Using a planner to make identical board widths?

[Bill Space]

Hi,

It never occurred to me to set boards on edge and run them through my planner to end up with boards of identical width.

A couple years ago someone mentioned doing this to me, and I tried it once and it seemed to work. The only advantage I see is perhaps having a smoother surface than a rip blade on the table saw would produce.

The wood I tried was not that tall, probably 3/4 inch wide and less than 2 inches high.

How crazy is this idea?

The more I think about it, the crazier it becomes!

Is there any real use for such a procedure? The more I think about it, the more I will just try to forget the idea!

Unless i I am missing something!

Bill

[Mike Hollingsworth]

at 2 inches, I don't see much problem.

[johnny means]

Pretty much standard practice in professional shops. I usually gang my strips in groups of five or six. Also, when milling dozens or even hundreds of pieces, every operation done on the planer is one less exposure to the dreaded take saw blade.
I usually like to rough size then do a finish pass on both edges.

[Mel Fulks]

You can do that with wider pieces ,too. Just clamp a box type fence on a slight angle and the stock will be guided by it .
Easy to run several pieces at one time.

[Andy Giddings]

Standard operation for me as stated by others

[Andrew J. Coholic]

Everything (and I mean everything) solid wood in our shop gets dressed all 4 sides. Even tall base boards, etc. Industry standard practice.

Just grab enough pcs in width and guide them through together. If you start square and vertical, and your planer is decent, they wont want to tip over.

We do the same with passing things through the wide belt sander also.

[Martin Wasner]

SOP in shops that don't have a better option.

I've been told it doesn't work as well when using in insert head because the angled knives will push the material around. I don't know if that's heresy or not. I have a curved knife planer, and back in the day that's how I sized all of my material for doors and face frame parts. I put as many pieces together as I could grip.

[Andrew J. Coholic]

SOP in shops that don't have a better option.

I've been told it doesn't work as well when using in insert head because the angled knives will push the material around. I don't know if that's heresy or not. I have a curved knife planer, and back in the day that's how I sized all of my material for doors and face frame parts. I put as many pieces together as I could grip.

Works just fine in my Cantek with insert head. Never found any difference than my previous straight knife planer, in that respect.

[Andy Giddings]

Also have an insert head and its never pushed the material anywhere

[Wayne Lomman]

This is a standard process. It is the only way you can guarantee identical dimensions. Get used to it and you won't believe you did without.
The type of cutter block does not affect how the timber moves through the machine - it is the pressure bars before and after the cutter block that keep timber correctly aligned. Cheers

[Bradley Gray]

I mostly do this with a thickness sander

[lowell holmes]

I do it with a table saw followed up with a jointer if needed.

[Rod Sheridan]

I do it to all stock unless it's run through the shaper with an outboard fence.........Rod.

[Stan Calow]

I do this routinely in my home shop with a lunchbox planer. Boards 4-6" wide, as long as they are reasonably close to each other in width. Table aprons mostly.

[Steve Demuth]

I do this routinely in my home shop with a lunchbox planer. Boards 4-6" wide, as long as they are reasonably close to each other in width. Table aprons mostly.

Yup. Standard operating procedure.

[Edwin Santos]

Standard procedure here too. Rip to rough width on the band saw, final dressing at the planer. I go out of my way to avoid ripping wood on the table saw, my personal preference.

[Darcy Warner]

just use my slr, gang rip or a molder.

[J.R. Rutter]

SOP here as well to put a knife finish or machine sand every surface that isn't getting glued. Byrd cutterhead in my RC-63 has no problem doing edge dimensioning.

[lowell holmes]

I would make 24" long ripped boards and after they are the proper width, cut them to length.

[Bill Space]

Thanks for all the input guys!

Currently I am doing window trim on some windows and this technique is really useful. Can't imagine why I did not think of doing this on my own!

i feel more comfortable knowing it is SOP for guys that do this for a living.

Bill