Planer questions

[sbishop]

Hi, i've been looking now for a while for a planer/moulder. i've got a bunch of pine that I need to plane for myself and maybe next year run some t&g flooring. I was hoping to be able to buy just one machine that will do the job.

I ran accross this machine at sears but i'm not sure if it will to t&g?

Sears Planer/Moulder

[mike_van]

I'm pretty sure you won't do T&G with that machine - I did mine with 2 routers, I  bought the router bit set for T&G, set up 2 different routers, and never changed them 'till I was done. I have a shaper, but found it just as good with the routers.

[flht01]

I'm pretty sure you won't do T&G with that machine - I did mine with 2 routers, I  bought the router bit set for T&G, set up 2 different routers, and never changed them 'till I was done. I have a shaper, but found it just as good with the routers.

Mike,
Did you set up by using a dedicated base plate for each router in a router table? Sounds like a good way to go, keeps from having to readjust the bits each time.

[mike_van]

No, hand held routers - I have a nice Frued, I used that one to cut the tounges, and a smaller Rockwell for the grooves. I did the ends too, thats where the routers really shine - Not having to hold the end of a 10' board on a small table. 

[sbishop]

Thanks for the replies...

Grizzly G1037Z

Any thoughts on this model? looks like there is knives available for t&g?

Sbishop

[footer]

That t&g might work, but flooring cutters  usually have the t&g lower on the board and have a slightly different profile and the bottom is cut so they dont touch to allow the top to fit tighter.
Like This

[Kcwoodbutcher]

The problem with any of the moulder/planers cutting T&G is when you flip the board on its edge the feed rollers don't have much to grip and sometimes the feed hangs up. Routers and shapers don't have this problem.The planer/moulders are great for preparing the stock and making a relief cut on the bottom.

[jgoodhart]

I have the  Grizzly G1037  yr 1996 and it has served me very well over the years. I have made chair rail, window and door casement, base board and planed lots of lumber with it. I never made T&G flooring with it but with a good jig to guide the lumber through the planer I'm sure it's possible.

[brdmkr]

Thanks for the replies...

Grizzly G1037Z

Any thoughts on this model? looks like there is knives available for t&g?

Sbishop

May want to check with tcsmpsi.  I think he has that model.  I have a Woodmaster.  They make a router attacment for it  (I don't have it), that will let you machine edges as you plane.  Might be worth considering.

OOPS, I just see that jgoodhart chimed in on the Griz.

[Handy Andy]

  You might look at the woodmaster.  Mine has the helical cutter, and it works well for less than first grade lumber.  Doesn't jerk out chunks around knots etc, and makes it easy to replace blades.  I plan to just use a router in a table  for any flooring I make.  Did a set of panel cabinet doors and end panels for my daughter. Didn't set any speed records, but the doors look good after a year now.  Jim

[aniakhenry]

OK...  I have been looking at the links you guys have posted.  Great stuff and a real interest in the projects I am trying to pull off also.  I have been questioning what to use for T & G flooring also.  I thought a router would do the trick. 

Now after looking at all the different machinery I have more questions...

There are jointers, planers, shapers and moulders.

Now aren't planers and jointers doing almost the same thing?  And moulders are more specific for trim building?  What then technically are shapers... industrial routers with trick cutter heads? 

Please help me clarify so I can consider more of what I will need for my projects. 

Thanks,

[brdmkr]

Now aren't planers and jointers doing almost the same thing?  And moulders are more specific for trim building?  What then technically are shapers... industrial routers with trick cutter heads? 

Please help me clarify so I can consider more of what I will need for my projects. 

A jointer provides a flat face or edge on wood, whereas a planer makes the faces parallel and reduces thickness.  If a board is warped and you run it through a planer, it will still be warped only the 2 sides will be perfectly parallel.  If you flatten on a jointer and then plane, the board will be both flat and parallel.  You can build a sled to use a planer to flatten a board, but it is fairly time consuming (I am told, as I have never done this).

The procedure for squaring and thicknessing stock involves, joint one face and one edge.  Table saw to desired witdth.  Plane to desired thickness.  You could plane first if you like.  Some use the TS to cut the edge proud and then joint both edges for a cleaner glue-up, but I find a good TS blade is plenty smooth enough.

A moulder looks much like a planer and is used to cut profiles in wood (make molding).  In many cases a shaper or router could do the same thing, but they tend to be limited in terms of the width of the stock they can handle (e.g., it would be tough to make 6" crown molding with a router or shaper).

The difference between a shaper and a router is in the motor and the size of the bits (or cutters).  Shapers run on induction motors whereas routers use universal motors.  Shapers generally run slower and can use much larger cutters than routers.  Unless you are really into high production, I think most folks can get away with a large router.  I would like to have a shaper, but for what I do, a router works just fine.  If I were making lots of T&G, I would strongly consider a shaper (or run multiple blades and a jig on the molder).

[Kelvin]

I've found the best answer to be a shaper.  Router and a router table often add up to be about the price of a good used shaper (unless you build your own table, which i don't understand why they are so much)  A good used shaper and a power feeder are a must, so you might have $800-$1000 into a used setup.  The benifit of this system over a moulder/planer is the ability to run verying widths at anytime without change in setup.  You see, even with a fancy 4 head molder to change widths, say from 4" to 6", requires reallignment of the heads, which equals quite a bit of fussing around, unless you have a really fancy machine.  This is a complaint i've heard against the Logosol type 4 head molder.  The time it takes to reconfigure the heads for different operations.  Now with a shaper and power feeder you get consistant results.  Hand feeding a router long boards gives you lots of errors.  A decent sized power feeder on a shaper gives you pro results.  I just ran 2500 bd ft of flooring through my shaper and it doesn't take that much time to send them back through.  Just setup some rolling tables to move them around.  In fact if i had a big enough volume to justify a 4 head machine, i would simply buy another shaper to set in line with the other to run the next cutter.  You have to rough size blanks before you put them in a molder/planer anyhow.  So just plane them to size and run them through the shaper.  Different widths?  No problem.  Now if you are a big company and can order all your lumber to be say, 1"x2 3/4" you can justify a big run with a dedicated flooring machine.  But my lumber comes in all shapes and sizes and i want to use everything to its maximum potential.  Not rip a 6" board down to 4" to fit the machine.  Routers are fine for hobbyists or small runs, but for the money involved, a good used shaper will pay for itself by the time the router has burned up for running to hard and too long.
Good luck!
kelvin