Gas engine for planer?

Edvantage · January 01, 2021, 02:02:06 PM

I was given a crescent planer 24". Cutter head is square with two blades. Motor on it is massive patented 1903. Tag says 7.5 hp 96 amps 104 volts single phase. Or 48 amps 208v. I can't imagine the start amps. Another friend just dropped off nearly new kohler 16 hp v twin engine. I'm thinking the gas engine might be the better choice. I plan on running it outside. Is 16 hp enough? Currently need to plane pine but I'm sure I would end up running some maple.

Southside · January 01, 2021, 06:29:35 PM

Square head planers deserve to be in a museum, reduces the odds of them killing someone.

I would not recommend running one.

Edvantage · January 01, 2021, 07:11:56 PM

Is it worth changing the cutterhead? So far it's cost me nothing. Or am I wasting my time?

Andries · January 01, 2021, 09:27:51 PM

Crescent has made some really good equipment, good machining and solid cast iron.
Check out the OWWM (old woodworking machinery) website for advice and info on the 'how and if' of changing out the square cutterhead.
Some FF members may jump in with some really specific answers as well, but like SouthSide says; change it up or park it before someone takes a chunk of wood to the gut.
Don't get any of us wrong, I really like old machines.
My 1919 vintage Yates jointer is old iron, and the OWWM group helped me get it into great shape.

Edvantage · January 01, 2021, 10:19:02 PM

I look at lightweight new planers and the price tag. And than I look at the heavy iron on this crescent and it seems to me it would work with a new cutterhead. My problem is I have spent most of my life making everything from scratch or the hard way because I can ( or I can't afford new) just stopped at a friend's house his yard is full of half repaired old stuff. Can he make it work? Sure he can but at what cost in time and effort. The reason I have the planer and engine is I have helped other people fix there old junk so they give me there old stuff. It's a lifestyle I guess.

mike_belben · January 02, 2021, 09:02:18 AM

Yup, a blessing and a curse.

16 horses will pull a house so on a treadmill i reckon they ought to shave wood just fine too.

muggs · January 02, 2021, 09:08:24 AM

Here is a second opinion on not using that planer. I broke my arm on one from a kickback. That motor at 104V comes from around the turn of the century. That was the voltage they used then. :

Don P · January 02, 2021, 09:15:31 AM

It can be made to work and that should be enough power, man the amp draw and hp of the old motor sure doesn't sound right. The square head knives are really hitting the wood at a bad angle but they can be back ground to help fix that. Or you can retool it with a round head. They can throw boards but operated within their limitations and being aware they do work. A friend broke a hand on one, a 1904 we were all glad to see go up the road, the potential is definitely there. I've seen one with anti kickback fingers fitted on it. @Paul_H restored one some years ago.

mike_belben · January 02, 2021, 09:47:20 AM

Sharpened bicycle freewheel sprockets will make a good anti-kickback feed guide. The ones with the ratchet pawl inside.

Edvantage · January 02, 2021, 11:19:23 AM

I have a healthy respect for kickback. Once had a table saw kickback so hard the board hit the end of my thumb splitting the main bone and shoving the tip between the two halves. I had an instant short fat thumb. If I do anything it's going to be a new cutterhead. Just gotta find the time.

mike_belben · January 02, 2021, 12:25:15 PM

I stalled a good old 3hp or so delta rockwell table saw with a sheet of plywood and a pair of testicles once.

Southside · January 02, 2021, 12:29:02 PM

Saw Stop Mike - Saw Stop, won't hurt nearly as badly as that did. :D

Paul_H · January 02, 2021, 01:24:38 PM

DonP tagged me so I thought I'd weigh in with a couple of links.

I bought a Heaps Waterous 6 x 24 " 4 sided planer built in 1940 with square heads. We ran a lot of on and two inch T&G flooring through it but it was limited in speed to get a nice finish because we only had two knives per head. It was slow to change thickness or profile but width was no too bad. It has an infeed table so kickback was never an issue although without it it could have potential for injury.
It is powered by a Chevy 350 with automatic trans and the driveshaft was direct to the input shaft and the speedometer was inside the shack and was best around 30 MPH. We left it behind when we moved 10 years ago and there is another owner now and he has been using it.

Planer in Sawmills and Milling (forestryforum.com)

Heaps Planer in Sawmills and Milling (forestryforum.com)

DonP was a big help as were other members, some long gone now but missed.

This video was taken a few days before we moved in March 2010 where we made some flooring for the oldtimer that owned the land where we kept the planer. When we bought it from him 8 years before he told me I had to move it but when I asked him for an extension he said it was fine where it was. He liked the activity and we respected his rules. We gave it back to him when we moved and he has since re-sold it.
I'm on the infeed and Bob, the former owner is on the outfeed.
Heaps Planer.wmv - YouTube

Edvantage · January 02, 2021, 01:51:40 PM

Wow that's a lot of machine. I wouldn't worry too much about kickback I would be worried about getting wrapped in a belt or shaft. I'm extra cautious as I have my kids helping me. My ten year old is full speed eager to help and sometimes he's to quick. I'm constantly watching

farmfromkansas · January 17, 2021, 12:27:40 PM

Used to have a neighbor who built his own circle mill, and powered it with a 1066 IH tractor pto. He had a planer also powered the same way, it worked well.

Edvantage · February 22, 2021, 05:19:12 PM

Just started looking at planer again as I bought 5mbf of white ash to mill. I'm planning to make 2" x6" t&g for my loft floor. The rest will be spiral staircase, interior doors,trim and kitchen cabinets. One way or another I've gotta have a planer. As you can see in the picture you all where correct about the dangers of a square head planer. Someone put a lot of effort into putting ball bearings on this and than it looks like they had a jam and broke both blades. Who knows how long this has been sitting. I'm really torn which way to go on this. Trash it and find something else.?Or spend money on new cutter head and electric motor? The gas engine turned out to be a vertical shaft so scratch that idea.

Don P · February 22, 2021, 06:10:13 PM

Can't help with the hard decisions but awful glad you didn't spin that thing up!

Southside · February 22, 2021, 06:15:35 PM

That sure must have made someone duck, roll, and change their shorts!!! That hard of a hit may have twisted or warped something else down the powertrain - just more food for thought.

@Paul_H What did you use the irrigation reel for?

Al_Smith · February 22, 2021, 06:28:02 PM

That old motor most likely is one of those massive low speed motors that wasn't build to be economical .You could always change it to something more modern .Although the cost of a new single phase motor most likely exceeds the value of the machine . I've got an old Crescent bandsaw and it is a heavy old rascal for sure .

tacks Y · February 22, 2021, 09:04:23 PM

I scraped one a couple months ago 3-400. Make a start on a good used one. I have a 24" Rockwell up for sale in Pa. If any interest I will post here and pay commission.

Edvantage · February 23, 2021, 06:29:27 AM

I checked out your ad looks like a nice heavy planer. Although I have a nice phase converter it's only rated for 5hp. I have decided to scrap the one I have. The motor on a scale weighs 450.

tacks Y · February 23, 2021, 07:37:48 AM

Quote from: Edvantage on February 23, 2021, 06:29:27 AM
I checked out your ad looks like a nice heavy planer. Although I have a nice phase converter it's only rated for 5hp. I have decided to scrap the one I have. The motor on a scale weighs 450.

The motor should bring a higher price then scrap. So if off sell separate.

Don P · February 23, 2021, 08:41:25 AM

That Rockwell is a nice shop planer, I've run a bunch through one just like it, early 80's. Is your old motor up to being a phase converter?

Al_Smith · February 23, 2021, 11:59:00 AM

There's always again making a phase converter and using a 3 phase motor which could be another option .
On the subject in an old pattern shop owned by a guy who made patterns for Sherman tank castings in WW2 he had a Oliver 24" planer and it was 5 HP with a massive motor , three phase .The guy who bought it had to hire a rigger to move it .heavy duty Judy .He also bought a 20" Crescent shaper which was 10 HP with no power feed .Widow maker if I ever saw one . That guy who has passed away since wanted me to half-fast wire them up ,I walked away from that.
I did buy some large lathe tool holders, live centers and what not for large metal lathes which I have used .Including a radius cutter which I could turn a trailer ball if I wanted to .--thus goes the life of a junk yard dawg .