Highlights:

• 10 HP, 200 Volts, 3ph
• Cutter speed 5000 RPM
• Standard with HELICAL cutterhead
• Total work surface: 26" X 28 "
• 24" x 8" x 5/16" maximum
• 8" Min. length, 20-38 fpm
• Weight 1015 lbs.

Features:

• Cast-iron breaker system
• Three "V" belts drive the cutter-head
• Large control knob of variable speed feed system for increase or decrease speed when the planer is in operation
• Metric and SAE graduation scale to indicate workpiece thickness on the front of the machine
• The anti-kickback finger system at the front of the machine eliminates any risk of stock being forcibly ejected
• A dust chute with its 6" outlet to receive a dust collector
• Magnetic control with overload protection
• High-quality steel helical cutter-head with reversible carbide inserts (6 rows reversible carbide inserts) = 160
• Sizes: 9/16" x 9/16" x 1/16" (14 x 14 x 2 mm)

We are fortunate to have a 20” General, Helical Planer. This is a $10,000.00 piece of machinery. Some of its qualities are the fact that it is very quiet compared to a regular blade type planer. The blades for this planer are about 9/16th” wide and are located on a spinning drum. It produces planed wood with no snipe.

Along with the SawStop these are two of the high quality machines in the shop. To be featured soon will be the Oneway lathe which is another one of a kind of woodworking shops in the Waterloo Region.

The Sawstop is probably the most important machine in our shop from the safety point of view.

This is a complete table saw and its greatest feature is that you are unable to cut yourself with the blade. This is because there is a brake that will stop the blade in an instant if it is touched by anything that will conduct electricity. That includes skin, wet wood, metal (nails) or any other material that would break the circuit.

We are indebted to the three Kitchener Community Centres, Breithaupt, Downtown and Rockway as well as the Krafty Corners group located in the Downtown Centre. It was from their contributions that we were able to purchase this exceptional machine.

You will enjoy a demonstration on the SawStop website ( http://www.sawstop.com/ ) of how the saw is stopped when the blade comes in contact with a wiener which is used to simulate cutting a finger.

Precautions

1. Make certain that you wait until the saw completely stops before getting near the blade, as the electronics are active until the blade comes to a full stop. If the safety mechanism should activate, the brake replacement cost is +$100.
   
   
2. Avoid cutting wood that has a high moisture content. If in doubt, check it with the moisture meter.

The ONEWAY lathe is the best lathe that we could buy. It is manufactured in Stratford ON and they have all the supporting parts for the lathe and tools for the users.

We hope to be able to add a second ONEWAY lathe in the shop. We have applied for a grant from New Horizons and hope to have an answer by mid 2010.

There is a guide for lathe operators on the wall of the shop.

A CD is also available showing lathe operation.