Do-It-Yourself Thicknesser

[stuglo]

I have a Proxxon thicknesser which is used almost daily. It is good but has 3 major drawbacks:

Minimum thickness is only 1.3mm and it chews up short or irregular pieces. (Double-sided tape doesn't work for me). Also it can’t “match” an outer curve - very useful when making beams.

I’ve gazed enviously on the Bryne’s offering and recently someone offered (used) something similar. The asking price was very fair, but shipping and tax multiplied cost fourfold or more. 

I decided to adapt some previous ideas and underused equipment. 

I remembered a sanding drum I’d made from an old rolling pin, and some sleeveless sanding drums that I’d bought for more accurate work.

I had bought a sort of lathe system, with 2 motors and chucks and a 3rd non motorised chuck.

The basic plan was to use this as a base, attach a hinged platform adjusted by a screw system.

I started with some metal plates 1.75mm thick, which I cut to size and attached the hinges with epoxy-which didn’t hold. I changed to 4mm perspex, breaking a couple of corners when drilling holes for the small nuts and bolts that I used to attach the hinges. So I ended with an upper perspex and lower metal plates.

The (metal) elevating screws were set into some handles which were cut off some plastic screws.

I know it looks like Heath Robinson on LSD, but it works !

(I thank my wife for donating the rolling pin)

[Jaager]

Suggestions:

 

Drum rotation - max 1700 RPM

With rolling pin - try a double ( both surfaces ) coat of rubber cement - both dry before mating - you will miss not having a "V" so that a raw edge does not meet the on coming work.

Light cuts only - the motor wants to be 1/3 HP -   this will seriously stress your lathe motor - source a replacement now.

The next option is a separate motor - pulleys - when you design, do not enclose the motor - it will get hot

 

Make a 5 sided  box using three laminations of high quality corrugated box cardboard - PVA - 1/4" x 1/4" sticks for the 8 inside corners enforcement -  with a hole in the base for your vac hose attachment.  This sucker will produce much wood dust.  You will probably need a sky hook to hold it since there is no fixed base for feet.

[stuglo]

Thank you. The control switch has built in speed (?amp) regulator. The corrugated cardboard is something I hadn't thought of. Was going to use perspex, but your idea will be tried first.  

[wefalck]

I would also look into some serious dust protection measures for the (ball?)bearings. Ball-bearing don't lake abrasive grit too much ...

[stuglo]

Well, I said I'll try your "Y" table suggestion. I adapted the pervious attempts by simply screwing the lower plate to the base on the "Y" screw, while maintaining the ability to raise the upper plate by screws. The "Y" gives, I think, finer tuning.

[Joseph Schmidt]

Looks similar to the one I built to fit on my full size wood lathe. Made of junk laying around in the shop except for the drum which I bought. I regularly can make strips as thin as 1/64" on this.

 

Using the rigid platform of the wood lathe, as well as the 1.5 hp motor to drive it, it works very well. For me the dust is not an issue as this kind of work is done in my wood shop.

 

EJ