used lumber in planer

[Tom Gattiker]

Started working on my (oak) church stair tread rebuild. I know it is a bad idea to run used lumber thru a planer. BUT I have a delta 12.5 with disposable knives. The knives that are in there now are pretty much shot, so why not run the boards thru with these knives and then plan to replace the knives when I am done? Maybe I should do it outdoors so a spark would not cause a fire in my dust collector?
(I am pretty sure I have gotten out all the nail fragments, the finish is some kind of varnish)
Enlighten me please.

[Lynn Kasdorf]

I use reclaimed lumber (mostly from pallets) all the time, and run through my jointer, planer, and table saw.

The key is to ALWAYS scan each piece with a metal detector.

It is probably true that pallet wood is also dirty, which dulls. Generally, I square the pieces up on the table saw (12" blade), then joint 2 sies, then plane.

I think a metal detector shoudl be shipped with each planer or jointer sold! It is NOT OPTIONAL! I even encountered a nail inside of a piece of pine 2x4. So, everything gets scanned now, reclaimed or not.

Be cheap, I use the $10 "toy" metal detector made by Discovery toys and sold at Target stores a year or so ago. Works great!

[Randy Miller]

I would invest in a small metal detector and run it over the surface of each board prior to putting into the planer. One nail will nick all the blades in a planer and you'll see it in every board you run in afterward. Also, I don't know this, but I would think the varnish (if there's any left) would gum up the blades pretty good too.

Obviously you'll want to go over the boards with a stiff brush and air to get rid of any imbedded rocks/pebbles.

On second thought ... are your REALLY sure you want to run them through the planer?

-randy

[Ron Taylor]

I'm having very good luck running reclaimed Poplar through my planer. Its 3/4" X 4" t-n-g that I'm taking off the walls of a 60 year old house that I'm fixing up. The Poplar had had paneling put on it, so the likelyhood of finding a nail is pretty high. I scan every board both ways on both sides with a commercial grade metal detector. So far after probably several hundred boards, no nails through the planer. I don't know that a $700 scanner is necessary but it is what I already had, so I use it. I also scan new lumber before I plane it. Mr brother ruined a knife on new cut cedar. There's nothing to prohibit someone from putting a nail in a living tree.

My reason for planing the Poplar is that it has a coat of latex paint. So far, no trouble at all with gum up. It might dull my knives quicker, but the payback in reclaiming the lumber greatly outweighs sharpening or throwaway blades.

Anyhow, I love to reclaim old lumber.

[Lee Schierer]

I don't run used wood through my planer. Too many bad things in used wood. Flooring is particularly bad because of the grit particles embedded in it. I guess since your blades are getting dull, and you plan to replace them it will be okay. I would still use a metal detector if I could get my hands on a good one.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

Nicks in the planer blades leave a ridge. Once you plane to the desired thickness:.... Run the board a couple more times in a different place and you will remove the ridge. (Don't adjust the thickness). Swap the board end to end and run the board at an angle. These tricks work if the blades aren't too nicked or dull.

Norm uses a drum sander to clean up the grit and a metal detector. I've even thought about getting a second planer. Use the worse one to clean up the board before using the good planer.