Electric plane tips

[AndersonC]

I've inherited an electric plane but am struggling to get it to remove an evel amount of wood along the length of the piece - it tapers afterwards.

Can anyone please advise on the best way to use these tools? Thanks

 

[Scrit]

The same as you would use a hand plane. Level the work, then start with heavier pressure on the nose than on the tail and move forwards until the main sole of the plane is supported by the timber. Gradually transfer pressure onto the right hand above the main part of the sole and keep pushing. At the end of the cut keep the pressure on with the right hand and just use the left hand to guide the front of the planer. I'm assuming that you are right handed. Finally, if you are trying to reduce the tendency to overcut reduce your depth of cut to 0.5 or 1mm a pass and use a lighter touch. Too many people apply loads of downwards pressure, especially to the nose ofthe planer, which is counter-productive.

Scrit

 

[big-all]

just to add to scrits marvelous piece
heeelllooo scrit

although when cutting all parts off the base plate should pretty well be in touch all the time
the cause of the dip at the end is because the nose of the planer governs the depth and if you havent got enough "support"towards the heel when the nose comes off it will drop the blades into the work

the idea is stop the front dropping by supporting the front end and preasure on the back

if you find it difficult and you still get "dips" at the end leave an extra few inches on the work and cut it off when finnished

if its somthing like a door support it with a sacraficial piece of 2x2" OR 3X2" CLAMPED TO the end to support the nose till its left the work

 

[noseall]

go along the work piece one way and back down the other.

this way your "handed" bias switches each time and neutralizes any sloping cuts.

 

[Kes]

Can anyone please advise on the best way to use these tools?

With extreme care. Planers are vicious tools, be very careful with that spinning blade.

Rgds.

 

[splinter]

Learn to use it one handed ,this way you will not put any pressure on the front of the planer ,on the plus side this will enable you to drink tea or better still a nice cold beer at the some time

 

[big-all]

with a fantastic white head of the wooden sort

the two best tools for eminating "wooden" snow over the greatest distance are routers and planers

 

[Kes]

Learn to use it one handed ,this way you will not put any pressure on the front of the planer ,on the plus side this will enable you to drink tea or better still a nice cold beer at the some time

Humour is always welcome, but planers will go through clothes, skin, flesh, muscle, ligaments, arteries and bone with consummate ease. Use two hands please.

Rgds.

 

[splinter]

Learn to use it one handed ,this way you will not put any pressure on the front of the planer ,on the plus side this will enable you to drink tea or better still a nice cold beer at the some time

Humour is always welcome, but planers will go through clothes, skin, flesh, muscle, ligaments, arteries and bone with consummate ease. Use two hands please.

Rgds.

You are right KES ,
What I would promote is a healthy understanding/respect for power tools more than any thing else.Espiacally as I have been using them for 30 odd years

 

[AndersonC]

Thanks guys a wealth of information there

 

[Scrit]

Humour is always welcome, but planers will go through clothes, skin, flesh, muscle, ligaments, arteries and bone with consummate ease. Use two hands please.

So will portable circular saws, routers and even jig saws - but for sheer amputational exactitude you simply can't beat a static woodworking machine in inexperienced hands. I do have to say, from personal experience, that you don't really want to have reconstructive surgery on bits like your hands or fingers - it's done with local anaesthetics and a tourniquet. Definitely not nice

Scrit

 

[JohnD]

I never bother with any of that, and I have been using them for 60 odd years

 

[Pushfit]

I always like to use both hands if only for the reason that it means BOTH my hands are ABOVE the blades, and they stay there until those sharp things have stopped rotating!

 

[Scrit]

We did have a larf a few years back out on site. One of the chippies working for us had an old Elu planer - the sort without a brake on the motor and sans tail stop (a flip-down finger to hold the base up so the cutter block won't contact the surface whilst it is running down). It was about lunchtime, we'd all got out butties out and the lad had made the brews and brought the tray over. John the chippy (name changed) just had to take that last skim off the edge of a door before he sat down. After he'd taken his skim and released the power switch he placed the planer, cutter still spinning, on top if a packing case and let go. Well, the cutter hit the top of the case and planer shot across the room landing straight in the middle of the tea tray. The only mug it broke was John's.

So yes, planers are dangerous. They have even been known to spill hot tea!

Scrit