The Fine Furniture question again...

[beagles]

So... Some people think pocket screws are OK for fine furniture... Others do not... Well, reasonable people can agree to disagree, so we will leave that behind (for now).

BUT...

If someone is using this, can we at least all agree that it is likely not fine furniture?

www.amazon.com/Makita-KP312-12-1-4-Inch-Planer/dp/B000140B54/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

[TDHofstetter]

Yer likely right.

I actually handled one of those in a pawn shop in Anchorage one day... it's TERRIFYING.

[Leo Voisine]

Oh yeah -- I would not want to try that.

[Stretch]

I don't know why anyone would want to use that for fine furniture, but I suppose if it gave you and acceptable finish, there is no reason why you couldn't. It's just another tool. The question about what makes "fine" furniture is usually more about what joinery and finish is used rather than what tools are used to cut and finish the piece. Now, the thought of using a 12" wide hand planer sure does make my sphincter pucker. ;D

[fredbelknap]

Needs a seat and handle bars so you can ride it.. ;D

[lockman]

Other than what it is, the price scares the crap out of me.

[dcarter636]

That is just what a fellow wants if he's really particular about the fit of the logs of his log cabin.

edit in: Look at the price of carbide replacement blades! Those look just like the blades in my Makita lunchbox planer but at 1/10th the price. BTW mine is still running with the original carbide blades after many thousands of feet of hard woods including many hundreds of feet of Brazilian Cherry.

[sawduster]

Now, the thought of using a 12" wide hand planer sure does make my sphincter pucker. ;D

+1

[Joe Lyddon]

... gotta get two... to have a Spare on hand...

[admin]

When you must be in the hospital before noon! (Just wait, that'll be an item slogan soon).

I can't really imagine what it'd be like to lay that hoss into a piece off wood. You'd better hope it doesn't dig in and kick or you've got major trouble (It could fly nearly 35' before it'd come unplugged). The only possible use I'd have for it would be to mount it upside down in a table and use it like a jointer. And I could get a jointer for less than $1800 hopefully.

Although, on second thought, it would make a really funny clip for Funniest Home Videos to seem some guy being dragged across the yard by it when it kicked off the board and got a little traction on the ground. 33' until the cord would come unplugged. That's three laps around some lawns!

[Ruffnek]

Since it is being manufactured, there has to be an application, thus a market, for a hand-held planer that wide but I can't think of what it would be...unless Dave is right and it's for planing cabin logs flat.

I wonder if Festool makes one that size? If Makita is selling theirs for $1800, Festool's version would likely cost more than a new car. But, it would be vibration free and have almost 100% dust collection! ;D

[imahic]

I missed the part about the 12 inch on the first look. I have a smaller one that is about 3 inches wide that is handy for planing off the bottom of wooden doors. But I agree it is not for fine furniture. I agree with Cody though and could imagine it being used for planing logs flat on a log cabin. Could not figure out why it was so expensive until I saw the 12 inch part....lol I would imagine there is not much taken off in one pass though if it is like the one I have. I think mine takes about 1/32 at a pass.

Mike

[TDHofstetter]

If Festool made one, you can be sure it'd be the self-traveling rotary-style planer instead... THOSE are SOME NEAT. I've watched footage of one - they grab hold of the stock being planed & inch themselves along it, planing as they go with a single blade reminiscent of a ham slicer.

[beagles]

I stumbled on this when Amazon sent me an e-mail notice for tools 50% off. There was a 6-1/4 planer marked down to about $700. The link above is its big brother.

Some advertise it as a hand planer. Others call it a timber planer.

You have to wonder about how much of the user's manual is devoted to safety notices.

If you read the one review, posted in 2007, it seems the guy was waiting over 6 months for Amazon to actually deliver it.

[Ruffnek]

On Norm's "Gazebo" project, instead of putting an out-of-proportion cap row on the shake roof ridges, he does a neat trick with a block plane to feather each row into the adjacent one while still maintaining the waterproof quality.

I thought when I first saw the episode how much easier and quicker it would have been with a small hand-held planer...especially considering Norm is such a power tool guy.

[lexrex]

Perhaps I have a nice slab for a chair or bench seat and it is quite twisted. I might hog out the high spots with that before hitting it with a jack/jointer.

Obviously not for finish passes but I can think of ways to use it in rough work.

[sawduster]

You can see a couple of metal tab things on the bottom side that look like they may run on some sort track or something. I'm thinking it must have some sort of log flattening purpose in cabin building or something. Maybe runs along some long angle iron track or something.

[sdb777]

Now if this only came in a 24" wide version.....



Can you imagine someone weighing about 85lbs running that thing?




Scott (coffeemaker just died) B

[sober_pollock]

This is from further down on the Amazon page:


"From the Manufacturer
Specifically designed for the Timber Framer and Log Home industries"


pollock

[CajunRider]

I'll put on my DEPEND first before using it.