Planer knife Setting Jig for Delta RC-33 Any users?

[Pirate]

Any suggestions for a planer knife setting jig set for a Delta RC-33 planer?

[Dennis Puskar]

Grizzly has a Planer Pal jig W1216A and W1216D

[JGrout]

the one that came with your planer

[Pirate]

The planer a Rockwell Invicta 22-650 (Basically a Delta RC-33)
I just bought the planer and someone in the last 30 years must have misplaced the jig.
I've read that a lot of jigs will not fit this planer.
Bought this planer to replace my Boice-Crane beast. The B-C knives were easy to set, and it planes beautifully.
Only reason to keep this one is it takes up a bit less space than the B-C. Hope I am not making a mistake selling the B-C.

[skizzo]

Pirate said:

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Only reason to keep this one is it takes up a bit less space than the B-C. Hope I am not making a mistake selling the B-C.

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You might be, especially if you don't have the OEM knife jig. I haven't had a BC planer, but have heard great things about them, generally considered in the class with Parks and PM 100s.

I have had an RC-33 (briefly), but thankfully didn't need to set the knives that were in it. Reading other users' comments, plus running a few boards myself, folks love how well it planes. A big advantage is being able to set up infeed/outfeed support for the fixed table. But needing to get up under the motor to install/adjust knives is widely reported to be a pain. I didn't do any adjustments on it, so don't know about tweaking various settings.

Is the BC really that much bigger a footprint? The RC-33 on a stand was about the same as a Parks with a motor below, and the same or a little bigger than a PM 100, with its vertical shape and motor below. Any chance you can try both for a little while before deciding which has to go? I've never heard anything but raves about BC planers.

[Pirate]

The main reason the B-C has a bigger footprint, is that it's a direct drive model. smoother and all, but it sticks out the side.
I've heard is is superior to the Parks.
I have never felt I needed infeed or outfeed tables. I just hold the back of the board until it's 1/2 way thru, then walk around and support the front end.
I also like that the BC doesn't need table locks. And it's snipe free.

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[Bob Vaughan]

The B.C. is actually a little heavier built than the Powermatic 100. The knives are a bit of a pain to set because they are down in a trough, so to speak. About the same nuisance is working under the motor of the Delta planer. The Delta planer is only about 1/4 as heavily built as the Boice Crane. Since the BC is a much older machine, if the components need rebuilding, then it might not work as well as the DC-33. The BC is a 12x4" planer where the DC-33 is 13x5.9", so the DC 33 has a larger capacity. The BC was long discontinued before the DC-33 came on the market.

[MichaelMouse]

I take the motor out of the way and use the standard spider setting jig that came with. Lots of similar planers - the design was copied by many - have a jig that's similar as well.

Dial type or planer pals is a bit more accurate, I suppose, but not as easy.

[Pirate]

Thanks for the replies.
I didn't find it that hard to set the knives on my Boice-Crane, and I feel the RC-33 shouldn't be too bad.
Bob, I saw your nice video on knife setting, and machine set up. I'm sure many other woodworkers appreciate it as well as me. Thanks.
The BC sure is built a lot heavier than the RC-33. The BC has performed perfectly since I bought it and set it up.
It amazes me that I can take the table elevation hand wheel, raise it and make another cut, without having to mess with unlocking/locking, table locks.
I dug an old Ames bore gauge out of my tool box, and it works great for resting on the table and measuring cutterhead height. The gauge can be slid up, so the flat part rests flat on the table.
1st time I have used it in 40 years!


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[fredhargis]

Seems like I read the RC 33 has a cutter head that's the same diameter as the later 15" models. That means the jig from the later models will work (after you cut the rod down) just fine. I gave mine away some years ago (switched to insert head) or I'd offer it up.