pro-planer knives?

[shane_lxi]

I just bought a used pro-planer, the standalone unit you don't need a Mark V to use. The knives are very knicked up, so I was trying to find replacement knives. Since the ones offered at the Shop Smith website were around $110, I figured I'd pull these and try to find someone to sharpen them, and bought the knife setting jig from SM. The knives I pulled out look a lot different than the knives pictured at shopsmith.com, and have a different part number on them (#513364 as opposed to #505982). Which got me a bit worried. Is there a supplier for these knives anymore, and will this setting jig even work with this planer? Thanks!

[Mike907]

When I search for 513364 on the Shopsmith website it links to the page for 505982. I'm sure the blades are interchangeable and Shopsmith probably changed the part number when they changed suppliers. Minimum blade width is 11/16", so check to see if you have enough blade left to sharpen. I don't know of any other supplier of wedge shaped blades, so the only source is Shopsmith.

Mike

[rcplaneguy]

The 9 dollar SS blade setting tool works great. Take your time, follow the instructions. I resharpen with the SS planer/jointer blade sharpening jig and the conical disk sander.

[shane_lxi]

Thanks guys. Any tips for using the blade setting gauge? I found a PDF owners manual, but is does not detail it's use, and the video on the SS website shows what the gauge looks like and then proceeds to show you how to set the knives with a dial indicator. While I am still able to get some useful information from this, I am not quite sure how to determine where to set the height of the blade. Currently my knives only stick up about 1/4", but if I used the gauge how it seems to me it needs to be used, the knives stick up close to 3/8" over the head/drum. Also, the knives that are currently in my planer are only 1/2" wide, but they may have been sharpened a few times, though that is alot of missing material just from sharpening. I had previously bought blades from another website, but they are flat stock, and it looks like the Shop Smith blades are tapered or wedge shaped, so I imagine that if I don't use wedged knives, I'll end up with a hole in my stomache or missing fingers. Looks like I'll be buying the $110 SS knives.

[mr.d]

The planer knives were just on sale (ended 2/15) for $82.49. Hate when that happens.

[shane_lxi]

That's my luck, lol.

[rcplaneguy]

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/747/6080.pdf

Page 29

[GEG]

I ordered a new planer setting gauge as I could not find the one that came with my father's planer. The new one looks like the one Nick uses on the video, not like the curved one shown in the original manual. I assume that the only way to make this one work is to put a masking tape pointer on the gauge and eyeball the clearance with the blades as Nick explained. I think something far less crude is warranted, but because I have the SS table, I cannot use a magnetic base with dial indicator. Are any of the setting tools that actually clamp to the cutterhead recommended? Thanks for the help, Glenn

[JPG]

I ordered a new planer setting gauge as I could not find the one that came with my father's planer. The new one looks like the one Nick uses on the video, not like the curved one shown in the original manual. I assume that the only way to make this one work is to put a masking tape pointer on the gauge and eyeball the clearance with the blades as Nick explained. I think something far less crude is warranted, but because I have the SS table, I cannot use a magnetic base with dial indicator. Are any of the setting tools that actually clamp to the cutterhead recommended? Thanks for the help, Glenn

??????

[jsburger]

Thanks guys. Any tips for using the blade setting gauge? I found a PDF owners manual, but is does not detail it's use, and the video on the SS website shows what the gauge looks like and then proceeds to show you how to set the knives with a dial indicator. While I am still able to get some useful information from this, I am not quite sure how to determine where to set the height of the blade. Currently my knives only stick up about 1/4", but if I used the gauge how it seems to me it needs to be used, the knives stick up close to 3/8" over the head/drum. Also, the knives that are currently in my planer are only 1/2" wide, but they may have been sharpened a few times, though that is alot of missing material just from sharpening. I had previously bought blades from another website, but they are flat stock, and it looks like the Shop Smith blades are tapered or wedge shaped, so I imagine that if I don't use wedged knives, I'll end up with a hole in my stomache or missing fingers. Looks like I'll be buying the $110 SS knives.

The SS planer knife setting gauge works fine in my experience. I don't know why you say the owners manual doesn't tell you how to use the gauge. Mine certainly does as does the one on the Vintage Machinery site that rcplaneguy posted a link to. I think your blades are way to narrow and the only source is SS. Even then you will need to use the setting gauge.