I found a neat Skil 100 for sale in Santa Cruz and had it shipped over here to Florida. This was from an estate sale where the original owner had documented every tool he purchased throughout his career. The planer came with a note which reads:
i
It appears to be in original condition and functioning 100%. The motor sounds clean and everything seems to work just fine. There is a slight bur in both cutting blades that will probably need to be sharpened before trying this tool on foam.
I’ll post some pictures below. I searched the archives and found a few threads, but if anyone has a few moments to share some planner insight, that will be greatly appreciated.
This is my first Skil 100 and like most shapers I have always dreamed of owning one. Here is the info, thanks so much.
Hey Tom, Those blades are beat!! I would suggest to get them professionally sharpened to take out the nicks and get them trued up. (A sharp edge SQUARE to the blade.) These have hit something metal to chip the edge. After getting them sharpened, then you can maintain them yourself, provided you don't nick them during use. This will get you a fresh start with this planer. Nice Score.
I agree with tblank 100%. And if you can put in the carbide blades you will get a better cut for longer, but they’re a pain to sharpen, unless you know how to do it yourself. Extra blades, belts, brushes and switches are always handy to keep in the box. Also it helps to pad the floor really well in your shaping room as a insurance policy…
Loads of great advice and info in the archives, but some things I learned recently while doing a top to bottom restoration of one:
Replace the cord with a 16-gauge one that is grounded, 20 feet should allow you to walk around a blank on the racks.
Replace the brushes and belt, or keep new ones on hand as ghettorat said.
Don't spend $100 on a set of ebay blades, they are available from American National Knife for half that. It's good to have an extra set should something happen to yours.
If the bearings are original, you may want to replace them eventually, there are two on the cutter head and two on the armature. They are available from any good bearing outlet.
Hey Tom, and Ghetto, there is a thread in the archives with a sharpening discussion where I found a neat little jig to make to keep your blades sharp. Wood Ogre commented he had been doing this for years. Very simple design and easy to use. I'll try to find the original link on a woodworking site.
Here it is: http://exoticwoodveneerplus.com there is a video by a guy who is selling these. If you have a table saw this is very easy to make. A real KISS system and it works. Routine dressing of your blades won't take long this way. If you have carbide (Ghetto's right) which is the way to go, you can use diamond instead of stone or sand paper.
Thanks Guys, I am really stoked and ready to hit some foam with the planer this weekend. The sharpening system is perfect. Tblank do you remember the angle the blades are set with the sharpening jig?
I called the local Woodcraft store today and they told me who they send their tools to for sharpening…
I spoke to Frank and he actually knew the Skil 100 really well… I’m meeting him tomorrow morning to sharpen and true the blades. Will post the results and I’m really hoping things go well. He is also a dealer for American National and said he had the blades new…
I’d love to build or even buy one of those jigs from exotic. How hard is it to reset the blades and have you guys seen a good post on this?
Hey Tom, Don't know the angle for the Skil, most will have a bevel at 45 degrees. You'll have to measure that yourself with a protractor.
The first few times setting planer blades can be one of those times you wish you had three hands. Easiest way to explain is you zero out your sole plate and set the blade one at a time with a straight edge. You bridge the gap with the straight edge and bring the cutting edge up on the apex of the rotation. You set one side to the straight edge and back to the other and check and re-check to set the whole blade to your guide. do this with both blades and give it a trial cut. You may have to adjust but it is easy to get the hang of it. The 3 inch blades are a lot easier than setting wide ones. Always double check the torque on the set screws. Be Safe.
To adjust the blades properly, you really need a blade leveling plate that screws on to the foot of the planer with a wing nut. Follow the procedure in the owners manual. Here’s a link to a web sight that you can down load a manual from, for free. http://skil100.com/ And this is a very important safety tip. The one screw that you use to adjust the depth of the blade, also doubles as a safety retainer so that the blades wont fly out if they ever become loose from vibration. After you’ve adjusted, leveled and tightened down the blades with three blade screws on each blade, tighten the adjusting screw. It doesn’t need to be tight, just snug it up a little. it’s also very important to check that they remain snugged up from time to time.
i
