Most of my recent shop time was consumed with yet another reorganization and reconfiguration. I need to make room for a new machine. I plan to build a shop in the side yard near the wood storage shed. But that day never seems to get much closer. There are many things to resolve, which look ridiculously expensive.
Perhaps a more scaled-down approach will work better. For example, a large shed, similar to the existing one, holds the big stock processing machinery leaving more elbow room in the basement shop. That seems like a more practical solution than spending more than $50K for a shop building with a relatively limited useful span as a going concern for someone pushing 60 with an ever-shorter stick.
Then I saw this review for a Scorpion JP1603HC Planer-Jointer. Typically, a combination of anything means a compromise of one sort or another. With tools, that compromise is usually time. The time it takes to change from one operation to another.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. I sell old woodworking hand tools, and the quintessential do-everything hand plane is the Stanley 55. Meant to replace a whole toolbox full of molding planes, it features five complete sets of cutters for different profiles and operations. Plus, more fiddly bits that you can count. For me, the tool dealer, that’s awesome. Even a rusty and trashed 55 will have enough salvageable parts to make it worth picking up. Dilettante woodworkers are forever trying to assemble a complete set of 55 pieces to “save money.” For the user, it means you almost certainly have some setup time before using it. So, sure, it’s way more compact and versatile than a shelf of molding planes. But each one of those molding planes is ready to use when you grab it. So…pick your poison.
However, I have other constraints, namely space, so I am willing to consider a small amount of setup time if necessary. After all, all my large tools are mounted on wheels and pushed against the walls when not in use. Only the miter saw, and table saw are always in a ready-to-use state. Watching the video, it seemed easier to switch modes and more convenient to use than I thought. Hmm, this might be just the ticket for the troll cave workshop. I could replace two large machines with one slightly larger but more capable machine.
At first, it seemed ludicrous; a massive 16? jointer is a level of decadence I hadn’t even considered before. But it sure looks cool… In terms of size, the infeed and outfeed tables for the jointer mode are a bit longer than my old jointer. That’s important because the bed’s combined length governs the length of the board on which you can joint a true straight edge. So, we’re gaining some length, great. Obviously, gaining 10? of width is huge. I almost never work in stock that’s more than 2? wide for edge jointing. However, I am almost always starting with rough lumber, and the preferred first step is to face joint on one side, then plane the other side parallel. A 6? joint means I rarely can do that, so use the planer on both sides. Supposedly, that’s less safe, and you need to remove more wood to end up with a flat and parallel board. Well, I’ve not seen a safety problem and didn’t have another option that didn’t involve hand planes. Which, to be fair, isn’t that hard, and I have done it. But it’s a lot of work, and if you are prepping 200 linear feet of oak to make molding and trim for an entire floor of your house, that’s not going to happen. So, second bonus, I can now face joint almost any board I can afford to buy.
Planer-wise, I am gaining 3?, which is never a bad thing. Also, this is a 4HP, 220V motor. Stalling that will take a focused effort, unlike my DeWalt DW735. That DeWalt is the best planer you can buy under $2500, so at $600, it’s a bargain. I also upgraded it to use a helical cutter head. You get really lovely surfaces but also a lot more small chips. That causes the motor to work harder and the breaker (on the machine) to trip. A lot. It’s a current limiter, so you aren’t hurting anything but wasting time. DeWalt had no option. To maximize sales, the planer had to be 110V. You must push those circuits’ edges to be most useful without starting a fire. That means running right at 15A. Still annoying, so 220V is mandatory for all future machine purchases.
Space-wise, I am replacing two large machines with one slightly bigger than my jointer, though a LOT less mobile. Still, with some rearranging, I could make that work. So that’s a win as well.
Minuses. Well, there are two big ones. One, it’s not that large, but it is a commercial-grade machine, so it’s HEAVY. The website says 300 kg. Ouch, that’s 660 lbs. Getting that into the basement will require both strapping lads, at least. The other one is the cost. Again, it’s a commercial machine with a commercial price: $5595. Yarr.
Plus, it’s in Canada, and shipping costs $149, including lift-gate delivery. Oh, and no sales tax…that saves me almost $350. That’s still a lot of coin. However, March is Bonus Time at Trintech. The company is in a recession-resistant market, so despite the less-than-ideal economic conditions, it met most of its financial goals and would be paying a hefty bonus. SO..time to go shopping.
I followed it closely as it wended its way to me. The vendor I had not heard of before (but did research first) was awesome to work with. They sent me photos the day I placed the order for MY machine crated up in the warehouse. Proof of life and of the condition it was in when it left. Smart of them.
The crate was a sturdy double-wide skid of 9mm plywood; as you can see here, it still took a bit of a beating, but nothing penetrated the armor, and when I uncrated it, it was in perfect condition. It was also FULLY assembled. Hrm. The bill of lading stated 715 lbs. Only some of that was the sturdy crate. I was counting on it being in parts like all the other machines I’ve had freighted in. Moving the whole thing was not going to work. I had one boy on hand and the other en route, so I partially disassembled it. I figured that if I removed the top tables, it would 1) fit down the basement stairs and into the shop door and 2) be a lot lighter.
Well, one for two isn’t bad. Unfortunately, taking the tables off only saved about 200 lbs. Luckily, the remaining 500 lbs. was in a dishwasher-sized machine, and with both boys, we could get it into the shop without damage and only a little drama. It just EXACTLY made it through the exterior basement door after we popped it.
To be clear, removing the frame on a $300 exterior door was on the table to get a $6000 machine into the shop. Fortunately, pulling the door was enough. Barely.
So, I reassembled it over the next two evenings and checked the calibration. Despite my removing and remounting the top, it was dead on though the manual had shockingly clear and easy-to-follow instructions to align things if and when that’s needed. So, I guess starting with English, even if the Canadian version is a step up on Chinese.
So here we are, set up and in use. Yes, in use, it’s directly connected to Breezy. This thing makes some chips. It filled the 35-gal can in about 20 min, LOL. It has a 4HP 220v motor that’s surprisingly quiet. I read 85 dB with Breezy and the Scorpion running, whereas the DeWalt planer and Breezy punched 105 dB (note: dB is a logarithmic scale…).
EDIT: Revised when moved to the WP blog. It’s been in service for two months, and it’s fantastic. I have had zero issues and have planned everything that looked like it needed in the shed. Very happy with it.
