Thickness Planers
A thickness planer shaves boards to an even thickness with a fast-spinning cutterhead. It is quieter-looking than a table saw, but it throws chips, makes a lot of noise and can kick a board out at high speed.
- Woodworkers
- Cabinet Shops
- Home Shops
Hazards
- Kickback: a board can be thrown back out of the machine, especially if it is warped, short or has loose knots.
- Cutterhead contact: reaching into the machine to clear a jam.
- Noise: often well above 100 decibels. See Noise.
- Dust and chips: large volumes of wood dust. See Wood Dust.
- Pinch points at the feed rollers.
- Heavy lifting of stock and machines.
Safe stock
- Use stock at least as long as the distance between the infeed and outfeed rollers, often about 12 inches; follow the manual
- Remove nails, screws, staples and dirt. Do not plane reclaimed wood without checking for metal
- Avoid boards with loose knots, cracks or severe warp; face-joint one side first when needed. See Jointers
- Do not exceed the machine's maximum width and thickness
- Mark the grain and feed so tear-out is reduced
Operating
- Wear hearing protection, eye protection and a dust mask.
- Take light passes (often 1/32 to 1/16 inch). Heavy cuts overload the motor and increase kickback.
- Stand to the side of the infeed, not directly behind the board.
- Feed boards straight and let the rollers pull them in; do not push hard or force a jammed board.
- Support long boards at both ends with roller stands.
- Use dust collection and keep chip chutes clear.
- If the board stops or jams, turn off and unplug the machine and wait for the cutterhead to stop before clearing. Never reach into the machine while running.
- Keep guards and covers in place; lock the head height when set.
Maintenance
Keep knives sharp and balanced, change them with the machine unplugged using the correct gauge and wear cut-resistant gloves. Clean pitch from rollers and tables. See Woodworking Shops.
Standards & references
Last updated: