It all started years ago when Bing Copeland had this Skill 100 polished and offered to Dick Brewer… That planer made a few Bing adds at the time, and I started getting hooked on power planers, especially old aluminum framed ones (most of which are actually variations on the Skill design). Many years later I purchased my first Skill 100 and I have been on the search lately for similar tools. I recently acquired (for next to nothing) three european planers: a Holzher, a Elu/Dewalt and a Harry (which I didn’t even know it only existed…) Here are some photos:
The Holzher:
The Harry (notice the very dangerous switch button up the handle: actually, when I plugged that thing in, it started. Fortunately, I was holding it strong and away from my body…)
The Elu/Dewalt:
Any of you out there got the same mental trouble? Let’s share, maybe it will help…
Do your tools use the same type of electrical current as we do over here? Ours is generally 110-120 volts 60 cycle current. A typical power plug has two parallel prongs and a round ground prong. Maybe you could take a pic of one of your power plugs for me?
I think I might have an opportunity to get a Rockwell 653 I can send over but I’d like to be sure it will work for you.
No, you don’t need help. Nice score. Any excuse to buy a new or old tool is perfectly normal. Metal tools are the best. Plastic just doesn’t seem right. The ----Dewalt looks pretty functional from the picture. Would you use it to shape, or clean up door edges? Mike
In continental europe and the isles the current is usually 220V with a 50 cycle (not sure about cycle this was mentioned in physics class 7 years ago). But the volatage is 220 for defo!
our current power here is 220V but that’s no problem as I already have my Skill 100 working with a power transformer. Please, tell me more about that Rockwell!!!
Wouter, I think the Skill blades are 3" wide (I didn’t check, really). No special problems fitting into heavily-rockered boards, just turn the planer almost perpendicular to the stringer when reaching the nose (and be careful not to explode the stringer…)
Adding photos of my two Skills, the US one (thank you again Carl Olsen!) and the European one (which, unfortunately, has some plastic parts in it, namely the handle -which is different from the US original, not fixed to the base plate and a bit thicker):
