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OPERATION

THE DO’S AND DONT’S OF GRAIN DIRECTION

Always plane with the grain of the wood (in the same direction as 

the grain). There are six sides to every board: two face grains, two 

side/edge grains, and two end grains. Never plane with the end 

grain facing upwards. Only plane side and face grains. Otherwise, 

the board has a chance of splintering and exploding inside of the 

planer, which could cause serious injury and damage.

When planing the face and side/edge grain, always plane in the di-

rection of the grain. Do not plane perpendicular to the grain, other-

wise the board also has a chance of splintering and exploding.

WARNING!

 Never plane against grain direction of the wood. 

Do not plane end grain, as the wood could splinter or possibly 

explode.

FEEDING WORK

The planer is supplied with planing blades mounted in the cutterhead with the infeed and outfeed rollers pre-adjust-

ed to the correct heights. The feed rate is automatic but will vary slightly depending on the type of wood (feed rate 

refers to the rate at which the lumber travels through the planer). To feed the workpiece:

1. Align the work perpendicular to the rollercase so that the work feeds through the planer straight, making sure 

that the board is traveling in the same direction as the grain and that you are only planing either side or face grain. 

Boards longer than 24” should have additional support from free standing material stands. Position the workpiece 

with the face to be planed on top.

2. Raise / lower rollercase to produce the depth of cut desired.

3. Stand on the side of the planer. Do not stand directly in front or behind the planer.

4. Turn the planer on and direct the board into the planer. Gently slide workpieces into the infeed side of the planer 

until the infeed roller advances the workpiece. Let go of the workpiece and allow the automatic feed to advance the 

board through the planer.

5. Do not push / pull on workpiece. Catch the planed lumber by grasping it in same manner as it was fed as it comes 

out the back side. Make sure not to stand directly behind the planer while catching fed lumber. Do not grasp any 

portion of board which has not gone past the out-feed roller.

CAUTION:

 To avoid risk of injury due to kickback, do not stand directly in line with the front or rear of planer.

6. Repeat as needed. The planer has two return rollers on top so an assistant can pass the work back to the operator. 

Keep in mind that multiple shallow cuts result in smoother surfaces than a single deeper cut.

NOTE: 

Assistant must follow same precautions as operator.

Direction of Grain

Face

Grain

Side

Grain

End Grain

Fig. 8 

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Summary of Contents for 6552

Page 1: ...ged trouble free performance Pay close attention to the rules for safe operation warnings and cautions If you use your tool properly and for its intended purpose you will enjoy years of safe reliable...

Page 2: ...st 8 Know Your Planer 9 Assembly Adjustments 10 OPERATION MAINTENANCE 11 Operation 11 Maintenance 15 Troubleshooting Guide 17 Exploded View Parts List 18 Warranty Statement 20 2 To purchase accessorie...

Page 3: ...ety concerns as well as helpful assembly and operating instructions for your tool NOTE The following safety information is not meant to cover all possible conditions and situations that may occur WEN...

Page 4: ...ock PERSONAL SAFETY 1 Stay alert watch what you are doing and use com mon sense when operating a power tool Do not use a power tool while you are tired or under the influence of drugs alcohol or medic...

Page 5: ...ordance with these instructions taking into ac count the working conditions and the work to be per formed Use of the power tool for operations different from those intended could result in a hazardous...

Page 6: ...hinner than 1 2 11 Never make a planing cut deeper than 3 32 12 For workpieces longer than 24 use material support stands 13 Always feed from infeed side to outfeed side and do not attempt to reverse...

Page 7: ...n of the equipment grounding conductor can result in electric shock The conductor with the green insulation with or without yellow stripes is the equipment grounding conductor If repair or replacement...

Page 8: ...scard the packaging until everything is removed Check the packing list below to make sure you have all of the parts and accessories If any part is missing or broken please contact customer service at...

Page 9: ...ckness Planer Refer to the diagram below to become familiarized with the parts and controls of your thickness planer KNOW YOUR PLANER Power Switch Circuit Breaker Return Roller Extension Table Carryin...

Page 10: ...to turn the system on be fore operating the planer NOTE If you do not plan on using a dust collection system of any kind we recommend removing the dust chute so that the wood chips and debris can fly...

Page 11: ...This planer is equipped with a circuit breaker to protect the motor Fig 6 3 The breaker will automatically shut the planer off when excessive current is drawn If the breaker is tripped turn the plane...

Page 12: ...ndle a 3 32 cut on 13 wide boards it will not only shorten the lifespan of the motor and cutting blades but also will give an imperfect finish The smaller the cutting depth the better the finished pro...

Page 13: ...on hand is recommended Replacement blades can be ordered from wenproducts com AVOIDING SNIPE Thickness planers tend to leave a small bit of snipe at the end of the planed boards particularly for longe...

Page 14: ...e board is traveling in the same direction as the grain and that you are only planing either side or face grain Boards longer than 24 should have additional support from free standing material stands...

Page 15: ...emove the gib using the provided magnets Fig 12 CAUTION Blade edges are extremely sharp Keep fingers away from the blades at all times 6 The blade is located in position by two pins Gently lift the ol...

Page 16: ...icating agent such as PTFE to grease these components as needed WARNING Turn planer off and disconnect from power source before performing any maintenance 16 Fig 13 1 Carbon Brush Length CLEANING THE...

Page 17: ...de repeat steps 3 to 4 as needed ensuring that both screws have been turned the same number of times 6 Repeat steps 1 5 on the other table until you are satisfied with the height 7 Test the adjustment...

Page 18: ...EXPLODED VIEW PARTS LIST 18...

Page 19: ...hute Plate 1 60 6552 060 Flat Head Tap Screw 4 61 6550 137 Hex Wrench 1 62 6550 138 Magnet 2 63 6552 063 Spring 4 64 6550 252 Bearing Block 4 65 6550 257 LH Retainer 2 66 6552 066 Flat Washer 8 67 655...

Page 20: ...d products may need to be sent to WEN before the replacements can be shipped out turning a product for warranty service the shipping charges must be prepaid by the purchaser The product must be shippe...

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