Longtime lurker for problem solving or ideas over my career.
Thought I’d share a little project I’ve been playing around with lately that may help out someone on a budget or unable to get their hands on a Skil.
Down here in Australia, it’s near impossible to get your hands on a Skil or a planer with a similar slide action and the closest thing is the Ryobi/Towa planers that had a slow screw action adjustment.
I’ve got a 5.5amp Skil I picked up in the USA many years ago, but I always felt like it ran too slow for my liking but the depth adjustment felt great. I’ve modified a bunch of other planers I’ve had over the years (makitas, Hitachi etc) to have faster actions but nothing with the smooth slide of the Skil.
I’ve designed up a 3d printed front shoe for the couple of Ryobi’s I have in my collection that don’t require any hard modifications to install. Just remove the front mechanism and shoe and fit the 3d printed one.
Goes from just beyond zero to ⅛" cut.
I’ve only tested it on a few boards so far, but seems to hold up well.
Happy for anyone to have a test and help iron out any issues in the design.
Hit me up with any questions if you are interested
Very cool,great job! 1/8" is just about perfect for the depth of cut. Max. I would think would be 3/16". So, maybe if to could design it to go from exact zero to 3/16", but I think you got it right already.
I do have a Powr-Kraft just like your Ryobi.
I would’t mind trying it out to see how well it works. I will hit you up on the offer.
I imagine you want to iron out any issues before you have an aluminum one cut on a cnc?
Alot of the older guys used to and a few still do, but getting rarer these days. Even our production is 99% machined so I only really handshape a board for fun or making corrections these days
Definately possible to go past ⅛ with a change in the arm as it goes about a sixteenth past zero. If I’m going that deep on cuts I’ll usually use my Makita kp0810 just set to max to get rid of foam.
We have a small CNC that I could eventually do one from aluminium but seems like more hassle than it’s worth at the moment and could just print up a replacement shoe quite easily if it fails.
I was originally thinking of an aluminium base plate that attaches on but after a few boards I haven’t felt the need for it.
Have you got access to a 3d printer, happy to pass on the file
I would think that hard plastic material you are using is good enough. You’re not supposed to drop them. We all know what happens to a front shoe on a Skil when you drop them and they’re Aluminum. Have never experienced that myself, because I make darn sure I don’t drop them.
