How To Use a Portable Power Planer What Does a Wood Planer Do?

How To Use a Portable Power Planer

power planers are to jack planes as portable circular saws are to handsaws. Both the planer and the circular saw are powerful electric-powered tools; they do much the same work that the jack plane and handsaw do, or once did, but they do it more quickly, sometimes more efficiently and accurately, and always at a higher decibel level.

The power planer is a hand-held tool, but it operates like an upside-down stationary jointer. There’s a cutter-head with a pair of sharp knives that, like a plane iron, removes shavings of stock. The cutterhead is aligned with the rear portion of the tool’s base; the front shoe of the plane adjusts to control the depth of cut.

The power planer cuts no more than a sixteenth of an inch at a pass. The depth of cut is adjusted on most models by a control knob mounted atop the front of the planer. Some power planers come equipped with an adjustable fence.

The size of the portable power planer is determined by the tool’s maximum cutting width. Most models available on the market today plane a maximum width of between three and a quarter and six and a half inches.

Operating a power planer is similar to using a bench plane, but requires much less effort: You don’t need to drive the plane, rather, you guide it along the path you wish planed. Clamp the workpiece securely and make sure your stance is balanced. Although little force will be required, use both hands to control the tool, with your left hand guiding the plane at the front, the right balancing the rear.

Before planing the length of a board, put some pressure at the front of the plane to ensure that the sole is sitting flush to the piece (rather than on an incline, with the toe lifted above the piece). Likewise, be sure the heel is parallel to the board at the end of the planing stroke, just as you would with a bench plane. This prevents dipping, the defect that occurs when more wood is planed from the ends than from the center of the stock. Check your work for flatness as you proceed, using a metal straightedge.

The power planer has many uses in a workshop, particularly a smaller workshop that doesn’t have a full-sized jointer-planer or surface planer. It will remove sawmarks, even off rough edges, and trim stock with ease. It’s invaluable when fitting doors, either the full-sized or cabinet variety. It’ll taper and surface, too.

A final word of warning is in order, however. Like the bigger jointer-planers, which are known for shaving off fingertips as well as stock, this machine has a wicked bite. Use it with care, planning, and respect.

In this segment, I'm going to show you how to use a handheld power planer. 

There are a lot of great applications for your handheld power planer around the house. 

1. shape some doors that are a little bit tight for their opening. 

2. straighten out a crooked cut. 

3. clean up a painted or rough surface that you want to look like bare wood. 

Whatever you're using your tool for, always wear your safety glasses and hearing protection. And, keep your fingers and other articles of clothing, and that sort of thing, out of the way. 

Now, once you're ready to work, the first thing you want to do is set the depth of your cut. There's a knob on the front of your power planer with a range of depths you want to use. It's best to take off a little bit of material at a time, and make a few passes, as opposed to trying to take it all off at once. Once your depth is set, you want to choose which dust port you want the waste to exit from. Here are my two dust ports. I'm going to choose for the material to get blown that way. So, I just flip that switch. There's an arrow that tells you which way you're going. The really important thing to remember when you're using this tool is to keep the tool square on your work piece, particularly when you're exiting your work piece at the end of your cut. Most of the tool is no longer on the work piece, and it's real easy to let the tool dive. If you let that happen, you can wind up with a big gouge out of your work. So, you can clamp on a extra scrap piece to keep the tool straight while you're exiting your work. Or, just take extra care, and keep that thing straight at the end of your cut.  

What Does a Wood Planer Do?

Whether you create a striking piece of furniture or prepare a rough board for finish carpentry work, beginning with a uniformly thick board prepares you for a good result. A wood planer helps you even out a piece of wood into a board with the exact same thickness everywhere. A correctly planed board is completely flat on both sides, eliminating rough spots or leftover bark. Portable handheld planers are useful for offsite applications, while stationary planers work well in woodworking shops and larger-scale operations.

Handheld Wood Planer Operation

A handheld wood planer is portable, and older models likely are the type of planer you will have seen at an antiques show. Unlike stationary wood planers -- where you feed the wood into the planer -- a handheld requires you clamp the wood in place so you can manipulate the planer. Most handheld planers now are electric, whereas older and antique models work solely by the hand and arm pressure applied by the user.

Stationary Wood Planer Function

To use a stationary wood planer, place a flat board on the planer table or the work surface on which the planer sits. After taking safety precautions, turn on the planer. Begin pushing the board into the planer. Almost immediately, the planer's feed roller takes over, pulling the board through the machine. While the board travels through the planer, the rotating cutter head removes a preset amount of wood from the board. Because all planers are limited in the amount of wood they can remove at one time, you likely need to make more than one pass to acquire the board thickness you want.

Planer Applications

A skilled wood planer operator gives new life to scrap wood by shaving off unwanted grooves or protrusions. Use each modified wood piece by itself, or glue it to other planed pieces for a thicker board or block. If the glued-up boards or blocks slip while drying, and result in slightly uneven joints, use a planer to make the surface uniform again. If you plan to make cutting boards, woodcarvings or other craft items, save time by trimming the boards with a planer. A wood planer also makes short work of reclaimed wood -- often a valuable commodity for construction and furniture applications. After you remove screws or nails, use the planer to create a board with the correct thickness and appeal.

Wood Planer Selection

Consider three variables as you evaluate different planer models. Note how easy it will be to keep the cutting blades sharpened. Some planers feature double-sided disposable knives you replace when they wear out; others have blades you must sharpen when they become dull. Also note whether a specific planer allows you to preset the thickness for multiple boards, eliminating the laborious work of manually setting your cuts for each board. Finally, a well-equipped stationary planer includes some type of dust collection system. Some manufacturers include a dust-collection hood in the planer package, while others offer the hood as an optional accessory.

Electric Planers vs. Manual Planes

A plane is a tool used to shape wood by scraping the bladed edge over the wood. Planes are used to flatten and smooth wood. The plane is generally made from a sharpened metal plate attached to a firm body. When moved over a block of wood, the plane provides a uniform shave via a constant angle of the cutting edge. The cutter extends below the bottom surface (also known as the sole) of the plane to slice off shavings of wood. In this buyer’s guide, manual planes and electric planers (note the difference in name between the two similar tools) will be examined. Consumers can find planes and planers in most hardware and home improvement stores. 

Manual Planes

Much like any manual vs. electric tool, manual planes are much less expensive than their powered brethren. The advantage that manual planes, which are also known as hand planes, have over electric planes is that they allow much more control. A person can shave wood much more precisely with a manual plane. Another potential benefit of manual planes is that they provide more comfort to the user. Manual planes are most often used in furniture making because of the control required to create the legs and arms of chairs and tables.

Manual Plane Sizes

Manual planes come in a variety of sizes depending on the cutter and body size. The following table provides an overview of manual plane sizes based on Stanley sizes.

Jack Plane

The jack plane is a simple tool that can be used to plane timber. It consists of a block of wood with the blade on the bottom and a handle sticking out of the top. The iron blade on the bottom can be ground and exposed to plane rough timber or provide a final smoothness to wood projects.

Block Plane

The block plane has a blade placed bevel side up. Some models have an adjustable mouth to allow extremely thin shaving. The block plane is one of the smaller planes, so it is too short to straighten boards. There are two main types of block planes: standard planes, which have a blade pitched at 20 degrees, and low-angle planes, which have the blade angle at 12 degrees. Low-angle block planes can be used to fit shingles, shave corners of swelled doors, and fine-tune trims.

Electric Planers

Although electric planers are more expensive than manual planes, they provide much more power and can be used more efficiently. While users do not the get the same kind of control with an electric planer as a manual planer, the power of the electric planer makes it suitable for bigger projects. Electric planers can also be used to take paint off of recycled boards. Another common use for electric planers is to remove material quickly when performing house framing.

Cordless Electric Planers

Cordless electric planers offer much more convenience and maneuverability. However, consumers should know that the benefits of cordless electric planers come at a price. Namely, they cost more and require a rechargeable battery and battery charger. Because the battery charge does not last for a long time, users should plan their planing before starting work so that the tool does not lose charge in the middle of the task.

Corded Electric Planers

Unlike cordless electric planers, corded electric planers can be used without worrying about losing power in the middle of a task. In addition to being less expensive than cordless electric planers, users do not need to worry about charging batteries. People using corded electric planers must have access to an outlet, which can be cumbersome for planing projects.

Stationary Planers

Stationary planers are larger tools on which the wood is moved rather than the tool. Stationary planers are used to cut a piece of wood to a desired thickness. Boards are placed on a belt and the cutting is done from the top of the board rather than the bottom like maneuverable planers. The head contains two rotating knives, known together as the head. The key variables in a stationary planer are an extension for the table and accurate depth control settings.

Manufacturers of Electric Planers and Manual Planes

There are many manufacturers of planers and planes, and some people even create their own manual planes. The following list provides a number of major companies involved in the planing business. This list is not exhaustive, but will provide the starting point for searching for planing equipment.

Black & Decker

Black & Decker is a well known name in power tools. In addition to planers, the company designs power tools for cutting, cleaning, painting, and automotive purposes among other applications. Black & Decker has a 3.25-inch corded planer that includes a lock-on button that allows for extended planer use. There is also a chamfering groove that allows the power tool to be used for decorative edges.

Dewalt

Like Black & Decker, Dewalt designs a wide array of power tools for a number of applications, including drilling, fastening, metalworking, nailing, and cutting. In terms of planers, Dewalt makes both portable and stationary planers. The stationary planers have three knives and two speeds. The user can change speeds to optimize cuts per inch. The company’s hand planers have a depth adjustment knob that is sensitive up to 0.0625 inches.

Rockwell

Rockwell is a tool company that has a wide assortment of power tools, including cordless and oscillating tools. The company also makes sanders, saws, grinders, and tool accessories. Rockwell’s planer has a dual-exhaust system that allows for dust chips to be ejected to either side of the planer. The planer has a soft knob in the front that helps the user adjust the depth of the planing.

Sargent

Sargent was one of the major manufacturers of hand planes through the 20th century. While new Sargent planes are no longer being manufactured, the company was so productive that their hand planes are widely available and often considered collectors items. The blades of the planes can be sharpened and the tools can still be used. Replacement parts, however, may be difficult to come by.

Stanley Hand Tools

As noted above, Stanley plane sizes have become the standard unit of manual planes. The company also designs tools for measuring, cutting, and finishing. Many Stanley models have a nickel-plated, black-finish bottom to facilitate smooth planing. Other models have an epoxy coating on the bottom to enhance durability. The clamping wheel of some models can be loosened to change the thickness and evenness of the shavings.

Conclusion

When a person wants to thin or smooth a piece of wood, then he or she would use a plane or planer. Hand planes can be used for fine smooth and detailed work such as when one makes furniture. Electric planers, both portable and stationary, can be used for bigger jobs such as evening larger wooden boards. Many woodworking specialists prefer manual planes to electric planers because power tools simply provide too much power. In this guide, an overview of planes and planers has been presented, including a table of hand plane sizes, a look at corded and cordless planers, and a list of reputable manufacturers of both planes and planers. Some tips for using eBay to help consumers get their planes and planers via either the category directory or search engine are also provided. eBay is an excellent place to go for planing equipment because the site has products from every major manufacturer and bargains on many planes and planers.