Makita Thickness Planer beds. Are yours like this?

[Greg Peterson]

280859

In this photo I have placed my straight edge on the tip of the infeed table and the reference plate of the planer. there is about a 1/4" gap where the table meets the reference plate. This gap also exists on the outfeed side as well.

The infeed and outfeed table are tilted downward towards the reference plate of this thickness planer. The tip end of each bed is co-planer with the reference plate, but the infeed bed slants downward while the outfeed bed slants upward. My guess is this is by design so as to reduce the amount drag making life a little easier for the rollers. As long as the tips are not higher than the reference plate it should not matter. I guess.

I've been getting a fair amount of snipe today and can not figure out why. I can feel a slight but definite 'thump' about the time the board is hitting the outfeed roller, which is about when the snipe occurs on the board. I find that if I gently apply forward pressure on the board through this phase of the pass, the snipe is reduced or eliminated. But it seems odd that I would need to help the rollers like this.

Thoughts?

[johnny means]

How much are you taking off in one pass?

[Dennis McDonaugh]

That doesn't look right--no adjustment? My Delta planer has an adjustment to line up the in/out-feed beds with the platen.

[Ethan Melad]

sounds/looks like you're getting snipe because the infeed table is lower than the roller/cutter bed. as the board feeds in, the trailing end drops to the level of the indeed table, raising the tip into the cutter head. i would guess that snipe would be reduced if you tried a longer board; if the tail end of the board were still supported by the infeed table when it hit the cutter, the knives wouldn't take such a big bite. if no obvious adjustment is possible, i'd give makita a call. looks like pretty poor design to me.

[Greg Peterson]

Thanks guys, it's always helpful to get a set of different eyes and subsequent thoughts. I normally run longer boards, but yesterday I was running some shorter boards and the snipe was much more pronounced. I was getting snipe on both ends of the board, which would be consistent with the beds not providing adequate support for shorter boards.

I'm taking light cuts on each pass. The motor does not bog down.

[Phil Thien]

For my Dewalt DW734, the manual said a straight edge placed on the main table should just touch the tips of the infeed and outfeed tables. So mine are like yours I guess, they raise up and the ends and then drop down near the main table.

I know I don't have a Makita but I expect the concepts to be the same.

You can find the manual for the Dewalt DW734 on this page:
http://servicenet.dewalt.com/Products/Detail?productNumber=DW734#

I hope that helps.

[Rick Moyer]

I would want the table/plate junction to be even, and the tips of the tables to be slightly higher. On the DW735 the tables are adjustable, not sure if yours are from the picture. The tips being higher helps eliminate/reduce snipe. I would not think your table/plate junction should be uneven. Hopefully you can adjust it.

[Matt Schroeder]

Check out this pdf of a Makita 2012NB manual. It shows the tip of the wing being about 0.01" above the main table. It is harder to tell if the wing is even with the main table at the junction, but it sort of looks that way to me. I have been getting snipe with mine on shorter boards as well so am going to check this out when the shop thaws out a bit.

http://www.manualslib.com/manual/98360/Makita-2012nb.html?page=14#manual

[Michael Heffernan]

Greg, looks like you need to adust the height of the subtable. According to the manual, the ends (outer tips of the in/outfeed tables) should be .004" to .012" above the planer bed.
http://www.makitatools.com/en-us/Assets/Output/DownloadFile.aspx?FileName=Products/2012NB/owners_manuals/2012NB.pdf

See page 14 for adjustments.

The inner edges should be level with the planer bed, not below it. The slight rise in the edges of the in/outfeed tables greatly reduces snipe as the board bites onto the infeed roller and planer head, before it engages with the outfeed roller. Same for when it exits the planer and it is released by the infeed roller. If you are planing shorter boards, lift up slightly on the infeed table as it catches the infeed roller, planer head and then the outfeed roller. Then release the upward pressure. Walk around and do the same with the outfeed table before the board is released from the infeed roller. This will greatly reduce, and often eliminate snipe on shorter boards. I have a DW735 and this is my method for reducing snipe.
Even with long boards, I ever so slightly apply upward pressure on the end of the board as it enters and exits the planer, not totally relying on the cant of the in/outfeed tables for reducing snipe. If they are very long boards, use extension rollers or supports that are slightly higher than the planer bed.

[Phil Thien]

Michael, the instructions seem to show how to raise/lower the ends of the tables, but not the part nearest the main table of the planer. Is there a way to adjust that on the Makita units?

[Sam Murdoch]

Greg, looks like you need to adust the height of the subtable. According to the manual, the ends (outer tips of the in/outfeed tables) should be .004" to .012" above the planer bed.
http://www.makitatools.com/en-us/Assets/Output/DownloadFile.aspx?FileName=Products/2012NB/owners_manuals/2012NB.pdf

See page 14 for adjustments.

The inner edges should be level with the planer bed, not below it. The slight rise in the edges of the in/outfeed tables greatly reduces snipe as the board bites onto the infeed roller and planer head, before it engages with the outfeed roller. Same for when it exits the planer and it is released by the infeed roller. If you are planing shorter boards, lift up slightly on the infeed table as it catches the infeed roller, planer head and then the outfeed roller. Then release the upward pressure. Walk around and do the same with the outfeed table before the board is released from the infeed roller. This will greatly reduce, and often eliminate snipe on shorter boards. I have a DW735 and this is my method for reducing snipe.
Even with long boards, I ever so slightly apply upward pressure on the end of the board as it enters and exits the planer, not totally relying on the cant of the in/outfeed tables for reducing snipe. If they are very long boards, use extension rollers or supports that are slightly higher than the planer bed.


This "The inner edges should be level with the planer bed, not below it. " is exactly what I don't do with my Makita. I had some issues with snipe too but have with some adjustments reduced snipe to negligible - not completely snipe free but easily sanded out without loosing any perceptible thickness.

My set up is with the "inner edges" of both the indeed and the out feed are set below the table about 3/32". The out side edges are the thickness of credit card above the table. If I run a straight edge from the outside edge of both tables across a credit card set on the main table it is a straight line, i.e., the outside edges are slightly above the main table but the inner edges are below.

The adjustments are the set screws near the posts just inside from the out feed tables. These adjusting screws push down on the bars which raise or lower the inside edge of the table.

Having said that I nearly always allow 3" of waste on each end of the boards - force of habit. I can do without that rule using my Makita planer but when I need perfect I adjust accordingly to the wood I am planing. Different densities require a different touch and sometimes I need to lift on either end (just a bit) as Michael H writes above and as the Makita manual suggests.

[Michael Heffernan]

Sam, not sure why you would want the inner edges of the feed tables below the planer bed. IMO, the only thing this will do is catch your board on the infeed side as you feed it into the planer. It has no bearing on what happens once the board is in the planer. However, with the outer edges raised up slightly, as you suggest, it keeps the boards from 'jumping' as it engages the feed rollers, which causes snipe. For me, 3/32" is a bit high, but it sounds like it works for your planer.
Maybe this is the only way to 'raise' the outer edges of the feed tables on this planer, thus leaving the inside edge lower than the planer bed.

Phil, I don't have the Makita planer, so I don't know exactly what the adjustment screws move up and down. Just took a quick look at the manual and passed it on. With my DW735, the screws are on the side arms of the feed tables, allowing for varied adjustment up and down of inner and outer edges of the feed tables.

[Phil Thien]

Phil, I don't have the Makita planer, so I don't know exactly what the adjustment screws move up and down. Just took a quick look at the manual and passed it on. With my DW735, the screws are on the side arms of the feed tables, allowing for varied adjustment up and down of inner and outer edges of the feed tables.

I see what you're saying about creating a lip on which lumber can catch.

But at least on my DW734, I think the only adjustment I have adjusts the outside table edge, not the edge near the main table.

For the record, I never seem to catch anything on the lip I've got. In theory it would seem like a bad design. In practice, it hasn't mattered much.

I have played, though, with lowering the outside edge. That was a bad idea, my snipe went up quite a bit. I jacked the outside edges back up.

[Sam Murdoch]

Sam, not sure why you would want the inner edges of the feed tables below the planer bed. IMO, the only thing this will do is catch your board on the infeed side as you feed it into the planer. It has no bearing on what happens once the board is in the planer. However, with the outer edges raised up slightly, as you suggest, it keeps the boards from 'jumping' as it engages the feed rollers, which causes snipe. For me, 3/32" is a bit high, but it sounds like it works for your planer.
Maybe this is the only way to 'raise' the outer edges of the feed tables on this planer, thus leaving the inside edge lower than the planer bed.



I don't start the boards through the planer from the out feed table. They rest on the main table as they begin to feed or at the least ride up very quickly from the indeed to the main table - all rounded edges no catching. The 3/32" below is inner edge of the feed tables. The outer edges are set just a credit card thickness above the main table. I don't remember and I'm not inclined to play with my settings to find out but I think you are correct when you wrote - "Maybe this is the only way to 'raise' the outer edges of the feed tables on this planer, thus leaving the inside edge lower than the planer bed."

As I suggested it helps to run a test piece of the specific type of wood as density of grain makes a difference. The setting I describe is my very happy medium fine tuned as needed for extra hard species such as jatoba. In any case it becomes very obvious if this setting gets changed. Helps a lot to keep the tables waxed.

[Greg Peterson]

Um, read the instructions? Never even occurred to me. I bought this unit new and the beds left the factory with this alignment. Sounds like a quick fix this weekend. Thanks for all the replies and links. I'll keep you posted.