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Model W1873/W1874 (For Machines Mfd. Since 10/20)
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Planing.Tips
Cutting.Problems
• Inspect your workpiece for twisting or
cupping, and surface one face on a jointer
if necessary before planing workpiece.
• Scrape off all glue when planing glued-up
panels. Dried glue can quickly dull knives/
inserts.
• DO NOT plane more than one piece at a
time.
• Never remove more than the recommended
amount of material on each pass. Only
remove a small amount of material on each
pass when planing wide or dense stock.
• Support the workpiece on both ends. Get
assistance from another person if you are
planing a long workpiece, or use roller
stands to support the workpiece.
• Measure the workpiece thickness with
calipers to get exact results.
• Carefully inspect all stock to make sure
it is free of large knots or foreign objects
that may damage your knives/inserts, cause
kickback, or be ejected from the planer.
• When possible, plane equal amounts on
each side of the board to reduce the
chance of twisting or cupping.
• Use the entire width of the planer to
wear knives/inserts evenly. With narrow
workpieces, alternate between far left,
far right, and the middle of the table.
Your knives/inserts will remain sharp much
longer.
• To avoid "chip marks," always plane WITH
the grain direction of the wood. Never
plane cross-grain or end-grain.
• Plane ONLY natural wood fiber. Do not
plane wood composites or other materials
that could break up in the planer and cause
operator injury or damage to planer.
• Always flatten cupped or warped
workpieces on a jointer before planing.
Below is a list of wood characteristics you
may encounter when planing. The following
descriptions of defects will give you some
possible answers to problems you may encounter
while planing different materials. Possible
solutions follow the descriptions.
Chipped.Grain
Problem:
Usually a result of cutting against
the grain, planing workpieces with knots or
excessive amount of cross grain, or using dull
knives/inserts.
Note:
Some amount of chipping is normal with
highly figured wood.
Solution:.
Decrease the depth of cut. Reduce the
feed rate. Inspect your workpiece and determine
if its grain pattern is causing the problem. If the
workpiece does not show substantial crossgrain,
inspect your knives/inserts.
Fuzzy.Grain.
Problem:
Usually caused by surfacing workpieces
with too high of a moisture content. Sometimes
fuzzy grain is an unavoidable characteristic of
some woods, such as basswood. Fuzzy grain can
also be caused by dull knives/inserts.
Solution:.
Check the workpiece with a moisture
meter. If moisture is greater than 20%, sticker
the workpiece and allow it to dry. Otherwise,
inspect the knife/insert condition.
Snipe
Problem:.
Occurs when board ends have more
material removed than the rest of the board.
Usually caused when the workpiece is not
properly supported as it goes through the
machine. In many cases, however, a small
amount of snipe is inevitable.
Solution:.
Hold workpiece up slightly as it leaves
the outfeed end of the planer. The best way
to deal with snipe is by planing the workpiece
longer than your intended work length and then
cutting off the excess after planing is completed.
