Hi Everyone– I’ve been building a workbench for the past few months. I’ve glued up the top into three long sections, so I can thickness plane them in my DeWalt 735, then glue the three sections together to complete the surface.
Having quite a difficult time getting going planing the top to the workbench. I need a long outfeed– each section is probably just shy of a hundred pounds at 4 inches thick. So I’ve set up 2 folding tables end to end. I’m using 2 rollers on the infeed side, doesn’t seem to be a problem there, though I’m still getting snipe, even if I raise the rollers up.
On the outfeed side– I’ve laid MDF boards on the surface of the tables level with the outfeed on the planer. Not sure what’s wrong from here, but the planer winds up lifting itself off the table. I must be binding the wood between the infeed and outfeed sides.
Any suggestions?
Replies
If the planer is lifting, it would seem that your outfeed table is rising at the end. When setting up the outfeed, keep in mind that it doesn't have to be as long as the boards you are planing. It only has to be slightly beyond the balance point of the board, which is somewhere in the center. Making the outfeed shorter will make it easier to set up.
Also if you are using a level to set this up, you probably won't get accurate results. A stringline will give you a better idea if everything is aligned. And your infeed should be fairly short and maybe a bit below the planer to compensate for irregularities in the boards.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you are machining the top of the boards parallel to the bottom. Generally, the pressure rollers in a planer flatten out a board as it passes the cutterhead. Once the board is past the rollers it returns to it's original shape. If the boards are not flat on the bottom side (if they are slightly bowed down) they will bind on the outfeed table.
David
Wood to Machine or Machine to Wood?
At some point wood becomes so big, and tools become so small that it is better to take the tool to the wood than the wood to the tool. Boatbuilders know all about this.
Perhaps one would be better off placing the wood on supports that will allow putting the planer on one end of the board and allowing it to freely walk/plane/chew its way to the opposite end. This will prevent the need to anticipate exact alignments and level, etc. It will also fre up the planer to move only its own weight.
The smaller planers do not have enough umph in the outfeed roller hold down springs to overcome the weight of the long, heavy pieces.
You could also find a shop with a larger, indutrial planer or saner to remove the snipe.
i have no experience in this particular application - the planer walking down the board- but plenty in taking tools to work when it gets too large for wood to tool.
Dave S
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