Shopsmith Forums

forrestb wrote:
Better to try and buy a used powered planer (working or not) and repair it - I think! I am sortof negotiating with an owner in my area now.

That is how I did it.. Local guy had the SS Pro planer on Craigslist for weeks at $400 with a dead feed motor. When he dropped it to $200 I took a look at it.
He had replaced the power switch after the motor dies hoping that would fix it and somehow got the manual feed switch. I pointed out that that was another $360 part and waved $100 cash at him thinking at the least I could part it and keep the 1 3/4 HP motor from the deal. He took it.

I got it home, tore the feed motor apart and tested every coil. It was perfect so I put it all back together and did a test run driving the feed motor with a 12v battery charger. It worked!

For now I'm driving the feed motor with a Variac and a bridge rectifier until I can build or buy a PWM controller.

Keeping in mind that a feed motor is $450 and the controller is $360 I'd be happy to have a manual feed. I wish I could buy the manual feed parts.

BTW this is my first post as a forum member.. So hello everybody!

sschering wrote:That is how I did it.. Local guy had the SS Pro planer on Craigslist for weeks at $400 with a dead feed motor. When he dropped it to $200 I took a look at it.
He had replaced the power switch after the motor dies hoping that would fix it and somehow got the manual feed switch. I pointed out that that was another $360 part and waved $100 cash at him thinking at the least I could part it and keep the 1 3/4 HP motor from the deal. He took it.

I got it home, tore the feed motor apart and tested every coil. It was perfect so I put it all back together and did a test run driving the feed motor with a 12v battery charger. It worked!

For now I'm driving the feed motor with a Variac and a bridge rectifier until I can build or buy a PWM controller.

Keeping in mind that a feed motor is $450 and the controller is $360 I'd be happy to have a manual feed. I wish I could buy the manual feed parts.

BTW this is my first post as a forum member.. So hello everybody!

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

I went and looked at a manual Mark mounted planer today (another 800 mile round trip ) .... and bought it. I think I am going to like the manual feed over the Pro Planer anyway. I spend about an hour again planing some wood including a pretty crude panel of 1 inch thick glue ups and I was impressed. I then planed a 2x4 that I had run through the jointer but I knew was out of parallel. two passes it was at 1.62XX on all four corners according to the digital calipers. Pretty impressed. Got if for 250, probably a little high, but I am happy. Thanks for all of the help guys! Like I said, my first reaction is that I prefer the manual feed .....

Dick

sschering wrote:That is how I did it.. Local guy had the SS Pro planer on Craigslist for weeks at $400 with a dead feed motor. When he dropped it to $200 I took a look at it.
He had replaced the power switch after the motor dies hoping that would fix it and somehow got the manual feed switch. I pointed out that that was another $360 part and waved $100 cash at him thinking at the least I could part it and keep the 1 3/4 HP motor from the deal. He took it.

I got it home, tore the feed motor apart and tested every coil. It was perfect so I put it all back together and did a test run driving the feed motor with a 12v battery charger. It worked!

For now I'm driving the feed motor with a Variac and a bridge rectifier until I can build or buy a PWM controller.

Keeping in mind that a feed motor is $450 and the controller is $360 I'd be happy to have a manual feed. I wish I could buy the manual feed parts.

BTW this is my first post as a forum member.. So hello everybody!

Try a lamp dimmer to feed the bridge!!!;)

[quote="JPG"]Try a lamp dimmer to feed the bridge!!!]

How about one of these? Just $16, with a coupon.

Good idea.. it will probably handle the load better than my Variac.