Snipe with my new planer.

[keith micinski]

So I have always heard about this SNIPE but had never experienced it because I didn't own a planer until today. Now I know what it is and what causes it. I am surprised how touchy the planer is if the piece isn't supported exactly perfect and flat. Two questions. I got the DW735 from home depot for 279. Am I crazy to think that a 650 planer should come with the flip up infeed and outfeed tables? All of the other lunchbox planers appear to come with them at a much lesser price. My next question is, are the Dewalt tables worth buying or should I come up with some other home made solution.

[Paul Ryan]

Keith,

That is how they kind of get you with the dewalt machine. At least you didn't pay retail for it. But you really need some support with a smaller machine like that one. So you will probably need to spring for the infeed and outfeed tables for it. They only run about $70 I think. But you will have snipe problems with that machine until you get some tables.

[keith micinski]

I do feel kind of funny complaining about a little bit of snipe when I got the thing for 60% off. I am actually considering building my own mobile base with hinged infeed and outfeed tables. It seems like I can build one of these out of scraps and a few pieces I have to buy for way less then the 70.

[Brian Effinger]

My next question is, are the Dewalt tables worth buying or should I come up with some other home made solution.

Custom out & in feed would be nice, but if you want to get set up right away, or just don't want to make them, get the tables from Amazon. They are about $50. Just remember to go to the website through the creek - that way the forum will get a little kick-back. :)

[Paul Ryan]

If you build tables make sure incorperate some type of fine adjustment into them. The tables need to be adjustable to completly elimnate snipe. For examply the outfeed table is usually adjusted so the end sits about the thickness of a penny above the bed of the planer.

[lowell holmes]

If you will apply upward pressure on the back of the board when starting the board and pull up on the front of the board as it comes out of the machine, the snipe will be minimized. I seldom get snipe on my old Delta planer.

[Jason Hanko]

+1 one on the previous comments. The 735 is a great machine (especially for the price we paid :D) but it is severely handicapped without extension tables.
You NEED support to even begin to eliminate the snipe.
Heres (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=115383) what I did - I love it.

[keith micinski]

Ya, I figure I will make the outfeed table with two legs that angle back towards the base and are adjustable so I can adjust the height on the outer edge of it. I am really only getting snipe on the oufeed side anyway. I will probably make the outfeed table something like this outfeed table I made for this saw.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=129450

[glenn bradley]

Keith,

Great price or not, the 735 is a SnipeMaster without tables. If you mostly do stuff 36" and under I would buy their tables; its still a great deal. If you do mostly long stuff, you'll use roller stand s or some other support anyway.

You can probably avoid snipe in the mean time by controlling your material. As it begins to exit the machine, place your hands underneath and provide a slight upward pressure. The object here is to avoid the material tilting down as the front roller releases the material. You've read enough here to understand the mechanics.

The tables on the 735 are shorter than mine but, if I lay a straight edge through the planer with it contacting the outer edges of the infeed and outfeed tables, there is a fat 1/8" or space between the straight edge and the platen. That's how much lift at the outer edges I use to run snipe free.

[keith micinski]

Does anyone know how tall the planer table from Dewalt is or for that matter how tall anyone's homemade stand is? I have never really used a planer before so I am not sure what height is a good height to have your planer at for working.

[keith micinski]

I am definitely happy with getting the planer at the price I did and to be honest with you, I have no projects to work on anyway right now, so it is kind of a blessing in disguise that it didn't come with tables. I was going to need a mobile base for this anyway so making tables isn't that big of a deal.

[Jeff Bratt]

Here's are pics (http://home.roadrunner.com/%7Ejeffnann/WoodWorking/Shop/Shop.html#Planer_Stand_) of the planer stand I built for my 735. Works great - the height adjustment allows you to set the tables level with the planer bed, and to be raised up on the ends enough to eliminate, or greatly reduce, snipe. I'll send you my sketches if you want... these could easily be adapted for any portable planer.

[keith micinski]

I actually don't plan on having any drawers on mine since I am pretty good on storage and I can't really think of anything the planer is going to need for storage. How tall did you make your stand?

[keith micinski]

Sort of related, the chip and dust collection on this machine seems to work really well without a dust port hooked up. Why didn't they make a dust bag attachment? Do you think it would choke it off if you had a bag on it? I am thinking about making a custom bag out of a breathable material so that it catches all of the big stuff anyway. Would this work?

[Dan Bowman]

they do make a dust bag attachment: http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW7353-Collection-Accessory-Planer/dp/B0000CCXUC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1264891737&sr=8-3 but you'll spend more time emptying it than using the planer. You're going to make a lot of dust and their bag just isn't big enough, IMO.

[keith micinski]

Well, that sills the deal then. I am definitely going to make one but I am going to make mine quite a bit bigger.

[Jeff Bratt]

On mine the tables are 34" off the ground, while the planer base sits slightly lower than that. The height is not critical - use whatever is comfortable for you. The built-in dust ejection fan works great, however this (or any) planer generates A LOT of sawdust. See the pics at the bottom of that section on my webpage to see my addition of a Phil Thien baffle to my collection bin.

[Fred Voorhees]

So I have always heard about this SNIPE but had never experienced it because I didn't own a planer until today. Now I know what it is and what causes it. I am surprised how touchy the planer is if the piece isn't supported exactly perfect and flat. Two questions. I got the DW735 from home depot for 279. Am I crazy to think that a 650 planer should come with the flip up infeed and outfeed tables? All of the other lunchbox planers appear to come with them at a much lesser price. My next question is, are the Dewalt tables worth buying or should I come up with some other home made solution.

Keith, the DeWalt 735 is an absolutely great machine. So much so, that I just today (Sat) got my brand new 12" Jet Jointer/Planer combo machine set up and running in my shop and I don't even plan on using the planer portion of it until my DeWalt kicks the bucket (and there is no telling when that will be). I have had the 735 for a number of years now and have had no problems with it. I love the machine. I didn't buy the additional infeed and outfeed tables since I had planned on building it into a workbench in my shop. Maybe you can do the same thing. Here is a picture of it in my bench and you can see that I have lots of infeed and outfeed capability. The benchtop itself takes care of that.

You can also get a look at how I built it into my benchtop while I upgraded it in this photo blog.
http://leatheruppers.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-workbench-upgrade.html

[Gerry Werth]

Sort of related, the chip and dust collection on this machine seems to work really well without a dust port hooked up. Why didn't they make a dust bag attachment? Do you think it would choke it off if you had a bag on it? I am thinking about making a custom bag out of a breathable material so that it catches all of the big stuff anyway. Would this work?

I think they did, I have the 735 that I bought used on CL. I have a bag and hose, I think, or maybe its a hose and hood for a garbage can, not sure anymore, as I have mine hooked up to a DC. Do you want to buy my hose/hood or bag, I will have to drag it out, and look at what I have.

[Steve Walls]

Wood magazine recently reviewed lunchbox planers, their comment about the 735 was that with the infeed and outfeed tables snipe was reduced to almost zero. With them it was rated the best as far as eliminating snipe. Without them it was significantly worse.

[Allan Froehlich]

I have a 735 and found that the best way to eliminate snipe is to slightly angle the board as I feed it in. This way, the whole feed roller does not fall off of the piece at the same time but rather in a gradual process.

[ken gibbs]

I bought this DeWalt planner and had to take the first planner back to the store because it would not run. Took the replacement home and fond it it had severe snipe. I took this planner back to the DeWalt service center in Richmond, VA. I was told that the discharge roller was bad and they replaced it. I took the planner home and found out they had not correted the outfeed snip. Took it back again and they finally fixed it. I have changed the blades several times my self and its not hard to do. It just takes a while to get them aligned correctly.