3 Types of Wood Thicknesser Machines and Important Features Explained
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Woodworking has been around for many centuries and although it hasn't always been as advanced as today, it has always relied on finessing wooden pieces. This is done with the use of a wood thicknesser nowadays which is a machine that does three things.
It levels the sides and ends of workpieces, smooths out rough or uneven wooden surfaces and can chamfer which involves removing sharp edges. Also referred to as a planer thicknesser, a woodworking thicknesser machine is one of the most important pieces of woodworking equipment in today's demanding projects be it in your garage or a manufacturing plant.
Types of Wood Thicknessers
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Benchtop
The most affordable wood thicknesser you can get is a benchtop thicknesser which is small enough so that it can fit on your workbench. This form factor makes it quite portable but a benchtop wood thicknesser machine isn't always a portable solution as some machines are made to be used only in a workshop. These are more capable and more stable as they are more powerful and heavier.
Standalone
With a standalone thicknesser, you get a unit that's going nowhere not just because of its bulky design but also its motor. Standalone thicknessers are made to be used on the floor and with larger and more demanding workpieces that will put the machine to its limits. Standalone thicknessers are therefore more robust than their smaller counterparts.
Combo
A combo woodworking thicknesser is a machine made to work both as a planer and a jointer. This means you can use it for two different operations which helps you save space in your workshop. You essentially get the capabilities of a standalone thicknesser without the space they usually take. Also, you don't need to go from one machine to another just to finish or prep one workpiece, everything happens in one spot which makes combo thicknessers much more convenient.
Manual vs Electric
You can choose between two types of any of the above thicknessers, either manual or electric. Manual thicknessers are more reliable as they are simpler but they are not as easy to use as electric thicknesser machines. If you are after convenience you should buy an electric thicknesser but know that maintenance and its initial cost are much higher than those of a manual thicknesser.
What to Consider
Capacity
The capacity of a wood thicknesser machine refers to the size of the workpieces it can accommodate. A thicknesser with a larger capacity let's you work on boards as wide as 33 cm and as thick as 15 cm while a smaller capacity thicknesser can be used on boards that are of the same thickness as the above but 30 cm wide.
Blade
The material of the blades the thicknesser has determines how durable they are and how capable they are. For instance, if you buy a thicknesser with blades from high-speed steel you get quite a capable cutting ability however even the slightest scratch means you need to replace the blade which is a costly outcome. If you go with a woodworking thicknesser that uses tungsten carbide blades the opposite is true.
Cutterhead
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A straight cutterhead is the most common and traditional solution since it's an affordable solution but one that produces a lot of noise and tear-out.
Helical cutterheads are made of inserts that are able to cut the wood off the board at one point which makes for a better finish and a lot less noise. This brings me to its only downside which is the price as it makes thicknessers with helical cutter heads much more expensive than those with straight cutterheads.
A spiral cutterhead makes for a middle-ground option between a straight and helical cutterhead. That's because it's not as loud as a straight cutterhead but also not as expensive as a helical cutterhead whilst providing a smooth finish.
HP
With horsepower, the approach is rather simple since the more there are the more powerful the thicknesser. The majority of high-end thicknessers come with anywhere between 3HP and 5HP but if you don't mind having a slower thicknesser machine you can go for one that has less than 3HP.
Table Support
Depending on the thickness and size of boards you're going to work with you should have a large and thick enough bed or table support. Long cast iron beds are something more capable thicknessers have which makes them costlier than those with a smaller bed.
Snipe Reduce Mechanism
Benchtop thicknessers create snipe which refers to the ends of the wood being cut deeper than usual. If there is no snipe reduce mechanism this can end up being down to 0.25mm but with the mechanism, it ranges between 0.13mm and 0.15mm. This may not seem like much but when working on more intricate projects you'll notice a big difference.
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