What do I need to know before buying a planer?

Thickness Planer Size / Capacity The planing width of thickness planers is a really important feature to consider when buying a wood planer. And if you don’t plan on thickness planing wider boards at all, or your space is limited, then a benchtop thickness planer with a 12 or 13-inch width will work for you.

How do I choose a power planer?

POWER: Electric planers are rated in amps (A) – the higher the rating, the more powerful they are. Heavy duty planers go a bit further than that with motors rated in horsepower (hp). The maximum cutting depth rating of a benchtop or heavy-duty electric planer is one way to compare overall power and capacity, as well.

What is a good size jointer?

An 8-inch wide jointer allows me to joint wider boards than a 6-inch jointer, and 8-inch jointers usually come with longer infeed and outfeed beds, adding more support to the lumber. And 8-inch jointers are usually affordable enough for hobbyist woodworking shops.

Are benchtop planers worth it?

Think of buying a benchtop planer as an investment that pays dividends in lumber savings. Although these machines get the job done, don’t mistake them for heavy-duty planers with beefy 3-hp and larger motors, which can chew through hardwoods quickly and handle deeper cuts without bogging down.

Which type of stock should never be run through the planer?

What should you avoid when using a jointer or planer? Do not cut stock that has loose knots, splits, defects or foreign objects (e.g., metal stone) in it. Do not leave the machine running unattended.

How many blades are on a planer?

Most of the planers use two blades, so they make two cuts for each revolution of the head.

Can you use a planer to flatten wood?

Woodworking jointers and planers are used to mill wood so they can be used to build furniture and other projects to correct dimensions. If your workshop doesn’t have a jointer to square up an edge or your wood piece is too large to fit through, you can use your planer to flatten both pieces of wood.

Can a planer remove cupping?

It is difficult to flatten a cupped board with a thickness planer because the downward pressure of the feed rolls will press out much of the cup, thereby not allowing the planer knives to flatten the board. As it emerges from the planer, it simply springs back to its original cup.

Should you buy a jointer?

Rob Johnstone: Jointers are versatile and important tools for stock preparation and shaping. A jointer, properly set up and used, will allow you to create a dead straight edge on a piece of lumber … which makes for a good glue joint or a straightedge to rip from on your table saw.