Been following the planer threads; just wanted to say how happy I’ve been with Grandad’s old Belsaw 12″ (9013) planer. I put a cheap Harbor Freight 5Hp “compressor duty” motor and a double-belt drive on it several years ago when GD passed away.
Knives are easy to get, custom knives even (replicated 3000 ft of Victorian YP casing last year), and it will take a big cut.
I’ve been planing green 6×6 (true) cypress down to 5-1/4″ square this week, and I can take a “three crank”, or 3/16″ cut per pass. At that rate, my 45 gallon chip bin fills up in 7 minutes – the wife got lots of shavings for the garden paths!
It’s 300# on casters; I just disconnect the overhead pickup hose & roll it under a bench when I’m done.
Anyone else got one of these old war horses? I love it.
Forrest
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No, but at a "three crank", or 3/16" cut per pass I sure wish I had one.
be in envy
half of good living is staying out of bad situations
right out of school (28 years ago...geeze...) I talked my brother into buying one (I was too poor) - he's not much of a woodworker and after we used it to build a couple of woodstrip canoes, he sold it to a friend, who still has it - I've used it on occasion, but I've got a vintage iron 24" (slow) and scored a Delta 2 speed out of the BT classifieds a few years ago, so don't really need to borrow it anymore -
said friend turned out a bunch of 4" beadboard on it a few years back for a restoration -
a quality american machine -
Bought mine new in '76 for around $800 incl. shipping, I just found out yer supposed to grease 'em<G> I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
I've got one also. Had it for 35 yrs and still going stong. Right now I'm using it to make the trim,6 panel doors and kitchen cabinets for my new house. 5 horse motor turns out the material just fine.
I have an old Parks 12", nice machine.
Joe H
Had a 15" one here for awhile. I was "storing" it for a friend and used it several times before I arranged a sale to another friend. Had a nice Baldor 5 hp on it, one of the real ones. Worked OK with fresh knives.
My planer's a little larger. One crank revolution raises the table 1/8". A direct drive (2 motors) from the 50's. Considerably less portable than the Belsaw.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!