Page 10 - Australian Wood Review №103 2019
P. 10
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
3
Converting over to thicknessing mode handle, however the Rikon offered a more
was an identical process, although solid lock in this regard.
I found the Woodfast machine required
significantly more effort to physically Lengths of sapele, some Tasmanian
lift the tables. Once converted the blackwood with a distinct change in
machines have good safety features in grain direction along the length, as well
that there is a locking toggle to prevent as the figured Qld maple were used to
the tables from tilting back over without test cut quality. The results from both
direct intervention, and once flipped over, machines were great, with the only
the dust shroud also had a nice little tear-out happening right at the change
spring-loaded pin to prevent it from being of grain direction in the blackwood,
inadvertently flipped when not desired. which would have happened on this
piece of wood with just about any
Feed speed is identical at a respectable other machine as well in my opinion.
7m/min and the Woodfast has a slight
advantage in maximum thicknessing There are now a good number of options
width at 307mm compared to 305mm in this class of machine for woodworkers
for the Rikon. Both have a thicknessing to choose from, and these two are
height range of 4–225mm. certainly well positioned to take on
their competitors. Most home-based
The Rikon does have two distinct woodworkers would be well served
advantages in thicknessing mode. First, it by either of these machines. Whilst
has a counter-style readout to indicate the extremely similar in so many regards,
table height and it also has an accessory I found the Rikon to be just that little
outfeed table fitted to the thicknessing bit better a machine, with the additional
table. The thicknessing table on both 0.3hp power, the height readout and
machines is locked with a rotating kip-lock the outfeed table on the thicknesser
4 helping it to stand out for me.
Damion Fauser is a furniture
designer/maker who lives in Brisbane
who also teaches woodwork.
Email: damion@damionfauser.com
Review machines provided on location
at Woodwork Machinery…Plus, see
www.woodworkmachinery.com.au
See also www.woodfast-group.com
and www.rikon.com.au
3. Cutterheads on the Rikon and Woodfast
are the same configuration. The only
difference is that the Rikon offers 5500rpm
compared to 5000rpm on the Woodfast.
4. Point of difference: the Rikon has an
accessory outfeed table fitted to the
thicknessing table.
5. The machines had same-size aluminium
5 extrusion fences that were nice and
straight along their length.
10 Australian Wood Review
