Grizzly 15" planer snipe

[Wes Ramsey]

I spent a couple of hours last week tweaking everything that can be adjusted on my G0453PX and got everything adjusted to within a few thousandths of perfect - but I'm still getting snipe. I adjusted the bed and extensions as perfectly flat as I could get them and set the bed rollers to .003" high, infeed roller is .040" below cutter head and outfeed is .020" below it. I have all the spring tensioner bolts flush with the body of the planer (about where they were set from the factory) and it feeds fine, but I haven't played with them much to see how much lighter I can go on tension.

So what am I missing? Are these adjustments pretty close to what y'all use? On other planers I've used you can usually avoid end snipe by lifting up on the end of the board as the end passes the infeed roller, but that doesn't seem to help even when I lift the board 1" or more off the outfeed table. I'm gonna play with the outfeed tension next and see if that makes any difference, but I was hoping for some ideas on what to try next from others with the same machine. I don't think it is the board flexing inside the machine as it does it with 1.5" boards as much as with .5" boards.

Thoughts?

[John Schweikert]

My question is why do you have the outfeed roller set different from the infeed with respect to the cutterhead? Wood entering is no different from wood exiting as far as the geometry of the wood to rollers to cutterhead, just opposing directions. If you are getting outfeed snipe, then wouldn't increasing the offset of the outfeed roller improve and lessen the snipe? That roller isn't pushing down on the end of the board enough and as a result the board end is rising into the cutterhead.

I have two lunchbox planers and experience no snipe. I run boards through which are the length of wood used for final assembly. I'm curious what the roller offsets are set to on those.

[Cary Falk]

I moved the table rollers below the table. I have a lot less issues that way. My infeed and outfeed extensions are dead flat with the table. No snipe what so ever.

[Marty Tippin]

Glenn Bradley posted the settings he uses here http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?162166-Grizzly-G0453-Setup-Help&p=1663015#post1663015 - I've adjusted my planer to those specs and it's good but not perfect, I still get snipe "sometimes" - haven't taken the time to figure out why it's inconsistent; lately, I just ensure there's an extra 6" length on the boards I'm planing so I can cut the snipe out of it occurs...

[glenn bradley]

Your elevated bed rollers will contribute to snipe. Elevated bed rollers assist in moving very rough material through the machine. We're talking pretty rough; nothing I use in my shop is near that rough.

I run the tables dead flat, the bed rollers just below the table so as to be a non-player. I very, very rarely get snipe from my G0453Z. The times I do generally follow me not controlling the stock on exit and letting gravity take over. If the stock is allowed to drop below the outfeed table you will get snipe as the material leaves the control of the infeed roller. Its that simple.

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This is an exaggeration. Controlling the stock at exit will prevent snipe on a properly setup machine. Outfeed support helps us control the stock at exit.

[Art Mann]

If you will lift the board ever so slightly from the back end as it first goes under the infeed roller and cutter head, the leading end will probably not snipe. The same is true of the trailing end if you slightly lift the leading end of the material as it exits the cutter head. Glenn's comments and his little illustration will tell you why.

[Wes Ramsey]

Glenn Bradley posted the settings he uses here http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?162166-Grizzly-G0453-Setup-Help&p=1663015#post1663015 - I've adjusted my planer to those specs and it's good but not perfect, I still get snipe "sometimes" - haven't taken the time to figure out why it's inconsistent; lately, I just ensure there's an extra 6" length on the boards I'm planing so I can cut the snipe out of it occurs...

Thanks Marty! I'll check that out.


If you will lift the board ever so slightly from the back end as it first goes under the infeed roller and cutter head, the leading end will probably not snipe. The same is true of the trailing end if you slightly lift the leading end of the material as it exits the cutter head. Glenn's comments and his little illustration will tell you why.

I tried that, but it doesn't seem to help. I'll play around with it more tonight or tomorrow. I have a big stack of rough lumber I need to process so I will get plenty or practice soon and may tinker with the settings some more. I'll check out Glenn's setup first, but the more I think about it I'm thinking I need to tinker with the feed roller tension.

[Michael Yadfar]

Check your spring tension again, the bolts aren't supposed to be flush. I can't think of the number off hand, but it's in the manual. They should stick out I think 1/8 " above the top. Also, as others suggested, set bed rollers flat. Another thing, did you measure the chip breaker as well? That should be .040.

[Mike Chalmers]

My question is why do you have the outfeed roller set different from the infeed with respect to the cutterhead?

Manual gives those measurements.


That roller isn't pushing down on the end of the board enough and as a result the board end is rising into the cutterhead.

If anything, the outfeed roller not pushing down enough would not make the end of the board tilt up into the cutterhead. It would be exerting less pressure. It would seem to me that scenario would allow more chance of the board rising at the roller, therefore pivoting the end down. As it is actually squeezing the board to the bed roller, it would seem to me to have no effect. I believe the infeed roller has more pressure as it is pushing the board into the cutters, while the outfeed has less resistance to overcome as the board has already gone through the cutters.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Wes, set the bed rollers below the table, they're not used for planning material that's been jointed.

Snipe is caused by the wood tilting into the cutter as it's entering or leaving the planer.

You need more infeed and outfeed roller pressure if you're still getting snipe.

Are your chip breaker and pressure bar adjusted to the correct value for the cutting circle?

Regards, Rod.

[Robert Engel]

Hi Wes, set the bed rollers below the table, they're not used for planning material that's been jointed.

Snipe is caused by the wood tilting into the cutter as it's entering or leaving the planer.

You need more infeed and outfeed roller pressure if you're still getting snipe.

Are your chip breaker and pressure bar adjusted to the correct value for the cutting circle?

Regards, Rod.YES!!

Those bed rollers can cause lots of trouble. Good for rough stock bad for smooth.

All I would add is slight upward pressure on long boards the last 6" or so.

[keith micinski]

On my 453px loosening the rollers as much as I could got rid of most of my snipe. I think the rollers pushing down harder actually cause the board to tilt up when it engages and disengages.

[glenn bradley]

I have a big stack of rough lumber I need to process so I will get plenty or practice soon and may tinker with the settings some more.

This statement caught my eye. When you say "rough lumber" do you mean rough except for the face that you jointed flat to use as the reference surface for the planer? If you are trying to eliminate snipe on unprepared stock just save your time and effort ;). A snipe-free cut relies on a valid reference surface traversing a true feed path in relation to the cutterhead. Trying to get a good cut from an irregular reference surface is an exercise in futility. Save your snipe troubleshooting for your prepared stock; you may not actually have a problem . . . wouldn't that be cool?

[Wes Ramsey]

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions guys! Yes, the chip breaker is set to .040" below the cutter head.

I will try increasing and decreasing spring tension and see what happens. As a last resort I will try lowering the bed rollers. Everything I plane is rough, at least for the first pass or two :) The few boards I've run through it since adjusting were resawn 5/8" red oak boards jointed on 2 sides and planed down to 1/2". But everything I start with is normally rough sawn from my father-in-law's personal mill. Right now it is about 25 degrees in my shop and way too cold to mess with wood.

[Larry Browning]

I don't think anyone has suggested that the bed extensions should not be flat parallel with the main bed. They need have a slight incline on both infeed and outfeed. This will add some upward pressure to the board while the board is not fully engaged by all the rollers. Also, applying upward pressure on the board as it enters and exits the the cutter head has almost completely eliminated snipe for me.

[Cary Falk]

I don't think anyone has suggested that the bed extensions should not be flat parallel with the main bed. They need have a slight incline on both infeed and outfeed. This will add some upward pressure to the board while the board is not fully engaged by all the rollers. Also, applying upward pressure on the board as it enters and exits the the cutter head has almost completely eliminated snipe for me.

My extensions are dead flat. I have zero snipe(unless I were to run a 20 foot board through it without any support on the outfeed end). When I had a lunchbox planer I had to raise the ends of infeed and outfeed tables. I don't have to on the G0453. I also have the feed roller pressure backed way off so as not to get feed marks on my board.

[Larry Browning]

My extensions are dead flat. I have zero snipe(unless I were to run a 20 foot board through it without any support on the outfeed end). When I had a lunchbox planer I had to raise the ends of infeed and outfeed tables. I don't have to on the G0453. I also have the feed roller pressure backed way off so as not to get feed marks on my board.
So is there an advantage to having the extensions dead flat? I would think that at the very least it wouldn't matter as long as the end wasn't lower than the bed. And it more than likely would help to be a bit higher.

[Cary Falk]

So is there an advantage to having the extensions dead flat? I would think that at the very least it wouldn't matter as long as the end wasn't lower than the bed. And it more than likely would help to be a bit higher.
There is probably no advantage to having them dead flat. I just wanted to point out that minor dead flat and I have no issue

[Larry Browning]

There is probably no advantage to having them dead flat. I just wanted to point out that minor dead flat and I have no issue

The advantage may vary from planer to planer. Mine is an old RBI Wood Master that belonged to my dad. I have found that adding the upward pressure on the board as it enters and exits has the biggest effect on snipe. If I do that, snipe is virtually eliminated. If not, you can count on snipe.

[Bill Orbine]

The bows, twists and cups poses a snipe problem, too! Even if the planer is set dead on balls accurate. Got a jointer?

[Wes Ramsey]

The bows, twists and cups poses a snipe problem, too! Even if the planer is set dead on balls accurate. Got a jointer?

Yup. If I'm working with 6" or narrower boards I joint 2 sides before running through the planer.

[jim mills]

How much snip are you guys getting? I have a four poster that I get just a slight ammount of snipe with. That is, I need raking light to see it, and I can just barely feel it. If I hold a planed board up against my jointer fence I can just barely see it as well. It's just a couple thousands, but just enough to be annoying. It is also equal on both the infeed and outfeed end of the board. I decided it HAD to be the bed rocking as the board enters and exits the planer. The nobs used to tighten the bed just aren't strong enough to hold the bed in a fixed position either.
What I ended up doing was back all spring pressure off on both infeed, outfeed, and chipbreaker, until I was getting chatter and feeding difficulty when planing, then I tightened things up SLOWLY (like 1/4 turn adjustments) until I got no chatter and consistent feeding. I still get a TINY amount of snipe on both ends of my boards, but it is no more that the scallops caused by the byrd head, and easily removed with 120 grit in the ROS.
I've since had to tighten spring pressure up about another 1/8 turn, but I knew exactly what I needed to do.

Thats my take anyway...

[Marty Tippin]

Yup. If I'm working with 6" or narrower boards I joint 2 sides before running through the planer.

Don't want to go too far down this rabbit hole as you must know what you're doing, but how exactly do you get a rough board to come out of the planer flat and true without jointing one side first?

If you run a banana through a planer, you get a banana with two parallel sides... (Note to our viewers: Please don't run a banana through your planer.)

[Wes Ramsey]

Don't want to go too far down this rabbit hole as you must know what you're doing, but how exactly do you get a rough board to come out of the planer flat and true without jointing one side first?

If you run a banana through a planer, you get a banana with two parallel sides... (Note to our viewers: Please don't run a banana through your planer.)

Good question! You don't as best I can tell. I'm still a noob at many aspects of woodworking, but I've been around wood and tools enough to know the basics well enough to discern good/bad/right/wrong ways and figure out a better way when I'm doing something wrong. 6" is as wide as my jointer will do, and that's normally the width I go for when working up rough stock. The way I had always been shown was to just run them through the planer, hope for the best and deal with any warp/cup/twist with bigger fasteners. The results are SO much nicer when the board is face jointed, but it isn't always possible with a 6" jointer. Since I've been buying and using my own tools I haven't messed with anything wider, but I have some wide, rough lumber at the moment that I will have to either hand plane or cut into strips to face joint.

Flat wood seems to always offer plenty of challenges to overcome. It would be so much easier to just chuck it up in the lathe and make it round :p

[glenn bradley]

The way I had always been shown was to just run them through the planer, hope for the best and deal with any warp/cup/twist with bigger fasteners.

:D:D:D -- that's classic -- :D:D:D

The cure to your narrow jointer problem is a Saturday morning's worth of effort away:

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