What is a wood thicknessing machine for? Thickening machine for wood for the home workshop. Pictured: Hitachi P13F thicknesser

If you are faced with the question of what a thickness gauge is, you should know that the equipment is a woodworking machine. It is a kind of planing equipment and is designed for cutting products in size in thickness. Parts are processed, which are pre-cut on a planer.

Description

Quite often, novice masters do not know what a thickness gauge is. If you are also one of them, then you must understand: the described device is equipment with cutting tool in the form of a knife shaft. The workpiece is fed on a horizontal table, which is a worker in the machine.

To date, single-sided and double-sided machines are known. The former have one knife shaft, which is designed to remove material from the top. Bilateral devices have an additional knife shaft located on the desktop. The element is based on the surface, and if fixation is necessary, it is carried out by a bar and side rollers. Retention is provided by rollers that assist in feeding. The latter can also be manual. Bilateral thicknesser similar in design features with planer equipment, therefore, such units are often combined, which makes it possible to obtain planer-thickness devices.

Purpose

If you are also interested in what a thickness gauge is, we will remind you that this is a massive or portable device that provides thickness calibration for workpieces. The unit is designed for fine planing to a certain thickness. The boards are passed through a thickness gauge, while the upper surface of the tree is planed by a wide shaft with blades.

Thickness gauges are in demand in carpentry, since with the help of them it is possible to calibrate products for a flush joint. A smooth surface is obtained by joining parts of the same thickness. Quite often, consumers who imagine what a thickness gauge is, have an erroneous opinion about this device, which is expressed in the fact that the unit makes straight lines from curved blanks. The main purpose of the machine is to provide the desired size. Therefore, the part must initially be even at least one of the sides.

Design features

At the heart of the gauges is powerful engine. He is responsible for the rotation of the shaft with knives using a belt drive. The upper part of the device is movable, it walks along vertical guides. A setting mechanism with inch and millimeter scales is used to set a specific thickness.

Usually thicknessers on a tree have automatic giving of a product. Rollers move the workpiece at a certain speed in front of and behind the knife shaft. About 8 m of material can be processed in one minute. The user only needs to put the workpiece on the work surface and feed it inside, and then take it from the back. This feature is useful as it saves energy.

Some household thicknessers have two automatic feed speeds - high and low. The first ensures the rapid implementation of work, while the second allows you to achieve maximum surface quality.

Specifications

The main characteristics of the gauges are:

• workpiece size;
• power.

The latter usually reaches 1800 watts. The maximum planing thickness and width is the thickness gauge. These characteristics describe the allowable dimensions of the workpiece. The limiting planing width usually reaches 330 mm, while the thickness is 152 mm. The first parameter shows how wide the board you can process if you install it on the edge. These figures do not mean that the planer is designed for planing massive and long boards. Their device simply will not be able to smuggle. The optimal caliber are relatively small workpieces.

Thickness gauge - a machine that is characterized by a certain depth of planing. This feature shows how much wood can be removed at one time. The described equipment has a maximum depth of 3.2 mm. Wide boards should not be cut to the maximum depth. With an increase in the size of the products, the depth of planing in one pass decreases. The rotational speed of the knife shaft of thickness gauges reaches 10,000 rpm. The higher the speed, the better the planed surface.

The need to use a chip blower

Woodworking thicknessers during operation throw chips into large volume. It is best to remove it with construction vacuum cleaner. If this is not done, then the waste will be clogged in the equipment. They penetrate the moving mechanisms and enter the planing area. All this reduces the quality of processing.

As a result, the master fails to obtain a smooth surface of the workpiece. In support of the need to use a lumber waste disposal device, it can be noted that cleanliness in the workplace is also important.

What is a Metabo DH 330 brand machine

To fully understand what a thickness gauge is, you can consider such equipment using a specific model as an example. Metabo DH 330 costs 37,400 rubles. and is a portable convenient machine designed for planing bars of a certain height and width. The cast bed provides reliable installation products on the table and high accuracy of operations.

Dangerous parts of the unit are safely hidden in the housing. If you need a thickness gauge, you can consider purchasing a woodworking machine from Metabo. Its power consumption reaches 1800 watts. The maximum working width and planing depth are 330 mm and 3 mm respectively. Knives have the following dimensions: 332 x 12 x 1.5 mm. The part in the machine moves at a speed of 7 m per minute.

The equipment uses a belt drive. The model weighs 35 kg. dimensions installations are 579 x 857 x 574 mm. You may also be interested in the diameter of the cutterhead, it is 47 mm. Its rotation is carried out at a speed of 9800 rpm. When choosing a thickness gauge, consumers quite often pay attention to the diameter of the aspiration hole. This parameter is equivalent to 102 mm.

Positive features of the machine

In order to decide which gauge model to choose, you must consider it positive features, among others, the Metabo DH 330 should be highlighted:

• fine adjustment;
• choice of chip thickness;
• the possibility of installation on the table.

As for the possibility of adjustment, it is provided in relation to the thickness of the planing and is carried out by turning the handle. Looking at the scale, you can see the graduation of the required height. The design provides for a panel with which you can choose the thickness of the chips to be removed, which reaches 3 mm. The machine is also good because you can install it on the table. This provides convenience.

Cost of knives

In addition to the equipment, you may need knives for the thicknesser. Their price is 4100 rubles. These are double-sided cutting elements for planing. Suitable for all types of wood. It is based on a pure-grade hard alloy with a cobalt content of 18% by volume. Consumables can be re-sharpened, which guarantees long term operation. Blades are made from high speed steel grade HSS. Their thickness, width and length are 1.5 x 332 x 12 mm, respectively. There are two cutting elements in the package.

Finally

The thickness gauge is relevant during large-scale construction, because it can be used to process great amount boards different widths. With modern machines, changing the knife is quite simple, which means that you can remove chips of the desired size. Additionally, this is facilitated by the presence of a function to control the depth of cut, but usually this option increases the cost.

You can pre-process wood on a planer. If you plan to use plastic, thermal insulation or polymers in your work, then you should take care of the presence of a thickness gauge, which is equipped with feed rollers with a rubber layer on top.

Often craftsmen who love to work with wood, or owners country houses, are faced with the need to plan many boards to give them visual appeal. It is necessary to even out the thickness of the material, derive the dimensions of the boards and shields, get a smooth surface of the blanks, from which furniture will subsequently be made, or use them to finish the floor or room. The solution to the problem can be the purchase of a thicknesser or the manufacture of a thicknesser machine with your own hands, because an apparatus with automatic feeding of blanks and knife shafts made of high-speed steel significantly speeds up and facilitates the process of planing wood.

The purpose of the thicknessing machine

Thickness planing machines are designed for planing blanks - panels, bars and boards in thickness to a given size, and therefore are the main ones at woodworking enterprises. In addition, almost every carpenter has thickness gauges. The main purpose of thicknessing machines is the uniform maintenance of boards and other wooden products over the entire area and obtaining blanks that have equal thickness over the entire width and length.

Thickness thicknesses when used in construction in one pass are able to process in in large numbers wide boards. Unlike industrial devices, household thicknessers are small and much lighter, which makes them easier to transport. Besides modern models They have an easier blade change system and increased depth of cut control to accurately control the thickness of the chip being removed.

As a rule, before carrying out this procedure, wooden surfaces are pre-treated on a planer. For non-standard types of material (polymers, soft plastics, foam-based insulation), thicknessing machines with rubberized metal feed rollers are intended, which are not capable of damaging the surfaces of the workpieces.

Sectional feed rollers, which are equipped with woodworking equipment, allow you to simultaneously feed workpieces of different thicknesses at the entrance to the machine. The thicknessing machine is one of the most important machines in the carpentry and construction industry, as well as in the furniture industry, making it possible to produce precise planks for wood sets or planks for kitchen panelling.

It is impossible to plan very thin workpieces on a home-made thicknessing machine, because vibrations occur, which affect the quality of the surface being machined. The shortest length of the workpiece to be processed must be 100 millimeters longer than the distance from the front to the rear feed roller. If it becomes necessary to mill a shorter material, then it must be securely fixed to the base. With the help of appropriate devices on thicknessing machines, it will be possible to process even wedge-shaped workpieces and align non-parallel planes.

The depth of cut shows the cut of the thickness gauge in one pass: this figure ranges from 1 to 3 millimeters, depending on the width of the material. The width of the workpiece characterizes the possibility of processing products that have a certain size: optimal solution- 30 - 330 millimeters. The performance of the machine is affected by the power of the machine. For private workshops, a thicknessing machine of 1.9 kW is suitable. Devices with a power higher than 1.8 kW are useful for planing hard rock wood - spruce, beech, pear, elm, ash.

The design of the thicknessing machine

A thickness gauge machine is a special device that belongs to the category of woodworking machines that successfully cope with planar, volumetric and profile milling of straight and curved solid wood blanks.

By design, they distinguish:

1. Single-sided thicknessers, on which planing is carried out only from the top side;
2. Double-sided thicknessing machines, where two opposite sides are planed simultaneously - the lower and upper;
3. Special thicknesses - three-, four- and many-knife.

The most widespread are single-sided thicknessing machines, which are simpler in design and, accordingly, in operation. We will consider their device today.

The table of a planer machine, unlike a jointer, is covered from one solid plate, which is accurately planed and polished, and it also does not have a guide line in its design. Except horizontal table, on which the thickness of the layer to be removed is regulated, the thickness gauge consists of such basic elements as a special cutter, which is represented by several separate knives and an automatic feed system wooden blank on roller guides.

The bed for the thicknessing machine is cast iron, hollow, solid cast, all parts and mechanisms of the machine are attached to it. A metal corner with dimensions of 100 by 100 millimeters and a length of at least 1000 millimeters can serve as a supporting table. This length is due to security measures. The support table is hung on the technological corners of the machine, fastened on one side with bolts, on the other - with clamps. In height, the table can be moved along the guide rail using a lifting mechanism.

Above the table is a knife shaft. The billet feed mechanism is represented by two pairs of rollers. The first of them is located in front of the knife shaft, the other - behind the shaft. The lower rollers are installed exactly under the upper ones. The upper rollers rotate from an electric motor through a gear, so they are called drive, feed or feed. The lower rollers are free-standing and are driven by the feed material. These rollers are support or guide. In double-sided thicknessing machines, the knife shafts are located in the table and above the work table.

The purpose of the lower rollers is to facilitate the supply of material to the knives, they protrude above the surface of the desktop by 0.2-0.3 mm. The planed material with a higher location of the lower rollers vibrates from the blows of the knives, the thin material will bend, and the planing will turn out to be uneven. It is customary to make the front upper roller corrugated for better adhesion to the unplaned surface of the workpiece. Such a roller is installed 2-3 millimeters below the surface of the material, which is fed to the knives.

The upper back roller must be made smooth, because the corrugation can spoil the planed surface of the tree. Place it lower by 1 millimeter cutting edges knives. The rollers of the feed mechanism are arranged in parallel, so only parts of the same thickness can be fed into the thicknessing machine at the same time. Products of thinner thickness, even by 2-3 millimeters, having reached the knife shaft, will receive swipe in the end with a knife and fly back.

For simultaneous planing of lumber that has different thicknesses, a corrugated sectional roller is introduced into the scheme of the planer machine, which allows you to use the entire width of the machine and dramatically increase its productivity. The sectional roller consists of 12 corrugated rings, which are mounted on a common axis and connected to it by springs. When passing under the roller of the product, the thickness of which is greater than the thickness of others that are simultaneously processed, the sections that press on it are shifted upward and retain adhesion to the material under the action of the springs.

Hangers are located in front of such a corrugated roller, the purpose of which is to prevent the part from flying back out of the machine. From above, the knife shaft is closed by a massive lifting cap, which serves as a reliable fence and is a high-quality device that directs the chips into the exhauster funnel. In addition, the cap supports the fibers during planing; for this, its lower edge is connected to the knives themselves.

You can increase interchangeable knives from two to four. As a tool, in addition to the cutter, you can use a smooth drum that is covered sandpaper. Turn the drum out of heat-resistant plastic, aluminum or hardwood. Suitable dimensions: diameter 80 mm, length 100 mm. At one end, a groove is made for a nut with a washer. On the side surface for attaching the skin is cut longitudinal groove, which has a trapezoidal shape, under clamping bar similar shape. Three holes are drilled in the bar for countersunk screws.

The feed is carried out by the upper rollers - the rear smooth and the front corrugated. Two smooth rollers, which rotate freely in bearings, are able to reduce friction when moving over the material table. The typical maximum width of the workpiece is 315 - 1250 mm, thickness - 5 - 160 mm, knife shaft diameter 100 - 165 mm, there are 2 - 4 knives on the shaft. The power of the electric motor reaches 1 - 44 kW.

The faster the shaft knives rotate, the cleaner and smoother the surface of the workpieces after planing. You can choose for use devices with a rotation speed of 6 - 10 thousand revolutions per minute. The weight, device of the thicknesser machine, as well as the compactness of the thicknesser directly characterize the possibility of moving the equipment. Compact machines that have a weight of 27 - 39 kilograms are the best choice.

At a certain distance of the desktop from the knife shaft, the workpiece is planed to the size shown on the scale mounted on the machine bed. Clamps are installed on both sides of the knife shaft, they are able to prevent vibration of workpieces. The chipbreaker, which is located in front of the knife shaft, helps to break the chips and presses the workpiece against the table, forming a cavity for the accumulation of chips together with the clamp.

The principle of operation of the thicknessing machine

The principle of operation of the thicknesser is based on the method of flat planing of the board. The main working tool of the planer machine is the knife shaft. Workpieces for processing are fed onto a horizontal working table manually or by rollers, which press them against the table and pull them into the processing area. The material is planed from above with knives, and as a result, parts are obtained that are absolutely identical in size. Many thicknessing machines have an automatic system for feeding workpieces at a certain speed in order to accurately and accurately remove the required layer.

You can purchase one-sided or two-sided thicknesser. The first thicknessing machines have one knife shaft, in double-sided ones there is also an additional knife shaft on the desktop. Before processing parts with a thickness gauge, they must already be planed in a planer. By design, in principle, the two machines are very similar to each other. Often, a double-sided thicknesser and jointer are combined into one mechanism. Such equipment has two tables - for the jointer from above and for the thickness gauge from below.

Usually, on a thicknesser machine, workpieces are planed with a length slightly larger than the distance that has formed between the feed rollers, as in the video about the thicknesser machine. In the case of using backing templates (columns), it is possible to plan workpieces (boards, bars, boards) with non-parallel opposite edges on a thicknessing machine. The surface of this template should be inclined in such a way that the desired taper can be obtained during the horizontal planing procedure.

In some models of thicknessing machines, for convenience, manufacturers have increased the length of the table. Therefore, timber or have a significant area of ​​​​support, and products are processed more accurately. In order for the workpiece to optimally slide on the table, special grooves are made in them, which reduce the friction force. Similar models were previously used mainly in production, and today these principles are being widely introduced into household thicknessers.

One of the main advantages of the thicknessing machine is the high quality of the machined surfaces. The thickness of the parts obtained is set using a lifting mechanism when the table moves upwards relative to the knife shaft. But it should be taken into account that at a high cutting speed of workpieces and a large depth of cut, the quality of the machined surface deteriorates. Therefore, in order to achieve a smooth surface, it is necessary to make finishing passes at a shallow depth and a low speed of rotation of the knife shaft, if the machine provides for adjustment.

Thickness thicknesser is one of the most productive woodworking machines. It is worth once adjusting the dimensions of the workpiece to be processed using a ruler and a lift, and the entire batch of products will be the same, within the limit of the allowable indicator. On thicknessing machines, you can process parts with a width of up to 1250 millimeters and with a thickness of 5 - 160 millimeters, except for special machines designed for certain jobs.

Production of a thicknessing machine

All the owners who are faced with the manufacture of building joinery, lining and furniture made of wood have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to have at least the most primitive thickness gauge in their use. Without such an installation, it is extremely difficult to obtain calibrated blanks according to the thickness of the blank, in addition, the procedure will take a lot of time. Not everyone can afford to buy equipment industrial production, the prices of thicknessing machines "bite", so the craftsmen come to the decision to make the installation with their own hands.

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a thicknesser machine, it is worth studying the process of using and storing a thicknesser. Miniature machines do not require much space. The structure should be located in such a way that it can be walked around for a convenient supply of material. You can install similar equipment in front of a garage or house: the main thing is that the surface under the machine is flat to avoid vibrations. Plank dimensions are often not more than a meter in width and thickness, so the equipment can easily fit in a shed or garage.

For homemade the following design is proposed. The frame and work table of the machine are welded, made of a corner of 50 by 50 millimeters and square pipe 40 by 40 millimeters, you can use larger material. Remember that excessive massiveness only increases the stability of the thicknessing machine and reduces the vibrations that occur during operation. For the manufacture of the machine you need: turning and drilling machine, Bulgarian, welding machine and drill.

The next mandatory element of the design is the knife shaft. It is desirable to purchase it ready-made with axle boxes, because homemade shafts are not always well balanced. In the version that we have given, a three-hundred-millimeter shaft with three knives was used. The pulleys of the engine and the shaft should be taken as stepped, to select the optimal shaft speed, in the range of 4000-7000 rpm.

For a shaft of this size, an asynchronous motor is quite suitable, which has a power of 4-5 kW, there is no need to use pulleys bigger size, in addition, an engine of similar power is completely started from one phase known ways. It is recommended to grind pressure rollers or use ready-made pomace of old Soviet washing machines. The frame of the rollers is welded, it is fastened on one side with spring-loaded bolts, on the other hand, a piece of tie rod from Moskvich is used for fastening. Experience shows that it is a good idea to apply two such mounts to one roller.

The table according to the drawing of the thicknessing table is mounted on the adjusting bolts. The bolts to avoid the need for adjustment of each are equipped with welded bicycle sprockets that are connected by a chain. Take the springs from the truck motor valves. Unfortunately, this thicknesser machine provides for manual feeding of workpieces. In the future, if there is a desire, you can apply a mechanical one.

Before starting work, it is necessary to check the correct location of the knives, as well as the sharpness of their sharpening. Remember that the knife shaft must be fenced. It is not allowed to process a workpiece with a length less than the distance between the rear and front shafts. It is forbidden to clean, repair and adjust the thicknesser on the go.

It is necessary to feed the workpieces end to end, using the entire width of the table. Remember that the material after processing should not have tears, pins, or marks. Hairiness and mossiness are obtained when processing raw material or planing with blunt knives, lack of stitching is observed when the workpiece is not tightly pressed against the table by rollers, the thickness of the workpiece is not the same, and the protrusion of the knife blades from the shaft is not the same.

Adjustment of the thicknesser machine

Thicknessing machines before work must be carefully adjusted. Any inaccuracy in the setup will cause machining defects or lead to a decrease in machine productivity. Most often, there are such omissions in the adjustment of thicknessers:

1. Distortion on the desktop. Planed surface will not be parallel to planed side.
2. The serrated roller is very low and presses too hard on the surface of the parts at a shallow depth of cut. Planed surfaces are obtained with transverse dents.
3. The lower feed rollers are placed above the table level higher than necessary by 0.1-0.2 mm. As a result, there is a vibration of the workpiece under the blows of the knives, and thinner parts bend. Planing comes out not straight and not so smooth, the ends of the products protrude more.
4. The rear pressure block presses on the workpiece. For this reason, the product stops when it exits the front feed rollers due to the reduced feed force. Since the knives will continue to rotate, one place is planed on the surface of the part, and as a result, a groove appears here across the entire planing width. In general, grooves are formed at any, even the shortest stop of the product. Stops often occur while parts are entering the rear rollers. This happens when the top rear roller is placed too low and too much pressure on the media. The reasons for a short delay or stop of the part can also be insufficient pressure on the product of the feed rollers, excessively high location of the lower rollers, heavy contamination of the table when processing pine parts with resin.
5. Chips get under the rear smooth roller due to improper installation of the cap or exhauster malfunctions. For these reasons, dents appear on the planed surface, sometimes the part is delayed.

Therefore, when setting up a thicknessing machine, it should be remembered that with a significant filling of the table, for example, when planing a wide shield or simultaneously feeding products across the entire width of the desktop, the pressure of the feed rollers should be increased, because in these cases cutting resistance increases greatly. When planing narrow parts or when the table is lightly filled, reduce the pressure of the feed rollers to avoid crushing the wood.

The most common in woodworking are jointing, milling, planing and thicknessing machines, which are intended for planar, volumetric and profile milling of straight and curved solid wood and wood-based materials, for cutting lugs and spikes in bars door frames and window blocks. If you plan to do only plane planing, then you should give preference to a thicknesser. You can purchase this machine at a retail outlet or assemble it yourself using the information provided on our website and our step-by-step instructions.

In production construction work wood is used, pre-treated in workshops or at the place of use. The material is supplied in the form of boards, logs, beams, slats, etc. The speed, convenience and quality of cutting is ensured with the help of various equipment and power tools, which include both universal models and specialized machines. In addition, carpenters and furniture makers in their work often use additional measuring, marking and controlling devices that have unusual names. A simple layman hardly needs to think about what a thickness gauge is and what a jointer is. And here House master self-repairing personal plot or in the house, must necessarily understand such matters. Of course, this also applies to professionals.

Why do you need a gage

It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of what constitutes a surface gauge. On the one hand, this is the name of a simple auxiliary tool, consisting of a couple of parts. With its help produce accurate markup lines, holes, location of spikes, slots, etc. on the surface of any workpiece. On the other hand, a thicknesser is a woodworking machine that performs thickness adjustments while finishing the lumber. The capabilities of the equipment make it possible to minimize production waste, which is important for both enterprises and private developers.

From the German "thickness gauge" is interpreted as "to draw the size." Hand tool fully corresponds to such an interpretation, since with the help of this particular device the lines from the drawing fall on the workpiece. But the detailed marking of lumber on the machine already refers to additional features. The equipment itself has much greater capabilities, the main of which is the final planing of wooden products in thickness after processing their front side on a jointer.

Manual thicknesser

The tool has the simplest design consisting of at least three fundamental components:

Working bar with or without scale;

Clip-pads;

The so-called scribbler.

In addition, the thickness gauge is equipped with adjusting screws. To be able to draw several marking lines at the same time, the tool is equipped with two or three parallel strips located in the holes drilled in the block. For scriber it is allowed to use pencils, sharpened drills, strong pointed pins and even self-tapping screws.

For the convenience of drawing curved lines, a roller is often installed on the working bar.

The tool is made from solid wood or metal On the video you can see what a thickness gauge is for marking, as well as a quick way to make it.

Planer

Multifunctional woodworking equipment is located on the frame. A workpiece is placed on a horizontally located working platform, which manually or automatically advances to the cutting elements. Knife shaft trims reverse side lumber, cutting off the unnecessary layer to required thickness. To prevent the workpiece from dangling from side to side when moving, it is held on the sides by rollers, slats or rollers.

Thicknessing machine is often confused with planer. But the design of the latter includes at least three knives. They perform a deeper removal of wood from the workpiece. The product gets onto the surface thicknesser only after preliminary processing on planer equipment, since the material can only be laid on the working platform with the flat side.

Thicknessing machines are:

One- and two-sided;

Floor and desktop.

Single-sided models are budget equipment. The knife shaft in the design is located above the working platform, so thicknessing occurs only on one side. Double-sided machines have two knives - above and on working surface, which allows processing two planes at once. Such units are indispensable for large volumes of work.

When choosing a thicknessing machine, attention is paid to its power and productivity, to the possible dimensions of the workpieces and the number of knife shafts. An important indicator is the mass of the equipment, as it has a huge impact on the degree of vibration of the machine during operation. A couple more factors that you should be interested in are the ability to adjust the thickness of the peeled layer and the depth of cut in one pass. It is these characteristics that will help determine the functionality of the machine and the convenience of its operation.

When installing the equipment, ensure that it is securely fixed. This applies to both floor and table models. Position stability will prevent dangerous situations during the operation of the thicknessing machine, and will also contribute to obtaining more accurate results in the process of processing lumber and applying the required marks. The manufacturer's instructions provide instructions for correct fastening beds. As a rule, it is produced using the bolts included in the thickness gauge kit.

It is allowed to start work only after the machine has set the required speed of rotation of the knife shafts.

It is important to understand that purchasing woodworking equipment for one-time work will be an economically unprofitable solution. It is much more rational to rent a machine, minimizing the time for its use. Before contacting the construction tool rental service, it is recommended to reasonably arrange the stages of working with wood material, temporarily abandoning the accompanying processes.

As for the manual thicknesser, it is quite possible to make it with my own hands. There is no difficulty in this, and the model will be made according to individual requests. Variations of the instrument can be found in large numbers on the Internet.

Among woodworking machines, the category of longitudinal milling machines is distinguished, which include planer and planer.

With their help, it is possible to carry out the processing of lumber for finishing. Machine tools remove all types of defects if they occur during wood processing. For them, you need to take only the wood that has been well dried. How do these types of tools differ from each other, and for what purposes is it best to use jointing, and for which thicknessing machines?

For boards, shields and bars, it is necessary to use thicknessing machines. They allow you to plan out materials of a certain size, focusing on the desired thickness of the product and cutting it into two strips parallel to each other. They are very similar to milling machines with CNC. The knife shaft is above the table. This group of tools is needed for serial or small-scale creation of various joinery products, when it is necessary to strictly observe the preservation of parameters. Their main distinguishing feature- large and heavy rigid bed. This is necessary for high-quality repayment of possible vibration. Tools can feed workpieces at a speed of 4 to 10 meters per minute. Another important advantage of thicknessing machines is sound-absorbing casings, which make the work almost silent. Some types of machines are able to process only one side of the workpiece, so it will have to be turned over, others can plan the wood completely. Thicknessing machines can be double-sided or single-sided.

Jointers for woodworking are necessary to create a flat surface without a single roughness. They have a knife shaft that wraps around inside the table. The tool can plan material at corners or along the plane. Machines of this type, as well as thicknessers, can be one-sided and two-sided. The latter are notable for the fact that they allow the edge and layer of the product to be planed at the same time. The functions of jointers include pre-treatment of material that has significant warps. Then the blanks can be planed on a thicknessing machine. To check how well the parts are processed, you need to fold two pieces of wood. If they adjoin to each other like a glove, without a single gap, then the planing is done with high quality. A special shaft helps to hold small parts during processing.

There is a mixed variety of planer-thickness machines that combine the advantages of both types of tools.

Automatic feeding of blanks to both types of machines is carried out thanks to three types of mechanisms: conveyor, carriage or roller. Manual feeding is also possible.

Machines need to be maintained regularly. Before starting work on the machine, it is necessary to check the condition of the cutters and knives, whether they are correctly installed. If they are dull, then they need to be sharpened. Otherwise, unpleasant moss, chips and tears will appear on the product.

In the tool kit of any carpenter or locksmith, there must be a thickness gauge. Its function allows you to correctly fix dimensional indicators, lay accurate projections and determine the correct position of certain objects or structures in construction and installation. However, the question of what is a thickness gauge suggests an ambiguous answer. On the one hand, it can be a simple wooden device with two or three components, and on the other hand, a full-fledged processing machine in which the thickness gauge function is provided as an auxiliary one.

What is the function of the gauge?

Usually a thicknesser is purchased for working with wood. As already noted, the classic device allows you to fix the geometric parameters of the workpiece, make measurements, transfer data from drawings to real materials, etc. However, a full-fledged wood planer in the form of a machine has more capabilities. If manual models are used only for markup, then desktop equipment also implements processing actions on site. But here, too, there is a specificity. Correction of workpieces in shape and size is carried out according to the type of jointers or planes. That is, it is precisely a corrective machine, which is close in functionality to such units. Such units are used both for professional purposes in furniture factories and in everyday life during the construction of small objects or structures using wood material.

The design of a conventional gauge

The simplest model of this type is formed by three components - a basic support column with a size scale, a clamp or gripping device, and a small marking device. A characteristic feature of budget home thickness gauges is the material of manufacture - these are models made of the same wood, but hardwood. By design, the finished device is a block in which there is a rectangular hole. Using the movement of functional elements in the form of rails, the user can perform dynamic layout. To understand what a thickness gauge is in a traditional design, one should also take into account the importance of drawing components - pins. There may be several. For example, a dual layout layout allows for layouts formed by parallel lines.

Features of machines with thickness gauges

Easel models are fundamentally different from conventional thickness gauges. They are intended for machining wood material through knives. As a rule, household with a thickness gauge consists of a bed, a working platform and the mentioned knife elements. The role of the operator during operation can be different. In budget models, where they are not provided automatic systems, he himself feeds the workpiece and takes it on the other side of the working surface. But there are also automatic models that can also perform serial processing without operator control.

It is important to take into account the differences between this kind of machines and jointers. Here again it is worth referring to the question of what is an easel-type thickness gauge. This is a machine that, due to knives, performs grinding or planing operations. In its turn, jointers may have the same design, but due to a larger number of knives (at least three), they realize a deep removal of excess mass from the surface of the workpiece.

The main thing in the installation process is to ensure a stable position of the structure. In this case, the machine can be floor and desktop. In both cases secure fixation machine on the surface will provide an accurate result. It is advisable to use special fasteners that will immobilize the thickness gauge. The manual for tabletop models, for example, recommends fixing the unit with the 4 supplied bolts to a workbench or stable work platform. Work begins after the drum equipped with blades picks up the proper speed. Next, you can install the workpiece on the surface of the table flush. In the process of planing heavy and long objects, slightly raise the extreme parts of the workpiece on both sides of the cut. This will prevent gouging or cutting off excess parts.

Thickness manufacturers

In one modification or another, thicknessers are present in the assortment of almost all major manufacturers construction tool and equipment. In particular, Makita and Dewalt offer a desktop thicknesser for working with small volumes. This is a reliable technique that is distinguished by durability, operational flexibility and high efficiency in terms of processing.

Interesting options are offered domestic producers. For example, the Anchor Corvette-21 model is quite suitable for a small workshop that processes lumber. If you need a universal thickness gauge for a wide range typical operations, you can refer to the "Caliber" line. Under this brand, affordable and hardy models are also produced.

How to choose a thicknessing machine?

First of all, technical and operational characteristics are taken into account. For example, by the depth of cut, you can understand which layer the machine can remove from the surface in one pass. This value varies on average from 1 to 3 mm. No less important is the width of the cut, on which, in principle, the ability of the machine to serve workpieces of one format or another depends. Household models usually work with a width in the range of 300-330 mm. Often power is also important. It will determine the performance of a multifunctional household woodworking machine with a thickness gauge in a particular design. This indicator can be both 1.5 kW and 2 kW. Models close to the first value are suitable for private needs, and machines with a power of more than 2 kW belong to the industrial segment.

Conclusion

The success of this type of machine depends on many factors. For determining individual nuances the use of technology, you need to understand what an easel-type thickness gauge is in terms of maintenance. This is primarily a complex and multi-component device that requires careful maintenance after each treatment session. The user should regularly check technical condition unit, lubricate the elements of the working group and maintain the cutting qualities of the knives. Only under the conditions of competent comprehensive maintenance of the working capacity of the thicknesser can one expect a high quality of its function.