I spotted an Original Safe-T-Planer, one of the last ones available!
It's item 151045429465 on eBay!

I spotted an Original Safe-T-Planer, one of the last ones available!
It's item 151045429465 on eBay!

I actually have one of the last ones to be available in my tool box right now. It is in the box with the paperwork in like new condition. When I’m dead and gone my wife has already vowed to put it on eBay. So it isn’t "available" right now, but some day (after a quick change ownership) it will be "one of the last ones."

Benedetto uses the Wagner quite a bit in his archtop video, I'm wondering if the eBay version is any quality.

It looks like it might be useful for carving Les Paul tops.

Alex, I've had the tool for several years. In a previous post earlier in this thread, I cautioned to keep it sharp and use at a fairly high speed. On a project some years ago, I stupidly neglected to speed up the rpms on my drill press, and the tool tended to grab the stock. That's dangerous. But once I regathered my senses and adjusted the speed, it was great. I recently re-honed mine (easy to do) and used it to taper the back of a highly figured curly maple neck. It cut like butter. Wonderful tool. But, yes, lots of chips when you're finished. Give it a try. Shallow passes at a time, just like you'd use a router. Go slow and easy until you get the feel of it. Good luck with it.
Patrick

Alex, I've had the tool for several years. In a previous post earlier in this thread, I cautioned to keep it sharp and use at a fairly high speed. On a project some years ago, I stupidly neglected to speed up the rpms on my drill press, and the tool tended to grab the stock. That's dangerous. But once I regathered my senses and adjusted the speed, it was great. I recently re-honed mine (easy to do) and used it to taper the back of a highly figured curly maple neck. It cut like butter. Wonderful tool. But, yes, lots of chips when you're finished. Give it a try. Shallow passes at a time, just like you'd use a router. Go slow and easy until you get the feel of it. Good luck with it.
Patrick

yes lotsa chips, get over it -we're cutting wood here!

i own one and like it a lot but you do need to keep the rpm up and hold on. another thing common with flycutting tools like the wagner, is that you also need to keep the head perpendicular to the work or you'll find yourself doing significant back cutting and wearing down of the inserts -the machining people on the forum will know what i'm talking about. i use one on my mill and tram the head in with an indicator to make sure.

wouldn't take much to make one of your own. turn down a piece of billet aluminum (wagners are die-cast), mill/drill/tap some pockets, turn some inserts out of a suitable toolsteel, mill out a chip gullet, heat treat, sharpen the inserts, and assemble. or you could make a smaller one with less inserts or a bigger one with more. or stagger the inserts for more depth of cut as well.

don't you own a machine shop Zeke?

Just buy some NADA from WudWrker ... it's awesome ... no mess!

Filippo

I do I do. If this is just a flycutter then that's easy to make. You can buy them pretty readily too, but I'm sure you know that arie. Seems like makin it to accept inserts that are a standard size/shape would be a good idea so then could be easily replaced if they got old or broken.

I don't think I'll need to make one for me though, I've got a pretty good selection already