I am Barry Golash, owner of Wood Solutions. Designing shop equipment has been a long-standing interest — this project required 18 months of part-time work and about $5,000 to complete. Comparable commercial machines run roughly $45,000. By combining two functions in one footprint, valuable floor space was saved.
The frame uses structural steel tubing and 1/4″ plate. The enclosure is MDF with an automotive top coat. Three motors drive the machine, including a 1/4 HP variable-speed DC gear motor on the conveyor (0–20 feet per minute). Standard automation orchestrates machine functions.
Belt tracking uses two photoelectric sensors, one air cylinder, and a programmable logic controller. The planer has a 20″ cutter head driven by a 3 HP motor. Pinch rollers use four air cylinders instead of compression springs — constant pressure regardless of stock thickness, which helps minimize snipe and maintain uniform thickness. Rollers and chip breaker retract automatically at sander startup for clear access to the outfeed sander.
