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I dithered too long on deciding to get a Wagner Safe-T-Planer, as they are no longer in production. I came across this copy http://woodworker.com/fullpres.asp?PART ... RGEVIEW=ON and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it. The cutters look the same, but the copy has an open casting on the bottom while the Wagner was solid. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Here is a thread where that version was sort of discussed and speculated on.

At the end someone posted a picture of the one they received.

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=20004&hilit=wagner

I think you can still get the Wagner from Woodcraft. They also have it in the latest Stew Mac catalogue and on the LMI site.

Are you sure they aren't available? I just bought one from Stew-Mac...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

LMI still has them in stock as well....

Edit: Actually, they don't

And I just found a post on another forum dated Jan 1 that indicated that the guy who makes them is retiring and manufacturing isn't being passed on.
http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/224911

Edit2: and Stewmac lists them as 'Discontinued' =(

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Jim Hansen

They are discontinued at StewMac, and I couldn't find it at Woodcraft .

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Glad I saw this thread. I just went out to StewMac and ordered a set of replacement cutters. They don't look that hard to make, but now I don't need to worry about it for a few years

I guess they are disappearing from the online retailers. I need to find some spare cutters. I figures, I let the tool sit in my toolbox for 5 years and just when I start using it, they discontinue them.

I'm pretty sure I saw them in the woodcrafts stores I have been to over the past month.

I just went out to that site to see what's being offered. Aside from how unbelievably cheap and crappy it looks, it's hard to take them seriously with the cutters installed backwards.

I really hope someone picks this thing up.

I just emailed LMI and they are out, sent another email to Stew Mac. If I strike out, I'll build an over-head router jig to thickness B&S sets, bridge blanks etc using a mortise bottom cleaning bit. This was my intention until I realized that it was going to cost me $45 for the bit, and I still had to make the jig! I've got the drill press so....oh well. If anybody see one out there, let me know so I can snap it up! Thanks for the help guys.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

If you're going to go that elaborate might as well build a thickness sander.

I've quit using the Safe T Planer for thicknessing anymore, it keeps grabbing the workpiece and causing scary moments. I've now been thicknessing with a hand plane...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

For anyone with grabbing issues, Wagner's instructions say to make sure the table is slightly shimmed so that the leading edge of the cutter is is closer than the trailing edge. For whatever reason, there's a lot written that the table needs to be dead flat but it works much better angled like they suggest. What I do is loosen my wooden drill press table top, slip a sheet of paper under a corner and clamp it back down.

I don't know if that will fix your problem, Tai Fu, but it should definitely help if you feel like giving it another go.

Tai Fu - The jig is pretty simple to make about 90 minutes a bit of hardware and some left over plywood. The router is attached to two rails that ride on top of two perpendicular rails with the wood to be dimensioned underneath. If you want to get fancy, you can use full extention drawer slides so that the jig stays square to the wood. Once I get around to making it, I'll post some pictures. A home built thickness sander wouldn't do the job for me as it would be primarily for my cabinet business. The 24" General sander is on my list, but I need to upgrade my jointer first.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Just like most any cutting tool, for the Wagner Safe-T-Planer to work properly you need to understand how to sharpen them properly. You also need to have have a good size, well levelled, auxiliary table firmly fixed to the machine's existing table so it will support the work adequately, and have a drillpress heavy enough to be stable and spin true at highest rpm or the Safe-T-Planer is probably not for you.

Tick all the boxes however and they are a great tool.

Cheers

Kim

Grizzly is showing the replacement blades in stock. http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/Cutters-for-G4821-Drill-Press-Safety-Planer/G4822

There's a used one on eBay right now. No affiliation.

There are two that I saw, both used. I might inquire about shipping, but I'm north of the do not cross line for many eBayers, and they sometimes inflate the shipping fees to Canada. It won't be the end of the world if I don't get one, but it would take up a lot less room than another jig!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

The "safetyplaner" shown on the Woodworker site is for a radial arm saw IIRC. That would probably account for why the cutters mounted opposite direction from normal.

Found one at Freeman Supply in Ohio for $71.15! Minimum $250 international order! The search continues.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I contacted Freeman last night, and got a reply from them this morning, and Canada is not considered to be international! Kind of makes me feel like one of the guys! Anyhow, I ordered it right away because I can't see one falling in my lap from anywhere else. Don't know what the shipping is, but I'm used to paying more than what I think is fair. I'll fill in the details when I get it. Thanks to all who tried to help me out.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

At this point, unless someone picks up the manufacturing, your best hope to get one is probably going to be on a shelf at a local woodworking store If you happen to have one in your area, you might might give them a call and see if they have them on the shelf.

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Jim Hansen

This is precisely why I bought a few of them back when. I got my first and tried it out and was well impressed so I got another to rotate (pun intended) and cut down sharpening disruptions as the tool is used and sharpened on the same drillpress. Then I started seeing the various asian knock off's coming on to the market and thought to myself that Wagner, just like so many 'quality' tool manufacturers, will be squeezed from the market by the rabble of unthinkers who only ever buy based solely upon the dollar value never considering the cost of their frustration....and now, as always, everyone must bear the burdened of that stupidity with the legacy being a choice between one piece of crap or another with each being supplied with buckets loads of frustration free of charge....

Good thing for me I covered the bases with 5 of the buggers in the cupboard with spare cutters, stones and screw sets. But its a pity that the inability of the general populous to identify a good thing when they see it causes one the need to speculate in this way...good thing they don't take up too much room.

Cheers

Kim

It's the same with guitar repair or commissions... people buy based on dollar value rather than quality.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Another strike-out. Got an email from Freeman, and the 6 they had in stock disapeared before my order could be filled. Looks like I'll make the overhead router jig after all. There's one on the bay at $100 with a couple of hours left. I think I'll just watch!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I just picked up one of the knockoffs. It seems to work fine. I don't have an original to compare it to, but for $30 bucks I figured I would give it a try

Richard

I've got one I never use I just brought in from my shop to list for sale.

Alex if you want it send me a PM. I wait 24 hours before I list it.

Also, Sprouseod is only a few miles away. I can get mine to him, for a side by side comparison to the knockoff if Alex isn't in a hurry.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/