Planer

Paul_H · August 29, 2002, 07:33:27 PM

Has anyone heard of a HEAPS planer?An oldtimer around here used to have a logging outfit,and a Mighty Mite.He has retired from the mill and logging 15 years ago,but kept the planer.He never sold it before because he thought he might use it one day.Now he's interested in selling it.

I trust his word,and he said it operated well.It is PTO driven,and will tongue and groove.The biggest board it will plane, is a 6x12. It is a 4 sided planer.

Tom · August 29, 2002, 07:56:13 PM

Paul,

I don't know anything about a Heaps planer but if you have a chance to buy a 4 sided planer at a good price and can afford it, jump on it. this is another industry in itself. sizing construction wood and making flooring and siding will keep you busy working on other people's wood even when you have none of your own. You will be in great demand once you learn to use it properly. If he knows how, allow him to teach you, it's not as simple as one may think.

Frank_Pender · August 29, 2002, 09:29:46 PM

PAUL, I have a 4 sided planer that is a 6" x 18" and it also has removable cutting heads for tongue and groove. It wieghs about 12,000lbs., was manufactured in Tocoma, Wash. and it is yours for just $500.00 American. You have to come here to pick it up and take it home. I could never get the Washington Scale folks to let me haul it on my F450, even though it is capable of doing so. ;D

Paul_H · August 29, 2002, 09:46:03 PM

Thanks Tom.
He had mentioned trading wood,or working something out that would work for me.I think he would like to see it working around here again.We spent two hours going over the planer and he had alot of good info on milling and marketing locally.I'm looking forward to talking to him more about it.

I agree with you on picking up work here,as there are several small mills,but no planer.

I want it.

Paul_H · August 29, 2002, 09:50:37 PM

Frank, I didn't see your post.What do power it with?Could you cover it with hay,and bring it up? :D

Have you had much use for it?

Bro. Noble · August 29, 2002, 09:53:50 PM

Paul,

I think you will like the PTO drive. That's the next best thing to 3-phase in my opinion.

Yesterday I sent an e-mail to Woodmaster asking for info on their planer. Had a video and literature in the mail today. I was impressed.

Noble

Paul_H · August 29, 2002, 09:59:51 PM

Noble, The only problem is I don't have the high speed PTO on the little MF35 :-/ I'm sure we can rig up something,but it would have been nice to use MF.

Bro. Noble · August 29, 2002, 10:09:29 PM

Paul,

Are you sure it's not made for 540 rpm? The 1000 rpm pto's were around 15 years ago but weren't real plentiful (around here at least). If the PTO shaft goes to belts and pulleys it wouldn't be too bad to change speeds.
Was it originally made for pto drive or did someone rig it up?

Noble

Paul_H · August 29, 2002, 10:19:50 PM

It is for a 1000 RPM,but it is belt driven.Thats a good point.I'll look at it again to see what it would take.I think it was originally belt driven like a thresher.

Paul_H · September 20, 2002, 10:27:21 PM

I found more information on the planer.It needs a input shaft speed of 800-900 RPM under load.We have a Chev 350 with auto transmission set up to run it.

ADfields · September 21, 2002, 01:42:30 AM

I dont think you will like the auto trans to run a PTO. At idle you will have very little power and if you get enouf RPM's in the 350 to lock the converter up you would be over your target RPM of your PTO. Unless you need to have a way to take it out of gear I would think about a derect belt drive set up. Or the best thing is a 3 or 4 spead stick trans so you can pick your gear, top gear at just over idle would work well I would bet with a small block Chevy that could be 60+ horse power.
Andy

Paul_H · September 21, 2002, 10:11:38 AM

Thanks for the help Andy.I will look into it further.I appreciate any information on this subject.

Would it help on the auto trans,to select low/drive?

woodman · September 22, 2002, 08:53:39 PM

I bet theres a goverment man from osha looking you up after seeing that planer. no cover

Paul_H · September 22, 2002, 10:11:45 PM

It definitely needs needs a little more guarding.I enjoy my work,but don't want to get too wrapped up in it.

Frank_Pender · September 23, 2002, 05:40:23 AM

Paul, the planer I have was run by a small block 250 Cummins. about 20 years ago. If you want it you can pay a little at a time as your use and return of time increases. That of course is with no interest, etc. 8)

Paul_H · September 23, 2002, 07:00:59 AM

Frank,
That sounds too good to let pass by.When I get a chance to head down your way,I want to check it out.

Thank you

Scott_R · September 23, 2002, 10:57:38 AM

Frank, you are a very generous man. My hat is off to you! Scott

Bro. Noble · September 25, 2002, 08:30:59 PM

It used to be common in our area to run little circle mills with an old car engine. One of the strangest setups I've seen was a mill pulled by an old plymouth six cylinder with an auto trans. About a foot into a fairsized log and it would downshift. The owner thought it was the cat's pajamas.

Noble

ADfields · September 26, 2002, 12:50:12 AM

Hi Paul
The moter will need 1600 to 1800 rpm to lock up the converter so puting it in low would work but you would like a standerd way beter. Frank's 250 Cummins would do you WAY beter in fuel money in the end I bet and you would shure have all the power you could ever need! If I were you I would be on the way south to grab it.
Andy

Don P · September 29, 2002, 08:49:07 PM

Since automatics are way easier to find and have no clutch and have park (nice safety). What is the problem with them? I've heard they transmit 98% of the power or something like that.
As a safety thing to look at on that old planer...look at the infeed roller, is it solid or sectional? Are there anti kickback fingers dangling in front of it? I'm guessing not in both cases. We ran a 1904 planer for several years in one shop. One guy was feeding multiple pieces of narrow stock in side by side to go faster and be efficient. It spat a thinner piece back out and broke his hand. We slowed down and fed the monster one piece at a time after that.

KiwiCharlie · September 29, 2002, 09:20:00 PM

QuoteAbout a foot into a fairsized log and it would downshift.

G'day Noble,

Now thats hilarious!! I can just imagine it kickin down. Conjoured up a great picture in my mind!
Thanks, that gave me a great laugh, even though I realise that wasnt why you wrote it!
Cheers
Charlie. ;D

Bro. Noble · September 29, 2002, 11:23:18 PM

KC,

I think back about that family and have quite a few chuckles myself. Someone posted a query about governors on such engines. They had a wire running overhead connected to the throttle. Just before the carriage got to the saw, they opened her wide open. The rest of the time it was set at a very fast idle.
They moved to Florida and as far as I know are still there.

Paul_H · September 29, 2002, 11:41:35 PM

I am hoping the auto trans will work out fine.If not,there is a 4speed available from the wrecker.We haven't had much time to work on the planer,we have had a few breakdowns,and have also just moved logging operations to another chart area.But times a wasting,I want to see it working within a month.

DonP,
You were right on both counts regarding feed,and lack of anti kickback fingers,thanks for the heads up.

Here is a picture of the side head knives(rusty for sure)

ADfields · September 30, 2002, 01:09:28 AM

DonP the onley thing wrong with the auto trans is you will have a very hard time controling the RPM's with it. As for puting it in park you would need a brake to stop it first or you will rip the parking paul out of it, even if you put it in nutral it will still spin right along and not stop. It is true that you get over 90% of the power past the trans but the converter is not so nice to you untill it locks up and if it's a stock Turbo350/400 set up thats around 1800/2000 RPM. It will work just not as well as other ways that are around.
Andy

Don P · September 30, 2002, 07:44:43 PM

Andy, I hadn't thought about still needing a brake to stop it anyway :-/ kinda blows the advantage of an auto there since a manual and a brake would be just as good. Had thought of a JC Whitney aftermarket cruise control as a "governor". The chevy stuff is more available but for some reason Mopars follow me home. My 22 year old Ram finally let me down on the trip back this time. I was thinking about stopping for lunch at one of Bibbyman's favorites and about 20 miles out it said enuf. Its at our place in the hills with "farm use" written all over it. Got a new little Ranger today for a runabout, fits in the neighborhood better than the old Pumpkin :D

Paul,
Cool, looks like a set of V-groove T&G knives.
We retooled out square heads to round, the cutting angle on squares isn't the best...or I guess that's actually the hook. It tends to lift and break out chips. You can grind a face bevel on the knives to fix the problem just remember this changes the overall sharpness angle so the cutting bevel might need to be adjusted. Here's a link that makes that clearer than I can describe.
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Knife_Grinding_and_Woodworking_Manual_5.html

On other old machinery... NEVER run an old hand feed square head jointer. The gap between bed and cutterhead that appears as the head rotates is large enough to eat your hand. OSHA banned them for very good reason. We ran a glue jointer w/power feed and square heads for some time with no problem since nobody's hands were near.