New Planer

[Paul Sikorski]

Went to the Grizzly tent sale looking for a planer. Picked up a Shop Fox 20 inch planer. Got it home just not off the truck yet. Hoping to hook it up and make some chips tomorrow. Anyone out there have one or any advice? Its my first big planer I am moving up from a 15 year old delta 12 inch portable so this is gonna be a new experience. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

[Kevin Presutti]

Sounds like a ton of fun, hope setup goes well and you are making chips by lunch time! :D

[Bruce Page]

Congrats! The basic operating principals are the same as your 12”. Hearing protection and a DC are a must.

[Paul Sikorski]

Thanks Guys I am super excited. I was just hoping to grab a 15 inch but was a pretty good deal on the 20 (was actually less than the 15). Its to big to get into the basement not to mention 800 lbs. So it will live in the garage. I dont have dust collection there. I have one of those 55 gallon drum vacuums and a shop vac. any idea if that will be sufficient?

[Erik Loza]

..I have one of those 55 gallon drum vacuums and a shop vac. any idea if that will be sufficient?

I used to travel all over the country with one of our 12" jointer/planer combination machines and one of the common "single-bagger" dust collectors that we all have used at one time or another. The kind that costs maybe $200 or so and uses the clear bag. It did an acceptable job as long as the DC was right next to the machine and the wood was not too green. There was one time where headquarters shipped a 16" jointer/planer to one of the shows. I remember a customer asking me to plane some long board which they had purchased there at the show and how the planer pretty much overwhelmed that DC on the first pass. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least.

A 20" planer generates A TON of chips (if you are running a baord anywhere near full width, anyway...) and I think you will discover the same thing I did.

Congrats on your find and best of luck with the setup.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Paul Sikorski]

nuff said thanks Erik

[Bruce Page]

Paul, I ran a shop vac setup with my old 12" benchtop and it worked just OK. It didn't even come close to handling my PM15.

[Myk Rian]

A shop vac ain't gonna do it. You need air VOLUME to get the chips out. Look for a 1 1/2hp DC.
You might want to check that the knives are seated, and tightened down properly. You just never know.

[Paul Sikorski]

Thanks Guys I got it mostly cleaned up and close to ready. I did a test run once I made sure the fluids were good and a couple cycles by hand to make sure nothing was bound up. All I can say is WOW is that thing quiet. Ive never had a large planer or even seen one run I am seriously impressed with how quiet it is. In my 20 x 20 garage with the garage door open I had to take my ear protection off to make sure it was OK. I just took one swipe with a 14 inch wide pine board and couldn't believe it. My benchtop could be heard 2 blocks away. I can hear my neighbors celebrating now. Well it def threw some serious chips so I started looking for a dust collector on craigslist. Nothing yet but I found a delta versa feeder for a bill so I picked that up. I had to call my buddy to have him cover for me though. I told him if my wife calls and asks where I was tell her I was out with a hot blonde just dont tell her I bought another tool.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on proper dust collection sizing. Otherwise, the chips left behind will get pressed into your newly planed surface. Other differences in my experience. The lunchbox tables are often tilled up at the in and out feed to eliminate snipe. The floor models want a dead-flat feed path. I backed my feed roller pressure off almost triple the factory setting; I get fewer feed roller marks and the planer still has a grip like an alligator. Follow the manual for changing the gear oil after the first 50 hours or whatever it is. This removes any metal produced by the "liquid honing" of the break-in period of use. After that I just check it seasonally. Wax those beds, wax those beds.

[Bill White]

TON of fun, TON of chips? HAH!!! That's a TON of a planer. Spend some time checking out set up and owner's manual. Then, GET AFTER IT!
Congrats.
Bill