Has anyone ever used the bosch planner http://www.northwestpowertools.com/planer/3365.htm, its about $135 cheaper than the clark hitachi. I was wondering if the bosch could be used or should I just save up and just save up and get the hitachi. Also as to quality which one do you think is better. Thanks eveyone
I have a Bosch, just gotta take off the safety guide to make surfboards.
Seems kinda lightweight compared to my Skils, but handy and a nice motor.
Since I have two Skils, or appear to, I really don’t need to use my Bosch for shaping.
It’s really for my work, as I assist carpenters and contractors, and do some building on my own.
Skils are locked in the warehouse, now for 20 odd years.
i have a black and decker one that seems to get the job done. i would like a skil but beggers cant be choosers.
in a totaly unrelated topic dakine diegos in cocoa beach has a skil 100 thats enclosed in a plexiglass case kind of between two walls. i was standing there thinking man thats so cool but such a waste of a classic piece of machinery.
Those skills last forever, my uncle has an old skill circular saw. It was the best I ever used, cut straight, quick and easy. I liked the weight of the older heavy duty skills also, but I cant be choosey so Ill just get the bosch.
I looked at the same model in HomeD., it was US $99 there… thinking of buying it in the next day or two…
They all work good, better than hand planing. If i didn’t have the modified clark, I would have gotten the Bocsh. But you still have an issue with the depth of cut on the fly, it will need to be modified. Bosch also makes a 18 volt cordless model, that would be pretty neat, you could shape a board anywhere? I think the Bosch you are looking at has right or left hand chip chute, nice.
I bought the bosch your speaking of, shaped seven boards over eight years and had a bearing come apart. In a hurry for another planer, I picked up a used bosch 3365 off e-bay and have shaped four boards with it. Definitely true about needing to fix the depth adjustment. I haven’t, and it’s a pain in the arse. The handle should be modified to a more vertical position as well, like the clark. It’s a lot easier on the wrist and arm. I think Bosch is a good name, but it’s probably worth it to go with the higher end model rather than the cheap one I’ve got, and make some modifications yourself if you’re comfortable with tearing it apart.
Here’s an addendum to my previous post:
Depending on how much your time is worth, it might actually be cheaper to by the clark planer and leave all the modifications to the pros.
I used a DeWalt planer that is nore or less the same planer as the Bosch for my first 10 or so boards so I feel that I can guide you well here my friend.
The reasons that the Bosch and all like it are not the appropriate tool for shaping is that they have only pre-set depth adjustments. this is problematic on a couple of fronts:
A) The surfboard is a very, very complex piece of sculpture. You need a tool that will adapt it’s cutting depth to the various sections of the surfboard that you are shaping. Areas like rail bands, concaves, foiling are all sections that really require your planer to be able to go from a sliver of foam to at least a 1/4" or more depth. The Clark modified, Skil, or any other modified depth planer are the true tools of a decent shaper. Without them it is like painting a masterpiece with a hairbrush.
B) The retail planers, bosch, DeWalt etc, do not have sufficient depth for shaping. They will owrk, but it just takes a LONG ass time to get a hunk of foam down to final thickness.
Save up for the Clark modified. You will be buying it in the near future anyway…so why waste the money on an infierior tool.
“The most expensive tool is the cheap one you bought and then had to replace because you did not get the right one in the first place”.
Drew