really lazy with modifying machines and making things for the shop, so ill probably just run a 6" hose to the machine and call it good nuff.

    Final question, does anyone have suggestions for nesting a planer and jointer more efficiently? As you can see, I work in a shoebox and every bit of space counts. I thought about cutting down the fence bar a bit, but didnt know if that would turn into one of the bigger regrets of my life. I dont see myself moving the fence back and forth very much. As much as i would like to move it forward for edge jointing sessions, the fence travel isnt parallel to the outfeed table, which means the fence would constantly need adjustment prior to jointing. It is annoying to reach over 20" of bed to edge joint, but atleast i know the fence is square without checking it constantly. Related to the fence, but should it ride on the tables or hover above the tables? Right now it drags across the tables.
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
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    Modesto, CA, USA
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    What is it, the planer or the jointer I presume. Make, model.
    Bill D.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    That's a "stout" looking jointer! 'Glad you have it up and running! Nice job on the bridge guard, too. I can't tell if you rounded over the top of the guard, but that can be helpful as you are bringing material back for subsequent passes although you'd want more support at the fence side for that. The commercial bridge guards are spring loaded so they head to the table as you bring material back over them.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Western PA
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    Sorry, Bill, didnt clarify. It is the jointer, the PM is single phase and been around for a couple years. I wish i could tell you the make, but i cant! Haha it was one of the big mysteries for me buying the machine. Its model number is PF-500. The motor is Italian Electro Adda, which is in line with originally guessing the machine to be a Griggio, Paoloni etc. With it in person, im unfortunately no closer to knowing who made it. There are no identifying plates, stamps, etc that i can find. Oddly enough there is a Casolin PF-500 on woodweb that looks 99% identical. The one photo was in the process of removing the 12" grizzly. I wanted them to be put next to one another for a comparison shot, and this is the closest i got.

    Running the board over the guard is a practice ive never done. I work with mostly 8/4+, and i just dont trust previous guards to hold up to 40lbs of weight on them. Never cared to heard what it sounds like when a few knives bite into an aluminum plate. Maybe that will change in 30 years, but for now i carry the board back for the return pass. This plywood guard would not stand up to that kind of abuse. I use push blocks 99.99% of the time when im facing lumber, which makes the guard more of a visual cue than an actual safety necessity. I do think its much safer than a pork chop for edging. Edge jointing is #1 in my eyes for personal risk. Ive had a few instances where my wide spread hand put my pinky within an inch or so of the cutterhead. Its poor practice to carry your hand through the cutterhead, but i do it occasionally. With a porkchop, you expose the blade more than the actual workpiece thickness. Not a lot, but enough for a finger. Furthermore, your hand can easly push the guard aside and expose more cutterhead. With this ply guard, i cant get my hand within 3" of the cutterhead in either direction.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
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    6,529
    I like my jointer against a wall personally.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,675
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Day View Post
    I like my jointer against a wall personally.
    Patrick's arrangement with the two complimentary machining tools "back to back" is pretty common in shops...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    McKinney, TX
    Posts
    2,063
    Nice looking jointer. As for space what about spinning the planer 180 so you can put them closer together and still be able to access the planer adjustment
    Steve Jenkins, McKinney, TX. 469 742-9694
    Always use the word "impossible" with extreme caution

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    So Cal
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    3,737
    Patrick you need to clean your shop.
    Impressive jointer
    Aj

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
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    9,645
    I don't see how you could position them much more efficiently than offset side-by-side, just like you have. But you could move a bunch of that wood out of your shop and you'd have all kinds of free space. My shop was so full of wood I could hardly move, so I finally bit the bullet and built a shed to store most of it in. What a change. Space; imagine that. There is no perfect solution with regards to storing wood, but I've finally learned that storing it in your shop is just about the worst option.

    John

  10. #10
    having it in the way is no good nor is storing it in less than good temp and humidity wise

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Michigan, USA
    Posts
    548
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Kane View Post
    I dont see myself moving the fence back and forth very much. As much as i would like to move it forward for edge jointing sessions, the fence travel isnt parallel to the outfeed table, which means the fence would constantly need adjustment prior to jointing. It is annoying to reach over 20" of bed to edge joint, but atleast i know the fence is square without checking it constantly. Related to the fence, but should it ride on the tables or hover above the tables? Right now it drags across the tables.
    I'm a novice, so this may be a stupid question, but if the fence remains perpendicular to the table, does it matter that it isn't exactly parallel? You'll still be cutting an edge that's 90-degrees to the face - but the cutting blades will engage the stock at a slight angle.

    If you do a lot of edge jointing and don't move the fence, won't you get excessive wear on one part of the blades? Seems like that could cause irregularities when you're jointing a face.

  12. #12
    pull the fence close to you and work there then work your way accross there is not reason to be reaching far accross if that is how you are using it.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Kane View Post
    It was a bear to get into my basement space...
    That jointer? In a basement? Please don't tell me there were any stairs involved. Cuz if there were you need to call Ripley's.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  14. #14
    Patrick, my planer and jointer are as tightly mated as can be.DSCN0544[1].jpg Material goes from the jointer onto the stroke sander table in the background and returns through the planer same side up without turning the board around. I would not recommend reversing the planer direction.

    As regards the fence, its angle to the table should remain the same regardless of position unless the mounting bar is curved or sags.

    I like the guard for its simplicity. It's like the first jointer I learned on with added height adjustment.

    I recently put a vfd on my lathe. I mounted the remote keypad in a wood block with magnets. When that proved prone to slippage I added a bead of silicone to the back of the block.DSCN0541.jpg

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Western PA
    Posts
    1,242
    First off, yes, I work in deplorable conditions of my own making. My problem is I’m not a well organized person and I consider cleaning to be a complete waste of productive time : ). I do dream of having a clean and orderly shop one day. Unfortunately, I’m too busy to do much. In the last 3-4 weeks I was at the beach for a week, moved the 12” machine out and 20” machine in, did the wiring for the new machine, hours calibrating it, king size bed frame, set of floating shelves, two island tops, and a set of kitchen countertops. Pretty much if I’m in the shop im making money or making furniture for myself. I have a full time office job too.

    Kevin, I love the magnet and caulk idea. For whatever dumb reason I didn’t want to drill and tap the cabinet of the machine to mount the switch.

    As for the fence, if it doesn’t travel parallel with the tables then it can be square at one point and only one point. I need to look at it some more to see if I can simply shim the fence mounting bracket to adjust the angle. It’s not the end of the world, but there is more back strain when the fence is that far away compared to an 8 or 12” machine.

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