Hi folks,
New poster, but long-time reader here. I was hoping to pose some questions to the planer/matcher experts:
I have a 4" x 12" Cowan planer that's sat unused at my place for 30 years or so. My grandfather bought it with a pile of spare equipment for his mill, built a shed around it, and it's never been touched since. It was supposedly used right up until it was sold, though it certainly needs some TLC.
I was hoping to restore it this summer. Or rather, not so much restore in the proper sense as do a thorough clean-up and rebuild all required components. I know planers are far more temperamental to set and maintain than the circle mills I'm used to, but I've been around a few before, helped pour babbitt etc., and I have a (very) amateur machine-shop setup at home, so I think I'm up to the task.
What I'm hoping for input on is the base/sub-structure required for something like this. I initially planned to build a proper shed/pad (the shed my grandfather built is not suitable for using it in - the planer barely fits in it and it's pretty crude with solid siding all around and no door - just a structure to keep it out of the weather). Then a friend suggested that I mount it on a trailer so it's portable to take to other sites and to shows. This would be exceptionally convenient, but I'm not sure this is a good idea due to vibrations, alignment, etc. Wondering what your thoughts are.
Also, there doesn't seem to be any provision on this unit for a jointer. There are no jigs, and nowhere I can conceivably see to set them up for any of the heads. The few other old matchers I've been around have all had them - at least for the top/bottom heads. Are they absolutely required? I could build something with a linear rail and custom mounts, but if it didn't have them to begin with I'm not looking to do unnecessary work. I'm not hoping for a furniture finish or anything; I'd mainly use for rough planing.
I'm not familiar with your particular machine. Does it have corrugated knifes? You should be able to get by without a jointer. You can run the non corrugated knifes and just use a dial indicator through the back of a piece of channel iron. Just set it to straddle your knife with the sides making contact with the head and the indicator is making contact with the knife itself. This will let you get your knives within a few thousandths from side to side and should be close enough. You should only need a jointer if you're running corrugated knives. It does help to touch up your edges between actual sharpening.
I bought a planer on a trailer, seemed like a pain to use that way. Step up step down. If not planning on running much it should be fine.
Thanks kindly for the replies. It hasn't got corrugated knives, just the old square heads. It would be nice to convert one day, but I'm in no rush to do so. Don't have any pictures of mine, but it's very similar to this:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/65422/Cowan_Planer.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1616072072)
Do you have any ldea of the weight of this planer or the power required to run it? I would expect it would take a pretty heavy duty trailer to make this planer and power unit portable
I don't know the exact weight, but it's certainly a hefty chunk of pig iron; my rough guesstimate is 4,500#. It hasn't got quite as many bells and whistles as the one in the pic below.
I'd be powering it with a tractor - either by flat-belt as it was before, or by attaching a pto shaft, so the power unit wouldn't be on the trailer. I have an old manure spreader I was thinking of stealing the axle off, and building the rest with I-beams/structural tube. I wouldn't intend it to be highway-worthy by any means, just able to move around the yard or haul down the road to a friend's mill or the local equipment show.
Quote from: customsawyer on March 18, 2021, 06:36:06 AM. It does help to touch up your edges between actual sharpening.
Jake, what tools and procedure do you use to "touch up" your planer knives? If I remove them, I run them on the sharpener. I have tried to touch up in the head, but not sure it made a big difference. I have a 20 inch grizzly.
It's called a jointer. It actually mounts to the planer and has basically a sharpening stone that you can adjust as the head is running. You mount it on and set it to where it isn't touching the knife. Turn the head on that you are touching up. Adjust it to where you it just does touch and move it back and forth across the head. I can touch up the top and bottom heads on the Pinheiro a couple of times before removing them for actual sharpening. I always pucker up a bit when pushing the start button. It goes against the natural order of things, to mount something really close to a blade that will turn several thousand RPMs when it is engaged. I always spin it several times by hand making sure it doesn't touch before starting it. Once started you can lower the stone by turning the handle. When you make light contact slowly pull it across the head a few times. I normally lower it a half turn at a time. Watch that you are getting good contact all the way across the knife and you are done.