Has anyone devised a depth gauge for the Hitachi? Also, I’ve seen pictures of longer cords added directly to the planer. Which cords are best? Three-prong or just the standard double prong? Ideal length? Thanks, Rob Olliges
2 cents worth on cords. cut the cord down to 8 to 12" & add a plug end, then use an extention cord. this is especially handy if you ever go to an overhead system. http://dreamflagproductions.com
The first thing I do to any of my planers is, put a 25 foot cord on them. I use the softest appliance cord I can find in the electrical dept. with a good plug for it. I don’t want no plugs up close to my machine, nothing to snag on my arm or touch the board.
Jim how dose that work if you are swithching back & forth from planer to drum etc. I have a cord wrapped around an exhaust hose from overhead. & you are right about it getting in the way. do you suspend your cords? thanks, Ray http://dreamflagproductions.com
I have planers for each type of work and I only tried suspending my cords for a short while 35 years ago. I am a total planer shaper, when I put my tool down, my blank looks like it is off the shaping machine, with only a 1/4" to 1/2" band in the center of the rail. I move fast when I am using my planer. The cords hanging down are in my field of vision and I hate walking at them. I only occasionally have a cord under foot and keep track of them, watching for kinks and move them out of the way when I put the tool down. Schrosbee just installed dust extraction for his planer and has the cord taped to the hose, it looks like more trouble than it’s worth. I’ve got a broom and I’ve always known it was a dusty job, so what. I blow off at the end of the day.
…I use overheads on 2 of my hits and an optional for my skill.The vac keeps my area clean,and the blank after foilings looks better/more even/smoother,than if I hit it with 40 grit.I usually go from planer to screen in most cases.Herb
…Oh yeah,each planer(hitachi’s)have there own hose,and the cord is tie rapped(tape,ecck)with small split rings attached to them to give me several suspension options.The skill has two separate chutes,one for open plane,and the other for vac return.I also have a 3rd Clark Hitachi that is a free flow dust thrower,but I haven’t even used it yet.Herb
Herb, how’d you make the dust chute to vacuum hookup on your Skil? I have my Hitachi hooked up to the shop vac but not the Skil (it just has the standard chute…) thanks, Keith
…I took a kiddie size Sunny D plastic bottle,cut a rectangle hole in the side,checked for fit(it doesn’t have to be air tight,just fit tight).pressed it on the ol sheet metal chute with thin ,white,double sticky foam,and shoe goo. …Now,here’s where it got a little more tech.I bought a pvc sink elbow @ home depot,(about $1.75),and trimmed the short end’s lip to fit in the cap snug.I then took a hole saw (1-1/2",I think,you can use a knive heated up or a boxcutter)and cut the majority of the top of the lid off,leaving only the threated rim with a lip.Slid the elbow thru the lid till it stopped on the lip,and screwed it on the bottle with alittle shoe goo for thread hold.Now you have a vac/return chute!I paint mine black but it’s only for looks…It’s really cheap,and easy to make,and works great,it even swivels like the Clark Hitachi job,and works as well if not better.It also lasts! …Tom Sterne has one,maybe he can comment on his.Herb
OK, Herb, I think I follow that – but can’t quite picture which way all the parts point. Is the bottle pointing up, with the pvc going thru the cap and then 90 degrees to horiz? Or did you mount the bottle horiz, with the pvc elbow pointing up, to connect w/ the vacuum hose? thanks again, K
…The bottle is lying on it’s side,the pvc elbow goes out horizontally,then takes a 90 degree turn,as far as up or down,it swivels up,down,forward,and back.Herb
Gotcha! thanks again, Herb. by the way a buddy of mine moved to IB a while ago, so I may be surfing in that neck of the woods more (I used to but just got out of the habit). Maybe I’ll see you down there. Am hoping to surf the sloughs if we get another big swell…without too much rain that is.
For vac exhausts on planeres other than skils…Go to a store that sells plastics, Ridout PLastics…find some sheet material ans some tbe material the size of the hose, etc…cut and glue away…you guys should be industrial enough to get the gig. But for those of you who have money…Buy a cordless planer and some extra battery packs for those of you who shape all day… might as well but the cordless vac too…
…If my cord is rapped around my vac hose,it is cordless.Herb