Sears Open Thickness Planer

Jack Wilson · Post by **Jack Wilson** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:01 pm

Anybody familiar with this machine?
http://frederick.craigslist.org/tls/4435326986.html

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:19 pm

No, but I wish it was sitting in my shop along side of my old Sears table saw of about that same vintage. Its greatest short comings would likely be availability of repair parts and blades.

Jack Wilson · Post by **Jack Wilson** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:23 pm

It was a new one on me. The funny thing is there were two different ones on Craigslist in the DC area on the same day.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun May 04, 2014 10:49 pm

I gots one!:)

Questions?

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Sun May 04, 2014 11:24 pm

That's the Alien head planer. The table raises up and down instead of the cutter head. I think it's fairly common, and that price may be a bit much, but I'd love to get my hands on one. You can get a lot of good info on it at the Old Woodworking Machines forum. But a warning about posting there: if you mention Craigslist, link to it, or even post an image that is hosted there your post may be deleted. They are very strict about that there.

dgale · Post by **dgale** » Mon May 05, 2014 2:16 am

Gone are the days when Craftsman made/sold machines like that…sad what's become of their tools. Reminds me of looking for a bike for my daughter recently I am became aware of what junk Schwinn sells these days…when I was a kid, the Stingray and then eventually a 10-speed Varsity were all I could hope for but now they are reduced to selling complete Chinese junk at K-Mart…sigh.

skou · Post by **skou** » Mon May 05, 2014 3:56 am

dgale wrote:Gone are the days when Craftsman made/sold machines like that…sad what's become of their tools. Reminds me of looking for a bike for my daughter recently I am became aware of what junk Schwinn sells these days…when I was a kid, the Stingray and then eventually a 10-speed Varsity were all I could hope for but now they are reduced to selling complete Chinese junk at K-Mart…sigh.

Don't get me started!!

When I was a kid, we had to take a bunch of stuff to the Sunnyvale dump. While we were there, I spotted an old Schwinn 10 speed. the front derailleur just had a handle on it, that you could up-shift with your right leg, but to down-shift you had to reach down and back it off. It was just a pivot washer welded to the frame, the "basket" below, and the handle above. It had the 94th Areo squadron " Hat in the Ring" insignia on it.

I rode that bike for 5 years. I even put a "banana" seat on it, and it would pull a wheelie through the first 3 gears.

I'll bet it's worth thousands by now. (Wish I still had it, along with my '70 Roadrunner.)

steve

WmZiggy · Post by **WmZiggy** » Mon May 05, 2014 9:12 am

Jack Wilson wrote:Anybody familiar with this machine?
http://frederick.craigslist.org/tls/4435326986.html

This Thickness Planer is pictured in my 1964 Sear's Craftsmen Tool Catalog for that year. Here is a copy with prices.

[ATTACH]24908[/ATTACH]

So you can date the tool to at least 1964. I don't know when Sear's first or last offered this tool.

With a better grade motor, $116.96. An extra set of blades, $5.49.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Mon May 05, 2014 9:38 am

Here's a couple versions of the owner's manual:

1952 edition: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=4778

1949 edition: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=606

The 1949 edition has a pretty good exploded view.

Incidentally, this planer does not have a feed roller. You have to manually push the stock through it. Definitely need a good push stick!

Why is it called the "Alien Head" planer?

Planer:

Xenomorph from the movies Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Alien vs Predator, Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, and Prometheus:

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon May 05, 2014 9:53 am

WmZiggy wrote:This Thickness Planer is pictured in my 1964 Sear's Craftsmen Tool Catalog for that year. Here is a copy with prices.

[ATTACH]24908[/ATTACH]

So you can date the tool to at least 1964. I don't know when Sear's first or last offered this tool.

With a better grade motor, $116.96. An extra set of blades, $5.49.

Add a motor, it did not come with one.