More actions
Purpose
The thickness planer fulfills two functions:
- creating a surface parallel to a reference surface
- taking a board down to a thinner thickness
The thickness planer relies on a flat reference surface on the workpiece. If the reference surface is not flat, the opposite side will not be flat either. Most users will use the jointer to set the reference surface(s) before planing.
Safety
Do:
- Stand to one side when feeding the material through the planer
- Use a sled when cutting thin materials
Do not:
- Cut pieces thinner than 0.25” without a sled
- Cut across the grain or with end grain facing up
Emergency Stop
The planer can be stopped with the emergency stop on the control panel.
Operating Procedure
- Check the cut height. The planer can take up to ⅜” depth of cut, however lighter cuts will give better results. The height gauge is not reliable; aim to cut oversized and sneak up on the cut.
- Use the black indicator in the middle of the top edge of the feed-in as a guide to how thick of a piece you can feed through.
- If your workpiece is thicker at one end, plan to feed that end through first and expect to pull the item through from the other side once the planer gets to the thinner portion; if you feed it thin side first it can get stuck if it is too thick to get through the feed-in.
- With the dust collector on, turn the grey locking ring and press the On button.
- Verify the position of the speed lever. If the speed lever is set between positions, the feed rollers will not move.
- Carefully feed the material through the planer.
Shutdown and Housekeeping
- Remove all workpieces and sleds
- Wipe down exterior with a brush (table, handles)
- Removed dust collector hose, check for debris/clogs, and replace
- Check for trapped debris inside the planer (shine a flashlight inside to check)