I love it when the simple things are als0 the easiest and all without taxing the already strained brain cells.
So the problem I have with my planer, as probably everyone does, is the sniping you get on the last three or four inches of wood. I heard people say glue a scrap piece to the ends which you cut off later, or sleds and maybe a few other suggestions. Just not me... less fuss the better.
So... after replacing my bandsaw blade, doing some after winter maintenance, I slabbed up a bunch of wood for fret boards and sticks for necks. I would usually plane a few at a time but feed them thru one at a time... DUH!!! Decided to feed the next one while the other one was part way thru. Did this until all of them went thru. Wonder of all wonders you only get sniped on the first and last board... Who'da thunk it...
So... In case you didn't already do this and this is new to you... I'll give it to yah free...
Happy CBG'n...
Replies
Thanks for the tip. I'm getting ready to plane some boards pretty soon. I don't always have a snipe problem, but it drives me nuts when it happens.
A follow up question:
I picked up this planer used last summer and it's pretty decent. There are some nicks in the blade as I have some bumps on the boards but with a little scraping and sanding I can deal with it. It's annoying but tolerable. Last time I was planing down some maple I noticed it was a little slower and pulling the board through. It seemed like it was working a little harder than usual. Is this a sign that my blades need sharpened? How does one tell when it is time? Is it like falling out of love? It just doesn't feel like it's working the way it should anymore.
My local saw sharpening shop wants to charge $20/blade plus up to $60 to take them out and put them in again. I can buy a set of blades and an install jig for $70. I'm a little nervous about doing this myself as I don't want to mess anything up. I'm pretty good fiddling with wood, not so much with machines.
Any advice here? I have a Ryobi AP-10 planer if you're wondering. Looks old but works pretty great.
I'd agree with JL and give it a go yourself. Like many things CBG, it looks a little daunting but once you are into it and finish, look'n back it won't seem that bad at all. Worst case is you take it to the saw shop and they set it up for you. Just do a youtube search and ur good to go...
I would try the new blades with jig and try it yourself. LOTS of instructions available online and in the woodworker magazines.
If it just doesn't work out you can still pay the saw sharpening shop to install them, I guarantee it won't be their first DIY rescue.
I usually allow a couple inches at either end as "sacrificial" and cut them off at the snipe. I like your way better!
A lot of woodworking type magazines have articles about a bench top planer's SNIPE.
When the infeed and outfeed rolles are attached to the cutter head, the cutter head is not level unless there is board pressing under both rollers. at start/end the board is only under one roller, not both, and the cutter head tilts forward/backward, like your car when you jack up one wheel to change a flat.
the cutter head sits lower with only 1 roller on a board than it does with both rollers sitting on a board.
recommendations from my favorite mag....
1) plane before cutting to length so you can cut off the snipe
2) (already mentioned) serial feed multiple boards (and plan to cut off snipe from first/last board
3) don't go for final thickness in one pass, do it in several with the last 2 or 3 just sort of a sanding/polishing pass to minimize jacking one roller higher than the other.
when shopping for a benchtop planer, check the wood working magazines, there is a full review every year or 3 on them including how well each minimizes snipe.
87,046.3 thumbs up... I'd have given more but thats all I got left. Thx man... I'd say you were da boss but that designation goes to Bama Hound... he da Boss lol
35 years ago, I did maintenance on an 48" Olliver planer that had ITCH blades. 480 volt 3 phase.It took 100hp motor to run the cutting head,25 hp to run the feed rollers and a 15hp motor just to run the hydraulics for the table. It sat on very dense rubber pads to keep down noise and fatigue of the very concrete floor it sat. I am hard of hearing for that and a 102 " double end tenon machine.(Even with ear protection)
Your post took me down memory lane ,but it reminded me of things we did to help with your problem. We were feeding hundreds of pieces through, but some things still apply. Feed your pieces from one side to the other side of the table without letting one piece get all the way through (like you did). Side by side all the way across an back again. That wears all parts equally. Not knowing the specifics of your machine, I can kind of guess at your problem. If it is sniping, it is the adjustment on your feed rollers. The piece is being kicked into the blade. When both feed rollers have pressure on the piece it is OK, but as it is on just one it is too tight.That is forcing the piece into the cutterhead. Have just enough pressure for the piece to feed. All that being said I really can't help you past that. Put on some safety glasses and get your eye level even with the feed table on the DISCHARGE side of the table and let somebody feed a few pieces and you will be able to see what is happening. You will see the piece jump somewhere in the process. Use that to help you troubleshoot your problem. If you had a book that came with it RTDB, if not go with this. P.S. I am half deaf, but not blind (;-D)
LOL... I'm blind in one eye and can't see out of the other, half blind but not deaf. Just have to listen past the ringing I have... )
The planer is an older Delta breadbox planer. Not really a lot one can do with it. It's funny how the sometimes obvious escapes us... well me anyway...I have had this planer given to me by the very aged father-in-law and when he used it he fed thru one board at a time and pretty much in the same place. So when he gave it to me I changed blades and did a bit of maintenance and setup but like a dumb dodo fed thru one at a time... wasting wood.
Sounds like you worked in a planer mill. Did my time there as well. Both in a mill and as a bucker in the bush. Thx for your info as well.
Worse than that, I was the "Boss" in a correctional institution furniture factory. I got the ringing too.