SCM TI145EP User experience
I have always liked spindle moulder, I have owned 2.5 spindle moulders to date (SCM T100, Casadei FV110 and a Robland NX410), the spindle moulder is a very versatile machine but the setup required put me off all the time. about a year ago I finally decided to upgrade my spindle moulder to something modern, there isn’t a lot of options here in in NZ, we have Felder, SCM and a number of imports from Asia. I have a number of second hand SCM gear in my shop so I know what they are like, I also have a Felder AD951 which I bought new so I know what to expect from Felder.
Back then I first I approached SCM, I’ve also tried to find information online about SCM’s spindle moulder, unfortunately there isn’t a lot you can find on the internet about SCM’s spindle moulder in terms of user discussion, yet there are plenty of SCM gear around – back then SCM NZ has a list of businesses who has bought spindle moulder at the time and I could have a quick look if required – I immediately felt SCM is probably more of a production machine hence nobody talks about it.
On the other hand, I can find a lot of discussion about Felder among woodworkers/artisan and generally Felder is rated highly – this is also my own experience.
After a few years of toying around with my workshop and existing setup, I came to a conclusion that I can not fit a spindle moulder with front sliding mechanism. The decision is pretty simple then
I ordered a SCM Class TI145EP in Jul 2020. Machine delivered May 2021
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Felder was out of the picture because Felder doesn’t have this type of setup. plus I feel if I am profiling on the spindle moulder with front carriage I have to walk around the out rigger to catch the work piece, I know the outrigger can be parked/put away(where am I going to put it?) but you need time to do it. every second is precious when you only have less than 90 minutes a day to spend in your workshop.
the TI145EP is also heavy, it weighs 1091kg/2400lbs , I think Felder’s Profil range is about 700kg/1500 lbs. If you like heavy machine, you will like SCM.
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There are a lot of option that you can add to your SCM( some are very specific), I added a pneumatic tooling lock, you use compress air to lock and unlock the tooling onto the shaft.
The side sliding table is heavy but very smooth, you can either push it out of the way or flip it out of the way if you don’t need it. The sliding table on mine travels on staggered THK guides, the combined travel is almost 2m. I don’t have the space for full travel and I only need less than 1000mm, this will be handy if I move to a bigger shop, there are 2 types of sliding table mechanism you can choose from, I chose the largest one.
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What I don’t like about SCM machine is the user manual, it is not very user friendly. for example, I had an error message “error 22” when I first tried to start the spindle moulder, I look up the user manual for the error code to see what “error 22” means - it’s not there. there is 21, 24, 25, but not 22 and 23 (I think 22 is “no compressed air/check hose/connection”) The technician who came out to commission the machine has not worked on this type of spindle moulder before, they were able to get the machine up and running, but they were unable to explain a number of items and their functions.
Conclusion
I have seen and put my hand on a Felder Profil 45 before I ordered TI145EP, if you always use the tilt function with the sliding table, likes software-heavy machine, don’t mind removing the out rigger, have the space and don’t mind a lighter build machine, then Profil 45/92 is probably for you, there is no real equivalent machines between SCM and Felder but generally Felder is cheaper than SCM.
The TI145EP is a huge overkill for what I do, but since the purchase I have already developed a new product and acquired new knowledge – I used to purchase machines based on my needs ONLY, nowadays I buy machine that is capable to do more than what I need it to do, I like exploring new methods of production, it’s a continuous improvement, if you buy a machine based on your needs, you are limiting yourself to what you know.
The build quality of the TI145EP exceeded my expectation, the attention to detail and ease of adjustment/self service should you need it, in hindsight I should have spend the money and get the L’Invincibile TI7. The more time I spend with my TI145 the more I love it, I actually brought forward the panel saw upgrade/downsize, I ordered a L’Invincibile si X a couple of week ago after a few visits to Felder and SCM. Machine expected delivery: Aug 2022
base machine sticker price: 30000 NZD + GST
Machine in the video sticker price: 58000NZD + GST
Pros:
Quality of build
a lot of customisable options – some of them are not in the catalogue, just ask SCM.
Heavy
Cons
user manual.
https://youtu.be/j00aPTETMYQ
