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Post by admin on Oct 30, 2009 21:15:40 GMT -6
I've been looking to find a simpler way of planing lumber, and I must admit my luck with my table saw has convinced me to try something with a motor on it.
The issue is, I don't think I have the room for a dedicated planer station, with a board going in one side and out the other. So I'm left with power planers. (I'm not sure if that's the right name of them, but they work like planes except that they have a motor and rotating blades.)
But, I know little of them, and I don't see a lot of talking about 'em. Could I get a recommendation about them? I work with Oak a lot, and I need the ability to take off 1/16" off a seasoned oak board without a lot of sweat.
Any recommendations? Keep in mind, I sometimes ask hobos if they can spare a dime!
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Post by mapleman on Oct 30, 2009 21:23:50 GMT -6
well TJ, i have used a 3 1/4" power plane some --- they are meant for construction sites where you need to roughly (ROUGHLY) shave something off something to squeeze into something... ROUGHLY. emphasis ont he rough. they can be tuned up and what not to be gentle... but do not expect them to be terribly accurate. they might be useable to remove material -- but you will have a LOT of cleaniing, flattening, and jointing to do with handplanes... if i were you, i would invest in a scrub plane first. they take off a lot of material very quickly, will cost a lot less, and will not do nearly as much damage as a power plane... you can find a Stanley #40 for $40-50... i actually have a 5 1/4 that i re-ground the iron on and use it as a scrub --- works really well. i have used it on QSWO and it hogs material off quickly. the iron is ground to look sorta gouge-like - very rounded edge. shallow pitch for strength, and projected out through the mouth a ways... the 5 1/4 works well b/c it is is narrower (#3 width) and still the length of a jack... the #40 is a bit shorter... i have never worked a #40 - so it could be miles better than my jerry-rigged 5 1/4... who knows! a power plane will also dull - and you will be tempted to push it through dull or have to take out the 2-3 blades and sharpen them. what a pain... but hey, i am good at spending your money, eh?  |
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Joe Lyddon
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Post by Joe Lyddon on Oct 30, 2009 21:53:38 GMT -6
Yep, I agree with John...
A few years ago, I saw them, thought they were something really GOOD!
NOT... I have tried all kinds of ways to adjust them & use them...
NO LUCK... to me, they nothing but JUNK...
I'm glad I didn't pay a whole lot for it... I'd have been very mad.
If someone wants it, I'd be happy to give them a good deal on it!
A hand plane is head & shoulders above the powered POS's.
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Post by TDHofstetter on Oct 30, 2009 21:58:32 GMT -6
I'll second everything John said - a power plane comes in handy when you need to level out the tops of a bunch of rough-sawn rafters or floor joists. It ain't even handy for trimming a door that swells sticky when it's wet out 'cause it does such a hatchet job.
I've got one old wooden-bodied plane I bought for about $5 at a yard sale - I converted it for use as a scrub plane, and it'll flat take off the stock in a rush. I reglued (misaligned) an old desktop a few weeks ago (that desk is now Marie's dressing table), and wound up with a pretty nasty curb between the two pieces I'd glued. My ol' wooden scrub plane took down the surface in no time, leaving me with some work to do with the smoother, and did it nearly silently. No way could I've gotten that desktop through my planer, and I still don't have my friend's drum sander really debugged yet.
One thing ya can do if ya crave powered assistance but not enough room for a jointer-planer pair is... get ya a router and build a bridge for it. It's slow, and it's noisy, but it'll do a really credible job of flattening one side & paralleling the other side to it.
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sawduster
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Post by sawduster on Oct 31, 2009 9:13:03 GMT -6
Finding room for a stationary or semi-stationary power planer can be tricky, but I think it can be done in even small shops. The big issue is the infeed and outfeed area needed, but with some ingenuity it can be worked out.
You don't need a lot of vertical space over the entire area for the infeed and outfeed. For instance, my planer is set up so that I slip the boards to be planed beneath my bench on the infeed side, then they feed out over the cabinet next to my table saw. I can also add more space for infeed by moving the planer toward the cabinet. It took some effort, but I was able to plane a board that was over 14' long in this manner.
Like others have said, though, a scrub plane is a much better choice for preparing wood than is one of those tailed wood manglers. I'll post a little more about scrub planes as well as stock prep with hand planes over in the hand tool section in a little bit.
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lexrex
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Post by lexrex on Oct 31, 2009 11:02:13 GMT -6
Look at reusing your existing tables. Most of the lunchbox planers you can even detach what small tables they come with. Build a stand that puts the planer outfeed right at the height of your TS table and voila. This will take some fine tuning but it can be done. Just an idea.
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Joe Lyddon
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Post by Joe Lyddon on Oct 31, 2009 12:04:27 GMT -6
That's a good idea... will have to think about that & put it on my list!
Thank you!
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Post by imahic on Nov 3, 2009 20:58:07 GMT -6
If you are talking about power planes that are basically a plane with a motor, then I would advise you to save your money. I have two. One is an old one that a friend had and gave to me. The other one I bought and wished I hadn't. If you are talking about planers that you can run the wood through then I can't help much. I've got one I bought a couple of years ago but haven't had the chance to use since I bought it. I have plans to remedy that soon though.
Mike
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Post by sachbvn on Nov 3, 2009 22:05:42 GMT -6
I've heard they are good for spending money on - but not chit else.
Seriously - I don't know a single woodworker who would honestly take one to anything in their shop.
If you are able to find the money, or get a good deal, on a small lunchbox planer - I'd EASILY go that route. The infeed/outfeed tables on mine fold up - it's really pretty compact, and if you don't mind lifting the sucker - it could easily be stored down low - under a bench or on a heavy duty shelf.
EDIT: Oh yeah! In regards to having feed/exit room for the board - think diagonal.... don't think you gotta have everything running their own paths.... where does your TS boards go when you rip? Why don't you set up your planer next to your TS when you are using it??
Zac
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