Small 4 sided planer

[Quebecnewf]

is there a machine out there that could plane four sides at once and not weigh a ton or cost 15,000 dollars and require 3 phase power and monster dust collection .
Some old iron maybe

Looking to plane up 2x4 etc from my band mill .

Any ideas guys?

Quebecnewf

[Ocklawahaboy]

I suspect you are asking because you've seen the same selection available that I have.  I doubt the homeowner tool companies: delta, dewalt and the like, aren't interested in that market, or selling a machine that would cost at least double their current models. 

The mid-priced brands then have to look at what the real market niche would be. By time you bump the price of their current models to add the extra features, you are probably close enough to the price of the big models that people who want to do serious production will just by the 15,000 unit you mentioned, knowing it will hold its value.

What do I know though?  Maybe there is one out there.  My observation is that, with any product, there are established pricing and feature levels for a reason and companies don't usually find straddling markets to be a profitable endeavor. 

[Joat]

no knowing how big the  boards you are planing .... 

2 planers  ( one mounted at 90 degrees ) one behind the other would probably set you back about 1000.00 for good ones ... fabbed up mounts , a couple hundred more  ....  just a suggestion .

[deadfall]

At 120V, home-owner single sided planers are frustratingly weak.  Try to take more than a hair's breadth and they bog down.  Think of the wide side of a 2X4 as a three and a half inch kerf.  There's a lot of work being done there. 

[Quebecnewf]

The home models are not at all what I am looking at . I have two electric planers in my work shop . Single sided both. These are for woodworking not for planing rough green from the saw lumber.

Most of these types of production planers are serious pieces of iron. Weighing 4 or 5 thousand pounds and requiring a lot of hp to run.

I am wondering if there is anything a little on the smaller size that one could buy?

I am sure I am looking second hand new would be too pricy for me for sure. .

I have seen one of these at an old sawmill near here. It is a four sided planer and they were running it with an old V8 car engine. It could do the job but it was a. Serious size piece of iron.... I saw another electric one at another old mill this one was even bigger..

Quebecnewf

[beenthere]

Assume you have looked at the Baker.. but think only 3 phase

http://www.baker-online.com/5900_M412_4-Head_Moulder.aspx?pannel=3

and Logosol with single phase and under 800 lb.

http://www.logosol.us/planers/ph260/

[longtime lurker]

Moulders are something where you'll get what you pay for. Weight is needed if you want them to last - theres a lot of stresses on the frame etc during the operation and consequently they make them heavy so they last.
Dust extraction is also important. To plane a board the volume of chips produced isnt going to change regardless of what machine does it. Green chips are heavier so they need more suction to move them. The rougher the rough lumber the bigger the chip size and the greater the volume of chips you have.

As mentioned Logosol do a small 4 sider. I've looked at it a few times but always walked away thinking it was too light: more a small shop machine then a sawmill machine. A sawmill machine really wants at least 6 cutterheads so it has the ability to hog some off for straightening. The logosol and any smaller then that would require you to run a DAR pass then a moulding pass to make for example T&G. Give me 6 heads and a long infeed table and I can spit out straight floorboards from somewhat bent rough sawn on a single pass. Time is money and all that...

[Larry]

There were thousands of Smithway XL moulders built.  They were used in door/window shops making parts when all doors and windows were wood.  The planers were all four heads with a variety of different motors.  I had one and going from poor memory it had something like 3 or 4 HP motors on the top and bottom heads.  2 HP on the side heads.  !/2 HP for the feed motor.  All were original single phase.  You have to remember when all doors and windows were wood a shop was doing good to have 100 amp single phase service.  They came either 2 X 4 or 2 X 6.  Weighed I guess around 600 pounds.  Used corrugated tooling and that is readily available today. They did a good job in softwood.  They are available on the used market usually for less than a $1,000.  Some are completely wore out while others have many years left in them.  The machine had a long production run and called by two other names they I can't remember.

I think if you could find one it might work for your application.  For a small machine they are a lot better than the new small machines.  But again they are a small machine.

[JSNH]

I saw one about 6 years ago near you. It was up in Newfoundland out side of St. Anthony. It's in a small mill with a bench saw type mill on the right side of the road. The road is a dead end and goes up the hill east of town you go by the pond that provides water to the town. They have what you are looking for a small four sided planner that they made. All simple parts. 

 
This a photo of the bench saw and you can see a bit of the planner to the right.

[sigidi]

I picked up a 5 head Wadkin planer late last year, it does weigh around 2.5t, does need three phase power and dust extracton, but it was only $8kAU it will do all sorts of profiles  just depends what knives you put in. Will easily handle 4*2's, but like others have said, you need the weight and the dust extraction...

[GAmillworker]

I would look for a Dominion xl.  The one I had would do 3x6.

[Cedarman]

I would look for a Dominion xl.  The one I had would do 3x6.

I have a Dominion Midas for sale.  4 head model.  2x6.  But it is 3 phase.  We replaced it with a Leadermac.

[Quebecnewf]

I saw one about 6 years ago near you. It was up in Newfoundland out side of St. Anthony. It's in a small mill with a bench saw type mill on the right side of the road. The road is a dead end and goes up the hill east of town you go by the pond that provides water to the town. They have what you are looking for a small four sided planner that they made. All simple parts. 

 
This a photo of the bench saw and you can see a bit of the planner to the right.

Very interested in this setup would you have any other info or pics of this sawmill. I like the sound of homemade 4 sided planer. The newfies are very clever in making things from nothing. I saw a small mill a few years back in an outport in NFLD. Was the neatest setup you ever wanted to see  all homebuilt except the blade and mandrel .

Quebecnewf

[JSNH]

I took a few more photos that had the planer but I think they are on a dead computer. I will look for them. The photo I posted I had posted to the forum showing the bench saw. I called it a push thru mill. The location of it is lat:51.339215 lon:-55.652362

[JSNH]

Not the best. I was not trying to document it to duplicate it. It was all standard bearings and mostly angle iron welded together.


 


 


 

[Quebecnewf]

Not the best. I was not trying to document it to duplicate it. It was all standard bearings and mostly angle iron welded together.


 


 


 

Now that's the type of thing I need. Do you know a name or something that I could do to get in contact there. What was the name of the town. It was near St Anthony you said.?
Those push through mills are all over NFLD. That one looks better than most I have seen.

What powered the mill and the planer?

Any info at all would be great. I have contacts I NFLD so if I could get a name or a town I could start from there

Quebecnewf

Pm me if you wish

[beenthere]

Try to interpret the latitude and longitude numbers given by JSNH for the location. Not sure just what they are in that format, right off hand. Looks like degrees.

[JSNH]

If you type 51.339215,-55.652362 into the search on google earth it will take you right there. It is on Goose Cove Rd. Half way to Goose Cove from St Anthony on the right side of the road.  The photos were taken just 5 years ago. I have no contact info. I stopped by to find some one and check out the operation. It looked so good I just had to get some photos. The power was a stationary engine but I don't remember the details and some of the power was by hydraulics.

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

JSNH,

Boy, you were a long way from home if you were on that road...

That's beyond roughing it.

We're currently in Mt Pearl on the Avalon peninsula, have considered taking a run out to L'Anse aux Meadows but it's a long road... Google maps says 11.5 hrs and almost 1100 km.

Herb

[beenthere]

Thanks JSNH
I was including the lat: and lon: in the search. Didn't interpret.. Just the numbers work great for getting that location to show up.

[Quebecnewf]

Thanks for the info. I will see what I can find out. Have some old contacts in the region. Might give them a call first.

I thought I saw some hyd hoses running in one of the pics.

Would imagine the hyd are for moving carrage and that type of thing. Same engine drives both sawmill and planer I think.

They saw first and then switch to planing after they get a certain amount sawed. I saw a small circle mill in a village west of here a few years ago that was set up this way.Old mill owned by two old brothers. Very nice setup and the cleanest mill I ever saw.

Quebecnewf

[JSNH]

I like to travel to odd places. Newfoundland is a great place to visit. I have been there 3 times. The last trip was with the family and we even took a boat ride out around an iceberg in the middle of July. A previous time I took the Harley up there and took the ferry to Goose Bay Labrador. That ferry does not run now they added to the road. then it was the second year the translab highway was open to the public. 500 miles of dirt before continuous pavement. The first leg was 180 miles to Churchill falls. Not a single house or telephone pole for 180 miles.
Great people up there and a hardy bunch too just look at Quebecnewf's operation. He thrives where few could survive.

[Quebecnewf]

 

Bella Desgagnes at Harrington wharf

If you like to visit odd places come visit this region.
You. Could visit us on our new ferry boat.

They filmed a movie here a few years back
Seducing Dr. Lewis. 
See more of Harrington in that movie. Make sure you get the right one as there is now one out of the same name filmed in NFLD. Not as good as the one made here.

Any forum members coming will get a free tour . Time and weather permitting. Sorry no pig roast. All the pigs  died too cold.

Quebecnewf

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

That's alright Quebecnewf, I'd settle for a good feed of fresh cod's tongues...

Or a good boiled dinner with salt meat or riblets and pease pudding.

Of course along there where you are you probably have pretty good crab and lobster available.

Would love to visit but that's a looooooooonnnnnnnnnggggggg trip, even for someone currently in the Avalon peninsula of Newfoundland.

Take care and good luck on your quest for a "new" planer.

Herb

[Quebecnewf]

 

Thinking of going with a new plan. I am going to install the side cutters on my old planer, which I have been using as a single sided planer. I will then have three sides dressed so the fourth side will be left rough.

This is a bit of  a scary beast with the side cutters installed. No guards on the side cutters. This machine was built back in the day when men were men and safety was not a concern of real men.

I will keep you posted on how it goes. That is if I have not lost my typing fingers after the first run

Quebecnewf

[Kbeitz]

My kind of a machine...

[bushmechanic]

 Well Quebecnewf I know of two of those planers that you are speaking of two community's down from me and I have been after those for years to no avail. They are the size of a lazyboy recliner, and plane four sides in a single pass. I have a "push bench" sawmill myself and a three side planer. OHAS guy's would have a canary if they saw how we saw lumber here in Newfoundland, but it has been that way since the time of water powered mills. I run my mill and planer with the same engine a International 34 hp diesel with a marine transmission. I'll try and get a name of the planer off buddie when I see him again and inbox you with it. I'll also have to try and post some pic's of my planer and mill for you. We had a planer like the one in the picture and set it up to produce T&G log siding.

[Quebecnewf]

Here is my setup at the planer shed near the mill. I run it with an old B&S.


Works pretty well. Not sure how it will do with the side cutters.

Quebecnewf

[whatwas]

Hi Quebecnewf,
Take a look on kijiji in the kawartha lakes , Ontario area. It looks like a it could be  hard on fingers (maybe arms too) but it was still there last night, good luck

[bushmechanic]

Some pic's as promised...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

[Quebecnewf]

Great pics. Love the look of that planer. I guess you saw fir and spruce like I do. What is the name of that planer and where can I get one? Four sides is good but I would settle for three sides.

Quebecnewf

[Quebecnewf]

Hi Quebecnewf,
Take a look on kijiji in the kawartha lakes , Ontario area. It looks like a it could be  hard on fingers (maybe arms too) but it was still there last night, good luck

Looks pretty rough to me and way too far away and too heavy

Quebecnewf

[bushmechanic]

Actually our timber is like the Quebec's north shore I think. That planer is maybe close to 120 years old and the casting on it says Cant-Gourley Quebec. It was all babbitt bearings when we got it but I have since changed a lot over to pillow blocks. I'd say 20 to 30 years ago that gear was everywhere here but now it's fizzled out but still some of it around hidden away. 

[Quebecnewf]

Yep our timber would be the same spruce, black spruce, white birch, balsam fir and a bit of juniper.

My planer is old as well made by a Quebec company that was bought out by General Tools.

Company called Jos Poitras et Fils.
Quebecnewf

[Quebecnewf]

Actually our timber is like the Quebec's north shore I think. That planer is maybe close to 120 years old and the casting on it says Cant-Gourley Quebec. It was all babbitt bearings when we got it but I have since changed a lot over to pillow blocks. I'd say 20 to 30 years ago that gear was everywhere here but now it's fizzled out but still some of it around hidden away.

How do you do your logging? We do all ours in the winter. No choice as the land is too rough and boggy for any other time of year. We log with snowmobile.
Quebecnewf

[bushmechanic]

We have a 1070 Timberjack harvester and a 1010D John Deere forwarder.We cut logs(studwood) and firewood, year round when possible. The sawmill and my skidder are only for my own personal use, as I cut and haul my own firewood. Just curious where does that ferry dock on the mainland?

[Quebecnewf]

That ferry runs up and down the coast each week stopping in all the villages along the lower North shore. Passengers and cargo. The dock here in our village is located in the Center of the village.

Is logging your full time work .?

Quebecnewf

[bushmechanic]

Yes as of this spring I went back at it again full time, I was working as a heavy duty mechanic for the past ten years everything from the Dept of Transportation-construction-forestry- school buses-garbage trucks. Missed the woods so much that I threw it all down and got back into it again. So are you an uprooted newf or is it your wife?

[Quebecnewf]

Sounds like a passion that pulls you back. Most people on this coast have their roots in NFLD. My great grandfather came from the rock. Small village that no longer exists called Pushtrough.

I fished for quite a few years . Then ran my fathers general store for many years after he retired. Now retired myself. Bought the sawmill back in 93 and have been sawing part time every since. Just a hobby/passion.

I also do woodworking as a hobby so the mill supplies that as well. Only hardwood here is birch. I have a solar kiln so I dry my own wood.

Pic of workshop.
Are you cutting wood for a bigger sawmill or is it pulp.?

Quebecnewf

[thecfarm]

Interesting thread about where you live.  ;D

[snowshoveler]

Hello.
I love the pictures and the history about where your from and what you saw there.
Have a question about Bushmechanics planer. In the pic I don't see a chip blower.
I have a similar planer and plan to get it running this summer and wondered about the blower.
Regards Chris

[Quebecnewf]

I don,t think you should get it running . Save yourself the trouble and pawn it of on a fellow forestry forum member at a good price. I know of one who would be interested.
Quebecnewf

[bushmechanic]

I don't have a chip blower on my planer or sawmill for that matter snowshoveler. I only have it for personal use so I just shovel the shavings in my pick-up and dispose of them at a local sawdust dump. I have seen blower set-up's before just furnace duct work to a manifold and then to the blower. We have a different system here in Newfoundland Quebecnewf for cutting, we almost never deal with landowners. We have a commercial permit to cut on crown land. We cut logs and now just firewood as the only paper mill is seven hours drive away. We sell our logs to a local sawmill Sexton's lumber and have orders for firewood.

[Quebecnewf]

Still not around to trying the planer three sided. To busy doing other things not related to sawing


Went halibut fishing for a few days with my cousin. Came back from that and then went for berries for five days.

Back to sawing in the next day day or two I hope.
Quebecnewf

[snowshoveler]

I have been assembling my planer and getting it ready to run.
I am on vacation for a week now so I might get it further along in a few days.
I have the counter shaft and pulleys in place and bolted down. The planer is so heavy I have to use my dozer (cat D6 ) as a winch point.
Was not easy getting it square to the the pulleys. I need to put the belts on and then build a driveshaft to go from the engine to the counter shaft.
I have the chip blower but I would like to see how the planer operates before I put that in place. Its a pretty good sized bit of steel its self.
The planer is capable of feeding stock at up to 100 feet per minute, I don't think I would last more than 10, 2x4s at that rate.
Quebecnewf...if your bored you can always come for a visit, the Missus cooks pretty good and likes company.
Regards Chris

[snowshoveler]

Success...
After having this planer for about 5 years I finally have it doing its job.
I am using the D4400 Cat engine that powers my mill.
The specs for the planer say that countershaft needs to turn at 1050 rpm.
That means low gear in the transmission. ( 2 speed )
While doing a trial run of 2x4s I found it has no problem eating anything a bit oversize.
I am not really sure what the finished size of a 2x4 is in todays market.
I made them 1 3/4 x 3 3/4, that is a bit larger than store bought, I think.
I have some fine tuning to do but am pleased so far.
Regards Chris

[Quebecnewf]

Love  To see some pics of your setup. I have installed the side cutters in my 3 sided planer but as of today no time yet to give it a trial run. Had a large ( for me) order for 3" timbers . Been sawing those out for the last few days . Finished yesterday. Have most of it delivered to the job site going in to get the last load today.

Once this order is filled I may get time to try out the planer with the three side setup.


Here is an old pic of thecsea sled we use to move the lumber from the sawmill location to the island where we live.
Fill it up at the mill door. Hook the boat to it and pull it overboard then tow it home to the wharf. Hook up the forklift and haul it up on the wharf by way of the loading ramp . Deliver it to the site with ATV and trailer
Works great and saves a lot of handling

Quebecnewf

[fishfighter]

This thread took a turn that I really enjoyed. Y'all guys living way up north, I enjoyed the way y'all living. Just one day I would love to make a trip up that way. I travel around the world when I was in the Marine Corps, but never been in y'all's area.

[Quebecnewf]

Still on the lookout for a 4 sided planer but in the meantime I have rigged my small 3 sided planer up with the side cutters in place. Planed up a bunch of 4" and 5" wide boards to seal our logging cabin inside with.

It went pretty well still some things to work on. Lumber is rough from the saw and made mostly from small logs so there is only so much you can do. Like the saying goes you can,t make a silk purse from a sows ear.

Going to look at a 4 sided planer this weekend . I will post pics in a few days



This is my old baby sized planer.



Quebecnewf

[Quebecnewf]

Here are a few pics of the four sided planer I looked at. The unit sit in an old shed. Roof is tight and unit is not stuck. Some rust but nothing major. This planer has not been used for maybe 10 years or more. Could not find any names on it maybe someone might know what type it is. The side cutters are set for making 2x material.


Unit was powered by a old v8 car engine gas






What could one hope to pay for this ?

How much HP to power it. I am thinking the old gas engine is not worth the trouble.

Questions or comments please.

Wonder how much it would weigh?

Quebecnewf

[snowshoveler]

That's a pretty cool machine.
Mine is similar but not the same.
I run it with a 50 horse Cat...from 1935.
Yours will weigh 3 or 4 tons.
Easiest moved with a tilt load wrecker.
This will eat a 1000 board feet of lumber so fast your eys will spin.
It will also eat you if you don't respect it.
I like it, save it if you can.
Regards Chris

[Quebecnewf]

That's a pretty cool machine.
Mine is similar but not the same.
I run it with a 50 horse Cat...from 1935.
Yours will weigh 3 or 4 tons.
Easiest moved with a tilt load wrecker.
This will eat a 1000 board feet of lumber so fast your eys will spin.
It will also eat you if you don't respect it.
I like it, save it if you can.
Regards Chris

So a 50 horse will do the job. This one is hooked to a V8 gas that is way more hp than 50 I'm sure.?

Quebecnewf

[snowshoveler]

Well...
50 horsepower is not always the same as 50 horsepower.
My cat runs at 1500 rpm, thats full speed.
It also has a 2 speed gear box with low being 1000 rpm at the shaft.
The big part is it has near 300 foot lbs of torque.
Your gasser won't go there and live while running a planer.
Slow speed old school diesel, electric or steam are the only real options for any amount of use.
Just sayn.
Regards Chris

[pineywoods]

In another life, I had a job cleaning up around a similar machine. It was powered by a 6 cyl continental industrial engine running on natural gas. That one looks like it has the old square heads. Knives for them are scarce and expensive, and they are prone to throw knives/cutters through the roof...

[Quebecnewf]

Your right it is a square head model. I would imagine to change it to round head would be a big project. I know this planer produced lots of nice lumber. I always hear about throwing knives from these heads but never saw it happen. I know that some guys still run square head and swear by them.
Quebecnewf

[snowshoveler]

At 1 time square heads were all that there were.
If properly maintained they work well.
If these are okay I would not worry about them.
Regards Chris

[Quebecnewf]

I find it funny that I could not find any name on it. Can anyone tell me the make or model from the pics. This would help me find more info and maybe paper on the machine
Quebecnewf

[hackberry jake]

I think they called that a "planer-matcher" back in the day. Check out Keith Ruckers videos on restoring one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj2-Jhpt2hY

[Quebecnewf]

I checked out some of his videos , pretty crafty guy. I am a member of OWWM site and will post pics there to try and find out more details of the machine.to tell the truth I am a little intimated by the size of this beast. This machine is located in an area where it is only accessible by small boat at high tide. No road. Moving it would be an issue. Would have to break it down into smaller sections . Move those then reassemble at my site. I will have to run a new cement base to sit it on and build a new shed to house it.
After that I have to figure out how to repair it , re power it and then learn how to run it.
I love the idea of making old iron run again, as I did with my small three sided planer but this is a whole new level.
I have made a deal with myself if I can get it for less than 500.00 , I will give it a go , if not I walk away.

Snow shoveler I want to see pics of your set up and details of the rebuild

Quebecnewf

[slider]

I'm also enjoying this thred Quebecnufe.I wish Farley Mowat was still around ,maybe he could do a cameo in one of your pictures.Nice country up there.al

[5quarter]

What an adventure! you need to change the title of your thread to, "Gigantic 4 sided planer that needs its own zip code".  ;)

[Quebecnewf]

GIgantic is the problem with this thing. I am sure it is a very good planer but to get it moved to my location will be a BIG challenge.
The unit sits at the mouth of the Petit Mecatina River (Google Earth it) and I need to move it ,if I bought it to my mill location which sits on a small island approx 6 miles away.

The mouth of the river is too shallow to allow any large boat to enter , so that's out .


If you look in the background of this pic you can see two small sheds the one on the left houses the planer. This pic was taken at high tide so there looks like lots of water but it is not so.

Only way to move it in the summer is to break it down into smaller sections and move it bit by bit with my boat.

Moving it in winter would require perfect driving conditions and a few sleds and snowmobiles hooked together. Could be a bit dangerous because you will be on sea ice hitched to a 3 to 4 thousand lb load.

ICE ROAD SNOWMOBILERS I can see a new TV show in my future. Sadly I think there will be only one show as all the drivers were lost through the ice in the first epsoide .  The upside is we would Probably get good ratings on that first show though.

Quebecnewf

[Satamax]

Quebecnewf, my opinion on the subject, pay no more than scrap iron for this beast. I have old ww machinery and all. I've played with such old machines, and usualy are a chore to deal with. Best in euroland, for me are very late 50's to late 70's. Any newer, they lack the weight. Older, they have the weight, but not the precision and ease of use.

For comparison, over here you can buy a nice roofing 4 sided planer, with the same arangement of arbors as you showed for 3000 to 6000 euros. But it's all protected, and has proper dust extraction.  Check the brands Mida, or Kupfermühle

And a 4 sided, 5 or 6 arbors joinery 4 sided planer moulder can be had as low as 600 euros. Usual range for a machine which is notat the latest norms is around 1500/2500.

Hope this can be of some help.

[snowshoveler]

The scrap metal price is a good way to go about it.
However you need to make it clear to the owner that you are not going to scrap it.
You want to save it and make it a part of your history.
I got my planer this way for free.
Also got my D6 Caterpillar with new undercarriage the same way.
Once word gets around that your not a scrapper bandit a lot of old iron may become available to you.
Regards Chris

[hackberry jake]

Quebecnewf, my opinion on the subject, pay no more than scrap iron for this beast. I have old ww machinery and all. I've played with such old machines, and usualy are a chore to deal with. Best in euroland, for me are very late 50's to late 70's. Any newer, they lack the weight. Older, they have the weight, but not the precision and ease of use.

I agree with the above years. I am fond of the 50s-70s machines as well.

[Quebecnewf]

Still waiting to contact the owner. Not sure of which way to go on this. I have a possibility to maybe buy a old 24" single sided planer. I am thinking with that unit and my small 3 sided planer set up side by side I could manage.

I would throw all my 2X material through the single sided planer to make sure I have all same thickness. Then pass it through the  small  three sided planer and I would be good to go. By having all the material planed the same thickness by the single sided planer . The three sided one would be just brushing the opposite side and the side cutters would be doing most of the cutting so not much strain on the planer.


I know it would be a lot slower but I don,t do a big volume and this would be a lot easier to set up ,less power required and less heavy iron to move and figure out how to run.

I planed up a bunch of firing strips S1S yesterday , 3" 4" and 5" wide and she really chewed through it. So that has got me thinking of maybe going this other way

Here we are feeding the planer with the old B&S pounding away




Quebecnewf

[beenthere]

The two together sound like a real good combo. 

[5quarter]

I think that the extra time you spend getting the big iron home and running will save you a lot more time in the long run. If you spend all day feeding lumber through 2 different planers, you could probably get the same amount of work done with the bigger planer and be done before lunch. I would get the big iron. Perhaps you can come to some arrangement with the owner to trade some future work for the planer; maybe some lumber or a couple planning jobs.
   I wouldn't worry about quality...new bearings can be poured, knives can be repaired or replaced etc...Those old machines can put out a lot of work with a high degree of accuracy if set up and running properly. Also, there are several members here who are experts in repairing and setting up this kind of old machinery. I have no doubt that they would gladly take you through each step.
   Great life you're living, by the way.

[hackberry jake]

The first operation should probably be a jointer. I believe in most four sides machines, the first head is the lower jointing head. It makes all other operations easier because you give the lumber a flat face to reference off of.

[Quebecnewf]

I know that the big planer is the way to go but I am not sure if I can make it run. I have the problem of just moving it around . My workshop is set up for woodworking and it is not setup to handle this type of machine work. That being said I would love the challenge of bringing this baby back to life.
I look at a couple of threads over on the OWWM forum and there is lots of expertise to be had on line.

Going moose hunting for 10 days tomorrow so lots of time to set and ponder. Wish me luck in both endeavours.

Quebecnewf

[snowshoveler]

As we understand it ...the big azz planer is in the middle of nowhere. Only thing we need to know is how they got it there way back when.
It might have been there 20 years or it might have been there 50 years. Somehow it was put there and I would say it arrived in 1 piece.
Drag it out and put it on a log raft and get it home. We have seen what you go through to get your logs home to your mill. This should be no problem for you.
Of course we want to see pics of the journey.
Regards Chris

[Kbeitz]

Thats a great idea. If the motor is removed it wont hurt to get it wet.
Hook it to a large tank of air and float it home.
Blow it dry when you get it home.

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Thats a great idea. If the motor is removed it wont hurt to get it wet.
Hook it to a large tank of air and float it home.
Blow it dry when you get it home.

I believe the water in question is either seawater or at least "brackish" and shudder to think of the possible problems caused by getting it wet on the way home...

Herb

[Kbeitz]

You need both time and water to do any damage.
The little time it would be wet even with salt water would never do any damage.
Just hoes it off with fresh water when you hoist it out of the drink.
Even pressure wash it. Air blow it dry and take a hair dryer to it.
I have many tools that I've had for years with no problem that came from flood waters.
Even electric motors that was under water for days. Just wash and dry.

[Quebecnewf]

Not sure how they got it there back in the day. Maybe in sections. In the water is not an option . Water is only as deep as the planer is high, and that's at high tide.

How many sections could you break this down into I wonder.

Going to the area next weekend maybe so will study The machine some more. More details to follow

Quebecnewf

[snowshoveler]

Not in the water...on the water...either when it freezes or on a raft.
They did it already once...do it again.
You got this.
Chris

[Quebecnewf]

Not looking good . Found more info on machine. Seems it is owned by two brothers, their mother and their father. Father and mother are divorced. Need we say more.

So still looking for. A small four sided planer

Quebecnewf

[Nomad]

     Sorry to hear that, but I'm with you.  Never get in the middle of a cat fight if you don't want to get scratched.

[Quebecnewf]

Now that I have had to let that 4 sided planer idea go for the time being I am back to setting up my small three sided planer.

Set it up yesterday to do some 2x4. Seemed to work ok but I still  need a better method to hold the wood against the side guide fence. I have a wooden feather board in place on the infeed side but I am thinking there must be a better spring loaded system to do this job.

Any of you guys running three sided mills or I would imagine edgers as well have any pics of what works for you?

By the way I am still on the lookout for three sided or four sided planer so if you know of anything PM me .

Quebecnewf