Axminster Trade AT260SPT Spiral Planer Thicknesser - How to use

[@flyingshutters3438]

Fantastic, clearly explained video

[@mattlinden4123]

Excellent Video great way of practical teaching, has helped enormosly

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you for the feedback, Cheers Andy

[@jamesmartin5277]

Really helpful! Much more informative that Axminister website - Couldn't work out of this model had the underside planer function! Also thank you for clearing up planer vs thicknesser vs jointer!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Glad it helped! Cheers Andy

[@mart6061]

Thanks very much Andy for this final video and the insight to you buying decision. Great Work.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+Martin Taylor Hi Martin, I got there eventually :-) Thanks for the feedback. Cheers Andy

[@binks4385]

Hi Andy, brilliant! First video I have seen where the fence is moved over towards the user to significantly reduce the danger of fingers getting caught. So obvious now! Instead of just relying on the blade guard which seems to be a sprung-hinged arrangement on so many US machines. Also I am glad you showed that the fourth face can be 'thicknessed' instead of going to the table saw (I don't have one!) My AT260PT is coming on Friday - very excited now! Thanks again.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+Binks Hi Binks, on a scale of 1 to 10 - how excited ???,, Andy

[@binks4385]

@@TheWoodgrafter Several hundred! Just being able to choose from so much more wood at my timber merchant will be a Godsend. No longer choosing PAR or paying for them to do it for you having chosen rough boards. I have just made a caster carriage for the planer out of Oak (30mm and 45mm boards) based on Peter Parfitt's plans, and had to have all the wood milled to thickness. Those days have now gone!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+Binks Yep, you will also find the accuracy of your work will increase as you now control the tolerance of the “squareness”. Wider range lower cost and increased accuracy. What’s not to like.... one day and counting. Andy

[@binks4385]

Hi Andy - just a quick update. AT260PT is amazing. Very pleased. Peter Parfitt's trolley plans were perfect for the purpose......I ran out of time making the trolley which was a shame as I would have liked to at least Danish Oiled the oak and rounded off the corners and remove the arrises etc. Works perfectly though. I need to do some more fettling with the blades to make perfect when thicknessing as you suggesting I might. Just need more time!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Binks Hi, really glad you are loving it - it is truly an awesome machine. I saw Peter’s video on the mobile base and I did think about that, but just had no time. It’s amazing how many jobs we have in the workshop (for the workshop) that still need that final finish. It is definitely worth taking the time to set it up - the quality and accuracy will more that reward your investment in time. Let me know how it goes. Cheers Andy

[@bigmonkey999888]

Hi Andy another brilliant video thank you Steve

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+BVR Railway Hi Steve, thank you for the feedback. Cheers Andy

[@Mikael1948]

Brilliant machine!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Yep, Regards Andy

[@sailslikeagirl3154]

Thank you, mine arrived last week, the identical machine to yours. Intend on following your excellent instructions. Thank you for putting in the time to make these videos.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, The machine took some fettling to get it tunes in, but when I did - excellent results. I check and tweak from time to time. Be ready for a good days work to calibrate, but stick with it - then stay on top of it. Good luck. Andy

[@TheFalconJetDriver]

Thanks for the video great job, space is an issue for me too, with a two car garage here in the US, I like the combo idea of the jointer planer. Right now I have two separate pieces of equipment. Due to the lack of space I have to move things around to use them with my dust collection system. That is a pain but at least I have them. If I replace what I have Spiral cutter heads will be the route I will take.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+TheFalconJetDriver Hi, yes the combination device certainly helps with the limited space. And that spiral cutter is a dream to use. Cheers Andy

[@silverfox8801]

Awesome information mate 👍

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you Mr Fox, appreciate the feedback.

[@Jsairsoft100]

a lovely detailed video but if your going to use the thicknesser to take your stock down to width it's best to do that before taking the board down to the final thickness as this leave the board more stable going through the indeed and out feed rollers of the machine

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+Jsairsoft100 Hi, That is a great tip, and makes sense. Cheers Andy

[@gordonelliott2407]

Hi Andy great video what extractor would you recommend

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Gordon, I haven’t had my hands on enough to make a recommendation. I would go for one with the largest rating I could afford and fit into the shop. Look for at least 100mm inlet and good dust filtration. Cheers Andy

[@thelomondangler]

Hi Andy Well i have probably watched all the vids on the planer that you have done must say excellent work..... Now you are probably well over the excitement of getting the machine.... out of ten what WOOD you give it..excuse the pun Mine has been ordered and is coming to Scotland on Wednesday. Regards John

[@TheWoodgrafter]

How would 12 grab you. Once you get it calibrated it’s awesome. The initial calibration is really tough, but when you get it set up - one sweet machine. Andy

[@thelomondangler]

@@TheWoodgrafter I am probably looking more forward to the calibration side of things than most people ....lol And i also picked up some walnut stock today ready for the first bit of woodwork for my new bathroom... I wish you all the best with your new venture....better than working in an office. John

[@thelomondangler]

The Woodgrafter Thanks Andy

[@MrLasipa]

Nice planer

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+Linas Lasi Yes, very pleased with it. Cheers Andy

[@Mikael1948]

Very interesting information, thanks a lot. But I have one question: I have just bought one, and have done my first test. But when I want to abjust the infeed table, I have to telease the table locker. Is that the way you must do it? If I not release the table locker, the table will not glide into lower position. Is there anything wrong about my setup or not? Would apriciate answer very much!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, And thank you for getting in touch. Yes you have to release the lock and then adjust the table. That is the design of the machine. Kind Regards Andy

[@kevinwillis6707]

hey andy, how wide is the machine from front to back with the fence at the back? like you i have a smaller workshop and size is an issue, thanks

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, sorry missed this one. The machine without the fence on the back is about 545mm. I have the fence and the bracket mounted on a wall away from the machine that is around 160mm However when it is on the machine the total width of the machine is 625mm I know that sounds strange, but there is a 80mm overhangs at the back of the machine. Hope that helps Andy

[@kevinwillis6707]

@@TheWoodgrafter cheers Andy

[@stevetruby8865]

Andy, thank you for this review, I was already thinking of buying the AT260SPT for the same reasons you did, after researching this machine I was pretty happy but your review clinched it for me.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Steve, Glad I could help. I love this device - I wouldn’t buy the mobile base though. Easy enough to make one in the shop. Good luck. Andy

[@markoddo9414]

Enjoyed the video Andy - thank you. Thoughts on varying where your stock is positioned on the table, especially if you tend to plane/thickness the same sized boards, to keep the blades wearing evenly? I know you can replace the spiral cutters individually but would like your perspective.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+Mark Oddo Hi Mark, yes this is a risk - at some point they could wear unevenly and this would alter the cut. I would tend to vary the position of the wood BUT ensure that you always have the blade covered with either the from guard or the fence. Cheers Andy

[@picklearms4757]

Hello Andy, i have purchased this machine and did not realise the plug wasnt the same standard English plug, would an adapter work? I dont want anything to blow up if i were to get one haha!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, This is a 16Amp machine so has a different plug fitted. It is not designed to run off the standard house ring main. An adapter won’t damage the machine BUT could cause problems with the electrics in the house - worse case scenario fire as you will overload the circuit. I strongly advise to get a qualified electrician involved, the ideal is to run a dedicated 16A circuit into your shop. Kind Regards Andy

[@picklearms4757]

The Woodgrafter thank you Andy, the electrics were built around this machine and a bandsaw, the sparky already knew the power requirements but Axminster never labelled the machine with the different plug, thank you for the reply! My electrician will pop round and change the plug over!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

It may be easier to have him drop in a 16A socket. You get some safety advantages like an isolator - also a standard 13A plug will probably keep blowing the fuse in the plug as you get surge currents when the motor powers up. Good luck. Andy

[@johnsammut8540]

Hi Andy, thank you for a really thorough concise and, as I have come to love with you, precise review. I am going to take the plunge in the next few weeks to replace my Record Power PT260 with a spiral cutter machine. I would love the 310 size but it seems disproportionally expensive. Did you look at the Itech range from Scott and Sargent? It too looks like an excellent machine with the added advantage that you don’t need to remove the fence to convert between functions. Thanks again for the content. John

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, thank you for the comments. I am not familiar with that brand so can’t offer any advice I’m afraid. However - you won’t be disappointed with the step up to the spiral cutter. Good luck. Andy

[@katabrontes]

Hi Jon I have bought the S&S 260 Machine and although not delivered yet I spent a long time in the warehouse with the technician who checks and sets up each one they supply. It is a really good machine, should be accurate out of the box and is much easier to change over from planer to thicknesser as the fence doesn't Ned to be removed and both beds move as one. I am sure you will like it.

[@jonathanm8016]

Hi Andy, , Thank you for making this video series on the planer thicknesser!I'm in the market for a planer thicknesser and i'm convinced this is a pretty decent machine for the money. What's kind of holding me back from comitting to the purchase is the infeed table.Seeing what a faff adjusting the tables is and how seemingly sensitive/unstable they are, im wondering if the infeed table goes out of alignment if you adjust the planing thickness up and down a few times? (because the adjustment only happens on the right side of the infeed table) Does the infeed table remain co-planar to the cutter block when adjusting planing depth or not?Kind regards

[@anonymouspdg6121]

Enjoyable video, especially the part about following the grain. I think I may be going nuts but I'm sure you said this machine was in the region of £700 to £800 in 2020? I know we've had inflation but the cheapest Axminster Planner thicknesser I can find is £1699. I must have mis heard and can't find the bit where you mentioned this.🤣 The only thing Axminster do at that price is a Thicknesser. I cant afford or justify one of these, no matter how much I'd like one. Anywhooo onwards and upwards lol.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi There, Just checked my accounts for 2020, it was just under £1600. Not sure where the 800 came from, did I mention that in the video. Cheers Andy

[@anonymouspdg6121]

Lol, that makes more sense. I couldn't find it in the video but pretty sure I heard £700. Think I'm losing the plot lol

[@philwilson8797]

Hi Andy Great content as usual from yourself, just one question today where are you sourcing your hardwood from if you don’t mind me asking Cheers Phil

[@TheWoodgrafter]

+Phil Wilson Hi Phil, Thanks for the feedback, My primary supplier is timber source. www.timbersource.co.uk Cheers Andy

[@chm1701]

A great series, Andy. I’ve been looking at one of these and noticed in the comment section on Axminster that your name was mentioned (as well as Matt Estlea), so here I am. At the moment, they aren’t in stock (approx 6 weeks on back order) and they retail for about £1850. So, apart from the initial set up problems, may I ask if there is any other bugbear that’s cropped up in the mean time? Oh, and did you get you extraction sorted? If so, what fid you choose? Thanks. P.S. I hope you don’t mind me saying, but your thumbnails don’t do your channel any justice. I generally look for thumbnails with an image of the subject, rather than just text.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Chris, Thank you for the comments and feedback, Axminster actually use this series for after sales support as well. So glad it is adding value. I have now connected this to a 2HP chip extractor (from Axminster) and I would describe it as average to poor in terms of extraction. The initial set up is a pain and takes a lot of fettling - you also need to allow time for periodic adjustment and checks to get the most out of the machine. I may do a regular maintenance video at some point. However when you have it dialled in, it is an awesome machine - I still get a kick out of seeing that raw stock slowly come to life as the machine does its work. So I would still highly recommend this device. Thank you for the feedback on the thumbnails - I am in the (very slow) process of updating the thumbnails to include a picture of the device/product/project in question. Cheers Andy

[@mikechip7]

Im looking to upgrade my old planer to this model AT260 SPT Axminster Tools List at £1,849.00 Ax on Ebay £1,649.00 ? please how much did you pay.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, Not sure it will be much help, but £1,599.96 back in July 2019. Cheers Andy

[@binks4385]

Hi Andy.....just a quick question please.....if you were to use your 260PT to thickness a board of say 15cm x 30cm to say 20mm, what would you accept as acceptable tolerances of the thickness of the wood on each of its four corners please? John

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi John, That is a good question, and as always it depends on what I am building. But assuming I am prepping stock for joinery I would be looking for +/- .5mm Anything more would start to impact the end product. Is there a reason why you ask, are you getting snipe ? Cheers A

[@binks4385]

The Woodgrafter Thank you Andy

[@binks4385]

No snipe but I was getting uneven thickness when using the thicknesser. Axminster sent an engineer but he couldn’t get it much more accurate although I think it was within 0.5mm. I have to do some more trials. More worrying is that their replacement blades do not fit the machine! The blade holders are slightly oversize hence no space for the blade.

[@michael.knight]

Hi Andy, thanks for these videos they're really helpful. How would you rate this machine after using it for a while? It seems to be extremely good value for money, and from your video the build quality looks excellent too. Almost seems to good to be true haha, so was wondering if you came across any downsides while actually using the machine?

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Great question, I love the machine. Had no problems at all with it. It’s important to keep the bed waxed otherwise the stock can stick on the thickneser - also the calibration on the top bed ha shifted - so needs some tuning. I think that is probably because I use the top beds to move the machine round the shop. The mobile base I used is not that good - machine is just to heavy for the design. Just made a new base so that should improve things. Overall - great purchase would highly recommend it. Andy

[@chrismoore9997]

I love your videos, however I would ask that you don't run the music so much louder than the talking. Listening on headphones, that bit at the end really hurt my ears.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thanks Chris, Yes I fixed that in later videos, keep the feedback coming. Andy