Planer Thicknessers

A planer thicknesser is a woodworking machine, used to plane lengths of timber to a consistent thickness and width and is arguably the most important purchase for a woodworker after a table saw.

For more than 30 years, Kendal Tools & Machinery has supplied woodworking machinery and tools for everyone, from the professional woodworker to trade users and hobby enthusiasts. To add to our extensive range of machines, we also supply a variety of planer thicknessers – perfect for when you need a beautifully flawless finish.

As a leading supplier of brands, such as Scheppach, Sedgwick, Charnwood SIP and Fox, we stock only the best thicknessers on the market and are confident that we have the perfect solution for you – no matter what project you’re working on.

How does a planer thicknesser work?

Generally, there are four key components to every planer thicknesser, including:

• Main cutter block with usually 2 or 3 blades
• Feed-in feed-out surface tables
• Thicknesser table
• Rise & fall thicknessing bed

Planer thicknessers are used to rework stock so it is straight, flat, and square for a project – making sure it is the same thickness throughout its length.

It is essential that the bottom-most side of the stock should be flat – to allow for accurate flattening on the other sides of the timber, so if needs be you should plane or joint one side before you begin.

In most thickness planers, the cutter block or head is suspended above where the stock will enter and takes the form of a metal cylinder that usually holds two/three planer blades that rotate at high speeds to plane the wood.

Below the cutter block is a feed-in surface table (sometimes called a pressure or feed roller) that supports either side of the cutter head, gripping the stock and pulling it through the cutter head while flattening it to the table. These rollers support the timber on entry and departure – ensuring maximum safety and efficiency.

Once the chosen thickness gauge or rise and fall thicknessing bed is set up to your desired thickness (which outlines how much material will be removed) the process is mostly automatic – as the stock passes along the thicknesser bed, is supported by the rollers, and comes out the other side flat and ready for your project.

Planer thicknessers for small workshops

If space is at a premium, the functions of a surface planer (or jointer) and thicknesser can be combined into a planer/thicknesser – providing a more practical solution for smaller hobby or trade workshops.

A 2-in-1 planer thicknesser, like the Scheppach HMS1070 planer thicknesser, takes up a lot less room and works out more affordable than buying two separate machines. It’s designed to be portable and easy to move around your workshop – perfect if you’re short on space!

As with most of our thicknessers, this machine comes with two high-speed speed knives that operate at 8000 rpm. It has a powerful 1500W motor that makes it suitable for various cutting tasks.

Planer thicknessers from Kendal Tools & Machinery

Here at Kendal Tools, we are delighted to supply a fantastic range of thicknesser planers and pride ourselves on offering excellent customer service and competitive prices.

If you’re looking for a thicknesser planer for your workshop, be sure to browse our collection below. Once you’ve found the best one for your application, add it to your online basket and proceed to checkout. We offer a range of delivery methods and aim to dispatch orders as quickly as possible.

Don’t see the thicknesser you need? Rest assured, our team will do everything they can to source it for you or recommend an alternative that offers the same great features and benefits.

For more information about planer thicknessers, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We will be more than happy to answer your questions and share our expertise. Either call us on 01539 733 774 or send an email to info@kendaltools.co.uk and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.