Rockford open side shaper planer question

What is the work envelope, the actual cutting ranges for the 36" open side Rockford planer? Specifically, the width that it can cut I would like to know. I am considering buying one for using and I purchased a service manual. It shows that the 36" can cut 36" length. No surprise there. However, it says that although the table is 21.5" wide the tool travels 30" on the horizontal rail. Looking at the pictures it is not clear if the 30" is the actual cutting range in the left side and away from the column or some of this 30" horizontal travel is happening in front of the column where, obviously, I can not position a part.

According to the manual I have, the 36", 48", 60", and 72" planers all had 21.5" tables but they all had 30" travel. So anybody with any of the sizes could answer the question. What is the maximum width that I will be able to cut if I buy this planer? Before someone points it out, yes I am aware that it is open side so I I can position any size part that fits under the rail, but how much of that size can you actually cut without repositioning the cutter?

Thank you!

On a related question. How wide is the gap between the side of the table and column?

Anyone?

Bump. Bump.

Crank the head to end of the over arm, mark it with a witness mark. Crank it to the other end. Take a tape measure and measure from your witness mark to the mark on the head that you made and that will tell you how much actual travel you have.

Ken

Richard: This is useful, thank you. However, I was not aware that there were these bigger and probably newer versions of the Rockford planer. The one I was aware of and asked about is different. It is smaller. Table is 36x21.5 and clearance under the rail is 24". Manual says that tool travels 30" on rail, so maybe I am overcomplicating it and that means it can cut 30"? The one I am considering purchasing is a UH-36 model. Do you know if that model has the head going up to the column only or does it have space and keep moving in front of the column too? If it traverses to the column and stops then 30" is the cutting capacity. The pictures I saw from the seller don't make this clear.

The cross rail travels more then the table so you have room to angle the cutting head for angle cuts.

I don't recall ever seeing the 36" stroke shaper-planer having a side head, just the head on the cross rail. Even on the wider table models.