Byrnes Thickness Sander?

[Stefonroman]

Hello:

 

I am new to the board and building.  I was looking into purchasing the Byrnes Thickness Sander since his tools are praised on every board I've looked at.  Does anyone have any video of the sander in acition?  I wanted to see it run before I made the purchase.  His machines look awesome!.

 

 

Also , can this thickness sander handle hardwoods?

 

 

Thanks

Stefon

Edited October 6, 2014 by Stefonroman

[Mahuna]

Hi Stefon:

 

I don't have any videos of the Byrnes Thickness Sander in action, but I can assure you it's a quality piece of equipment.  I've used it to get a consistent thickness of .030 inches on planks I've made (less than 1/32).  I only use it on hardwoods, and I'm not sure if it will produce the same level of consistency on a soft wood like basswood - not saying it won't,I just don't know.

 

The machine has two different strips of sandpaper - a coarse one for quick material removal, and a fine one for a nice finish.  Depending on the wood used, the fine finish is really nice.

 

Frank

[Landlubber Mike]

You won't regret it I was originally planning to just buy the disc sander and table saw, but thought why not buy the thickness sander and ordered it.  I've used it a few times already, and it, like his other machines, is built like a tank and very precise.  The sandpaper drum can use two different grits at the same time, or one longer sandpaper sheet.  I was sanding larger stock so I replaced the sandpaper with a larger sheet, and was very impressed not only by the quality and fit of the parts, and the simplicity and elegance in the design.

 

One other point is that Jim provides great customer service.  I sent him an email because of some issues I had with the table saw (user error), and he actually called me over a holiday weekend in response (when I was just expecting a reply email) to walk me through things and make sure I got back on track.  You can't beat that.

 

I don't know if there are videos of it in use, but you can probably watch videos of similar hobby thickness sanders from Micromark and maybe Proxxon to get a good idea.

[Bill Hime]

I actually ordered mine over a week ago! Cannot wait to get it in the shop and put it to work

 

 

Bill

[Mahuna]

If you let accidentally let go of the wood while it's still running through the thickness sander it will shoot back out the front, and if your hand is in the way you could get a ding or a bruise.  I always wear a work glove on the hand I'm using to push the wood (in addition to safety glasses, of course).  If the wood being sanded is short (less than 3-4 inches) I'll also use a flat piece of wood as a push stick.

 

Frank

[Jack Panzeca]

I bought mine to replace an aging and underpowered Preac. It is as good as the others say. It handles hardwood well. Nearly every piece of oak on my Oseberg build (almost the entire ship) went through the thickness sander and I have not had to change the paper yet. It's a great tool and easy to use. I do not know how I got along without it.

[Kevin]

the shipping costs for something like this i guess would be silly, is there an equivalent alternative for the UK market

[peewee]

its about $120-140 to ship to the UK, My disk sander should arrive tomorrow and that was $120 = £70 give or take

[dvm27]

Kevin, Proxon makes a thickness planer which is very good. But you cannot plane the wood below 1/8" without putting it on a sled. Jim's product is well worth the money and you can get planks whisker thin.

[Kevin]

looks like the proxxon is more expensive than the byrnes including shipping

Edited October 17, 2014 by Kevin

[Bill Hime]

Mine arrived Wednsday! Having worked with professional grade shop tools for years, I can say first hand that I am more than impressed with the construction and function of this Byrne's thickness sander. I am now in the process of ordering the tablesaw as well.

 

Sincere Regards,

 

Bill

[peewee]

Or to factor in the VAT on delivery (drawplate also arriving today )

[gjdale]

Kevin,

 

From memory, I needed to add about 50% to the purchase price to allow for shipping to Australia, and that was when the Aussie $ was trading at better than parity against the green back. Even with that extra cost, I don't regret one cent. All of the Byrnes machines are exquisite pieces of machinery that are a joy to use and should last a lifetime.

 

To be honest, I cant even remember the total cost, but I sure as heck remember what a great machine it is!

[Kevin]

i have contacted them for a shipping cost to the UK, 

[Roman]

Anything Byrnes you purchase is a joy. During my last visit to Jim's shop I purchased the Ropewalk and as customary...... Superior. The thickness sander could not be simpler and more elegant in its design. I is designed to work accurately and last for a lifetime. You cannot go wrong with it.

 

Regards

Roman