I was wondering if anyone out there has experience with Woodmaster planer/molder machines. I just recently ordered the 18″ model (haven’t received it yet) and am wondering if I made the right decision. Any thoughts?
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Just yesterday got an ad from them advertising 50% lower prices. Hope you got the sale price.
Also looking for comments as am considering one.
81treehouse, I got the sale price but I always wonder...do you ever really get a sale price? Woodmaster did give me a list of owners in my area(I stopped them at 4 names). I called these people and everyone was pleased with their machines.
Let us know what you think. I have been considering one of those as well and I would appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks,John
I received my 718 Woodmaster about a month ago. A few early thoughts...
1. Get them to send you the NEMA drawing for the 30 amp 220 volt receptacle you will need. That NEMA number has a few variations. You guessed it - I put in the wrong one and had to change it. I went to a LARGE electrical supply house and they had to order it from their main distributor. I guess it is not that common and it was expensive.
2. The folks at woodmaster told me I'd uncrate it and in about an hour I'd be planing wood. Is anything ever that simple? No! I checked the blade setting and will have to set the blades from scratch. I believe the table will have to be reset as well. One side is lower than the other.
3. The machine does work well. I've planed some rough sawn oak stock at medium high feed rate and got a very nice surface. Slow the machine down and it gets even nicer.
4. I do get some snipe. The setup manual cautions to spend the necessary time to set up the infeed and outfeed tables. I set them up to what I feel they recommend, so I don't feel the snipe is caused by that. I think it could be related to te setting of the feed roller pressure. The rollers are set so much lower than the cutter head that you have to push the stock in with a fair amount of pressure for the piece to force the roller up and travel under it. The manual states that this pressure is the factory setting required to avoid kickback. Some other planers I've looked at since have a set of pawls in back of the infeed roller. I think I'll have to tinker to solve this one.
Any thoughts on this from anyone? Is snipe inevitable?
5. The thickness scale is damn near useless. Just a refrigerator magnet type thing with a 6 inch scale on it. C'mon Woodmaster!
I have'nt used any of the other features of the machine yet. I get precious little time nad besides that my shop space is in an unheated barn (a nice one) and it's still pretty cold here in Maine. I almost got frostbite doing the assembly just to be able to try the thing out. Knife setting, etc. will have to wait until I can work several hours without putting on gloves.
I appreciate the update. Too bad about the receptacle. I have never gotten too excited about snipe. I just plane long & trim off. The downside being if I want to tweak a piece that is already at or close to length. How hard is it to set the blades? Do you think that the machine is well made?John
I also had a different receptacle than what Woodmaster's plug would take. I'm a fan of twist lock connectors, so I just took a sharp pocket knife and some wire cutters to the pigtail and put my own 30A twist lock plug on it.Tom
Edited 2/20/2005 10:33 pm ET by tms
<<"Let us know what you think. I have been considering one of those as well and I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.">>me too...........
I think I'm going to spring for the 38" model while the incentives are still in effect.
I'll let you know what I think when it gets here.Tom
So, any news?John
Wow,You're even more impatient than I am, and I wouldn't have thought that possible. The salesman said two week delivery time, so one more week yet.I'm actually one project out from when I really need the sander, so I'll have to arrange some type of test project in order that I can write a proper review.Stay tuned,
Tom
Dear Tom,
Sorry, don't mean to be a pest.John
Hi Tom------I have a 38" single drum Woodmaster sander. It was the first big purchase when I went into my shop fulltime about 10 years ago. I think you made a good choice. It was the most sander for the money I found. It has been reliable and virtually trouble free. Just remember it works in thousandths ------not sixteenths. If the H&L material on the drum overheats it will be ruined and that is a pain to replace I am told. Anyway---I am sure you will enjoy using the machine and seeing the nice flat surface you get on panels and table tops .
Regards, Walnutjerry
Hey Jerry,Thanks for the tip in the H&L overheating.One of the reasons that I chose the 38" model is because the H&L system would allow me to have two different grits, one on each half of the drum. I also wanted a machine wide enough to sand doors and window sashes.Tom
You are quite welcome Tom. There is always a few things you may not find out from a salesman-------until it is too late. You are not apt to have overheating if you stick with lighter "cuts", about 1/8 turn of the handle is my preference. Woodworking 101----never trust a gauge. When I first start I set the table so I have to come back up to the drum as a piece of stock feeds through and I see the drum move(I have the lid up so I can see it). Also I only have the feed motor running so I can tell when the drum turns from contact with the stock. Once I see the drum move that is where I start even if it does not turn the full length of the stock. THEN I turn the drum motor on and run in 1/8 turn increments until I have the piece cleaned up. If I can be of help any other way you may contact me at [email protected]
BTW---what is your main production item?
Regards, Walnutjerry
Hi Jerry,I actually don't have a production item. Mine's just a hobby/retirement shop. My next project is a couple of rocking chairs, and I wanted to laminate the rockers. I've a number of laminated projects that I want to do, so I guess you could say that my main production for the near future will be 1/8" lams.Tom
I think you will like it just fine. The old woodmasters were made by RBI in Harrisonville MO. I dont know who makes them now. RBI's stuff is top drawer for sure
So, has it been two weeks? I keep feeling like I'm waiting for Santa! Perhaps I'll grow up someday!John
Hey John,Yea, I'm starting to wonder as well. At the end of the week, last week, I recieved a "delivery checklist", and invoice, along with instructions on how to take delivery. The instructions said that they would send me a post card when the item was shipped. Shipped? I thought that I had been waiting for it as it made it's way across the country.All I can say is that I'll post pictures and document the experience when it arrives.Hang in there,
Tom
OK, thanks for the update!John
The Woodmaster has finally arrived!A month ago, I orded a Woodmaster 3875; I took delivery of it two days ago. Rather than make a uge posting on the forum I put some photos and comments of my wife's web site.http://home.comcast.net/~kristenhuntley/woodmaster_3875.htmMore later, as it developes.Tom
Hi I agree.I am retired too. Every day is Sat. After working as a millwright and tin knocker in a glass factory for 26 years I have holed up in my work shop in my basement. I have every tool known to the modern woodworker. My basement is one big sea of machery that is great for production but leaves alot out of personal artistic gratification. I have been trying to return to the 1700's in the tools that I work with.I am all ways amazed at the speed and accuracy that a sharp plane or drawknife will do the job. What is your favorite hand tool?
Grizzlydon
I have had a Woodmaster 18" planer for 11 years. I only use it as a molder. I have been very happy with it.
Owned the 18" plainer/ sander since 1989 and it's been the best investment I ever made. And now it helps keep my furniture business turn a profit. since 9/11 I had to turn the hobby into making money, now I wish that the shop was big enough to accommodate a woodmaster 24" sander. It gets time consuming changing it from a plainer back to a sander. I'm not exactly sure the price I paid then , but I think it was around $1600. or $1800. Built my own dust shute. ( money was tight )
I'm a member of the West Michigan woodworkers guild, In Grand Rapids, Mi and I only talked with one other member that had just bought his, and said nothing bad about his experiences with the woodmaster.
The sanding gets a little tricky, and I found some place other than woodmaster to buy the sand paper. http://WWW.WOODWORKINGSHOP.COM Klingspor's supplies.
If you need to get a job done, that machine will sure help.
Furniture By Douglas, Grand Rapids, MI
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