Issue with a power planer, infeed and outfeed not coplanar

[Ivan Da Ros]

Hello guys
I need to join to boards and don`t have a jointer but i have a power planer, so i put it on a table (i did a hole for the side of the planer) checking that is sitting a 90 degrees.
Then i put a wood guide before the infeed and another one after the outfeed.

After running the boards i ended with a small concave surface instead of a straight one, i checked and the infeed is not coplanar with the outfeed nor there is a way to adjust them, the start of the infeed (the part far from the knives) is going slightly upwards, i think that might be the issue.

This is the planer on the table (That was taken before i put the guides extending the feeds
http://i61.tinypic.com/23k3lo2.jpg

and this is a pic of the planer, there you can see that is not paralell to the body of the planer, in the pic is at zero position.
http://i59.tinypic.com/f9jqrn.jpg

I went to the place that sells the planers and took a look to a few ones like mine, and all have the infeed going upwards.

What do you think? am i right and that coulb be the issue? is there any way to fix it? i was thinking doing an extension of the infeed but putting it coplanar to the outfeed and bypass the infeed, could that work?

Thanks in advance!!!

[Bill Adamsen]

Clever idea. With the rule in position as you show it, when you spin the cutter-head (unplugged of course) does the blade hit the rule? The max blade arc should be set at the same height as the outfeed. But based on how close it appear in the photo, I'd suspect the blade arc (where it cuts) is higher than the outfeed. Combined with a "low" infeed start, that would indeed induce bowing, and fast. It will induce bowing on its own. It will also cause snipe at end of jointing. You might try building (lengthening) your infeed/outfeed with wood blocks?

[Ivan Da Ros]

Yeah!
Here`s a pic of it, wuen i spin the cutter head (Unplugged!!) it lift the ruler a bit.
http://i58.tinypic.com/2jb2s7a.jpg

And here is how it looks now, the wood block are paralel to the outfeed, i haven`t tried it yet, i`m waiting for my significant other to wake up before i start the noise...
http://i61.tinypic.com/20upoav.jpg

So, even if i fix the coparalel issue, i still need to bring down a bit the knives, right?

[cody michael]

How far can you get your blades to stick out, you may be able to use a thin sheet of wood or metal and make a surface to run on that goes over original fence and new boards your using as a fence.

[glenn bradley]

The motorized hand planer is a little out of it's depth in jointing boards for a glue up. It looks like you're on your way to a solution if you don't have (or know someone with) a decent sized hand plane.

The rear shoe has four screws. Can you remove it and shim with tape until your reach a coplaner state, then adjust for depth of cut?

I applaud your ingenuity. I have done similar things with belt sanders when I had to pull a rabbit out of a hat ;-)

[Ivan Da Ros]

Thanks for all the answers!

I like the tape idea! i will have to put it in the back of the outfeed to lift just the back until is coplanar with the infeed, and then i will adjust the wood block extensions.

About the knives sticking out, once the surfaces are coplanar, maybe i could get some thin aluminum sheet and put if on top of the feeds...

At least is something to try!!

Thanks!