Planer technique

[Mark Daily]

I frequently encounter this situation and haven’t decided which way is best.

When planing multiple boards say about 1”-4” wide with a bench top planer, is it better to feed several through together or one at a time?

[Randy Heinemann]

Based on my experience, get the same result either way. Feeding them through in sequence (rather than at the same time) could eliminate some snipe if that is a problem. Other than that, I doubt that it matters unless one of the boards is seriously twisted or cupped.

[Earl McLain]

I'm with Randy, i tend to stagger them side to side so that both feed rollers have something under them all the time. If i'm really close on material, my first and last boards will be something else just in case there's a little snipe.
earl

[Erik Loza]

I always stagger them, even on a big machine, but probably not required? Flooring shops feed boards through their planers like guys shoveling coal into a locomotive boiler and I saw that, so maybe it stuck. Try it both ways and find out.

Erik

[Richard Coers]

It's a rare situation where all my stock is the same thickness as it comes of the jointer after taking out cup and twist. Sending them side by side through the planer will result in one or more not having full pressure from the feed rollers. I always run end to end, one at a time. With a big industrial machine, they have segmented feed rolls to handle the exact situation I describe.

[Andrew Hughes]

I also run end to end . For the reason same reasons Richard shared. When I had a Dewalt 735 the thinnest ones would shoot back out the front.
My Powermatic has the little thingys to keep them moving forward. But the thin ones bounce up and down because of the inserts goofy cut style.
So end to end for me.

Good Luck

[Rod Sheridan]

I run two at a time on different sections of the bed.

If you have a segmented Infeed roller run as many as will fit....Rod

[Mark Daily]

Thanks everybody for your input. I really don’t have any problems with snipe so running end to end isn’t usually something I do.

Looks like it really doesn’t matter as long as the pieces are the same thickness when run through together.

[David Kumm]

Full width cuts are much harder on the motor and feed works of a lunch box planer. Dave

[Mark Daily]

Full width cuts are much harder on the motor and feed works of a lunch box planer. Dave

Good point Dave- I frequently feed single pieces through at an angle to distribute the cut across the blade.