Power Planer Users I Need you Help

[Andrew Joiner]

I just got a hand planer that looks like thishttp://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/370x370/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_13531.jpg



When set the tool to zero, a straightedge shows that the front sole plate and the rear sole are far from bring on the same plane.


I see on Amazon that even the Bosch that costs 3 times as much has this problem.
On the model I have the front sole plate does not lock in place as it is adjusted up or down, it has a little play in it at each setting for depth of cut.

Most planers have this single knob depth adjustment. Do they all have this play in the front sole plate?

[Josiah Bartlett]

Most of these are not intended to be precision tools. They are great for hogging off material in a reckless manner, somewhat usable for trimming the bottom of doors and shaping surfboards, and just about useless for anything precision. They are certainly not a good substitute for a jointer or a jack plane.

[Mike Cutler]

Andrew

No, the front shouldn't move. On My DeWalt it's rock solid.
Don't worry about the difference at zero. Set it up for approximately a 1/32nd cut, and measure the differences across the sole, just as you would a machine jointer. On my DeWalt the blade has "some" adjustment, and needs to be aligned with the rear sole plate.
That squaring outrigger is pretty much useless. Have a machinist make you a precision square L Fence, longer than the entire planer, and screw it right into the rear sole as a reference fence. They can be made into a very usable edge jointer.
If you're not afraid to modify the tool, you can really improve it's use and performance. It's also not a 'set it and forget it tool'. Like a handplane, it needs to be checked and aligned prior to, and during use.
Josiah is 100% correct in that they can hog off material in a reckless manner. You can ruin a board, glue up panel, very quickly with one of these. Yep, I did ruin a table top glue up with one. A very expensive lesson!:mad:

I don't use mine a lot, but there are times when it helps.

[glenn bradley]

Agree the sole should lock up rock solid. Also agree that these are not for any sort of work requiring a degree of accuracy. Shortening your front door before screwing on the door sweep, yes. Fitting a door for a cabinet, no.

[Andrew Joiner]

No, the front shouldn't move. On My DeWalt it's rock solid.
Don't worry about the difference at zero. Set it up for approximately a 1/32nd cut, and measure the differences across the sole, just as you would a machine jointer. On my DeWalt the blade has "some" adjustment, and needs to be aligned with the rear sole plate.

Thanks Mike, Does your Dewalt have a depth knob and another knob to lock that setting?

I looked up parts drawings online for planers. If the single post/knob depth adjustment is machined to a snug fit and the spring surrounding it is strong any play that would affect the cut would be minimal. On mine there's about 1/32" of play. and the fixed sole plate is off being co-planer by about 1/16". I could shim the fixed base to the average of the play but it's not what I'd like.

Surprisingly a 1/16'' test pass on the edge of a 2x4 takes off a very precise 1/16"!
On rough stock a full 3 1/2" wide test cut is not very precise, so the play needs to eliminated as much as possible.
I bought this planer mainly to expose a patch of grain on rough sawn exotic wood. I want to select for color on the big slabs before I cut them up.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have a Bosch, a Dewalt, and a Skil and they are not all that accurate as others have said. They are good for what they are intended for, and with practice can be fairly accurate, but ya, they are not a jointer.

With one exception.....

I am not sure if it is even made any more but the Porter cable Versa Plane is an exception to the rule. It is not made to hack at flat surfaces but rather to do edges such as doors, has an excellent adjustable angle fence, a spirel carbide cutter, and does an excellent job on doors or jointing stock on site. It does take some talent, but the cutter depth is adjustable as you run down a piece, the plane is longer than any others, and can make a board straight and square with an awesome finish.

Larry

[Rich Engelhardt]

I just got a hand planer that looks like this
My GMC looks similar.

As others have mentioned - they hog off material @ a reckless rate.

IMHO, a 12 ga pump shotgun is the only thing I own that comes close in destructive potential.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I have a 20 year old Bosch that was like this. I either shimmed the adjustable foot, or lapped the nose foot and I made it much more accurate.

[Andrew Joiner]

I have a Bosch, a Dewalt, and a Skil and they are not all that accurate as others have said. They are good for what they are intended for, and with practice can be fairly accurate, but ya, they are not a jointer.

With one exception.....

I am not sure if it is even made any more but the Porter cable Versa Plane is an exception to the rule. It is not made to hack at flat surfaces but rather to do edges such as doors, has an excellent adjustable angle fence, a spirel carbide cutter, and does an excellent job on doors or jointing stock on site. It does take some talent, but the cutter depth is adjustable as you run down a piece, the plane is longer than any others, and can make a board straight and square with an awesome finish.

Larry

Thanks,
Yes, Larry I can see that front plate on the older PC models adjusts with a rigid locking method.
http://www2.swaylocks.com/files/uploads/2011/08/p1010009_0_jpg_4e598ff33b.JPG

Thanks for the help. I'll look for a PC or some way to lock the front plate solidly on a single post design.

[Larry Edgerton]

Andrew

That lever you are looking at is not actually a lock.

There is no lock, the front table is very precise and that lever raises and lowers the table level. The nice thing about it is that it is very easy to adjust the lever as you run down a piece, such as when you want to remove a crown. Start at no cut, and as you slide down the board go to full cut in the middle, and then taper off to no cut at the other end. With very little practice they are a very effective tool. They are not generally cheap used but once in a while they show up on Craigs list. There was a like new one in the local listing a couple of weeks ago for $250, quite a bit less than they cost new. Great machine for what they were intended to do.

Larry

[Brian Kincaid]

They can be a precision tool if supported and handled correctly. I used my Bosch to chamfer a walnut dining room table.
-Brian

[Ron Natalie]

I've got a Bosch and it seems reasonably precise. Mostly I use it for carpentry (planing doors and things) rather than fine furniture making.

[Andrew Joiner]

Andrew

That lever you are looking at is not actually a lock.

There is no lock, the front table is very precise and that lever raises and lowers the table level. The nice thing about it is that it is very easy to adjust the lever as you run down a piece, such as when you want to remove a crown. Start at no cut, and as you slide down the board go to full cut in the middle, and then taper off to no cut at the other end. With very little practice they are a very effective tool. They are not generally cheap used but once in a while they show up on Craigs list. There was a like new one in the local listing a couple of weeks ago for $250, quite a bit less than they cost new. Great machine for what they were intended to do.

Larry

That would be a great feature. On the fly adjustment. It looks like an L- shaped cast sole plate on the front. That looks more stable and precise than the single post designs available new today.

Thanks Larry

[Andrew Joiner]

Surprisingly a 1/16'' test pass on the edge of a 2x4 takes off a very precise 1/16"!
.

I went and looked at a Makita that my carpenter buddies like. The difference at zero was off just like mine. Set it up for approximately a 1/32nd cut,the soles lined up 1/32nd off the same plane as they should,just like mine. But the Makita has a little less play in the front sole than mine.

I went back to my shop and aligned the blades with the rear sole plate and ignored the play. I tested it again. A 1/16'' pass on the edge of a 2x4 still takes off a very precise 1/16". But now set at 1/32" it takes a near perfect 1/32" off the full 3 1/4" width. It will now work for my needs to clean up rough stock. Very nice for a $36 Harbor Freight planer.

It might even be accurate enough to flatten faces if I could camber the blades ever so slightly. I'll get the even cheaper non-carbide blade model for that.

Thanks to all for your help .