Help with Sears molder/planer

[Kelvin]

Just bought a 5 hp molder planer thinking it was a belsaw type machine that i could make casing with, didn't look at the size of the gibs for the molder knife until i got home.  They only take 1 1/2" knives, the type they make for their table saw molder heads!  Crazy!  I never thought anyone would think of anything so stupid.  This is a 20 year old machine, and looks just like the belsaw,  its 12" x 6".  Who would need 5 hp to make quarter round?  Anyone have experience with this machine?  Anyway to cut the gibs so i could install wider, i guess, custom and super expensive knives?  How do belsaws work?  Its in real nice shape and i got it for $250.  Looked in the owners manual and sure enough they have a list of available knives for the 1 1/2" molder slot in the center of the head, and nothing else.  I thought maybe someone might have done something about this in the past?  Anyone?  Thanks
Kelvin

[Larry]

Look sorta like this machine?  It's a Belsaw disquised as a Craftsman. 



You don't use the planer gibbs when molding.  When you buy a cutter you get one knife with a gibb, and two counter balance gibbs.

You will love that 5hp...it will eat whole trees when planing.  Also there is an optional gear to change feed from 12 fpm to 20.

[Kelvin]

Yeah, that looks like it, but no where in the owners manual is any mention of this.  It shows where you take out the center molding gib, that is 1 1/2" wide, and they showed the list of cutters you can get.  Where do you get cutters for yours?  How wide can you go?  Does sears still sell em, or would belsaw fit?  How do you line them up on the 12" head?  I hope this is the thing i wanted.  It sounds good so far.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Kelvin, I believe TimberKing bought the Company, and is the supplier of parts. Click on the TimberKing logo on the left side of the page, and contact them.

[Larry]

Belsaw is still alive selling parts and cutters.  They cross reference the Sears machines if they made them but the cutters are all the same.  Schmidt and Moore are two reputable companies that also make cutters.  Grind your own, especially the simple back relief knives is an option.  Any city of size will have a shop that makes knives.  Do a google search and you will find bunch of sources.

For the most part the patterns are industry standard.  If you ordered a "444" knife from anybody it would be the exact casing I'm running in the picture.  Stay away from the companies that try to sell something of there own design.

Think maybe the widest knife I have seen is something like 7"...log cabin siding.

[Kelvin]

How do you put the knife in the cutter head?  Center it and use the 12" gibs to hold it in?  Wouldn't they bend?   One knife and 2 weights?  Ever have a 3 knife set?  Heard they were real hard to make even. 

[Kelvin]

Just wondering where you guys have found to be the least expensive place to get knives?  Belsaw direct?  How much do they cost?  I'm having a time getting any prices off their website.  Are they all one knife with 2 weights?  Thanks
Kelvin

[sawwood]

Kelvin i have the 18" woodmaster planer/moulder and i buy my moulding
knives from a sharping/grinding co here in Kansas City Mo. they cost me
about 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of what woodmaster charges. you might check
in your area for a co that sharpens or grinds out knives. You might try
a serch on google for moulding knives and see what you come up with.
If you use the planer block to hold the knives you will need the two
weights to balance it out. Hope this helps and be sure to have a good
chip collector as it will make a lot of chips.

Sawwood

[Jason_WI]

Kelvin,

I have ordered moulding knives from here before. I used them in my 12" RBI planer/moulder. They were 1 knife and gib with 2 counter weights. It worked great. Use the slowest feed you have. When taking a full cut you will be glad you have the 5 HP.

http://www.cggschmidt.com/catalog.html


Woodmaster has a website with profiles. They charge $27 per inch plus shipping.

http://www.woodmastertools.com/s/support.cfm


Other sites:

http://www.moldingknives.com/

http://customouldingknives.com/

http://wtwchgo.com/moulding_knives.htm


Jason