Running boards with dados through planer?

[Patrick Kelley]

I am building a massive amount of shoji screens, and am almost done with all pieces. I would love to run my pieces through my dw735 planer, but am worried about the dados getting caught/torn. Using poplar, pieces are 1/2"-2" X 3/4". If it was a smaller project i would just use the orbital, but im looking at 380 seperate pieces, so trying to figure out a good way to assembly line them through.

[Tom Bain]

I’ve run boards with dados through the planer and it’s usually fine (although a drum sander would be better for this operation). I would try and test piece first to make sure and take light passes.

[Lee Schierer]

I am building a massive amount of shoji screens, and am almost done with all pieces. I would love to run my pieces through my dw735 planer, but am worried about the dados getting caught/torn. Using poplar, pieces are 1/2"-2" X 3/4". If it was a smaller project i would just use the orbital, but im looking at 380 seperate pieces, so trying to figure out a good way to assembly line them through.

How is that different than the leading edge of a board going through?

[Patrick Kelley]

How is that different than the leading edge of a board going through?

I suppose thats true, i figure it will be fine, and i have some test pieces i can run, but as i just got a this new planer, I thought i would ask. I've been using my dads planer for years, an old delta with steel rollers, that has a homemade tension roller setup on infeed/outfeed.

Last thing i need is to chip the crap out of my brand new blades

[Lee Schierer]

I suppose thats true, i figure it will be fine, and i have some test pieces i can run, but as i just got a this new planer, I thought i would ask. I've been using my dads planer for years, an old delta with steel rollers, that has a homemade tension roller setup on infeed/outfeed.

Last thing i need is to chip the crap out of my brand new blades

It isn't clear from you initial post how long your pieces are. For every planer there is a minimum length piece that you can run through.

[Dave Mount]

I would do a test piece. I wouldn't be concerned about the interaction of the dados and the cutting edge as much as I'd be worried about the interaction of the dados and the feed rollers. I'm thinking about the feed roller falling in a dado on entry/exit when the other feed roller isn't engaged. Seems like the roller could stop feeding because the contact surface has fallen away. The feed roller could also mash the arris where the dado meets the face of the board.

One test piece is worth a thousand opinions. I don't think the planer is at risk as much as your workpieces.

Dave

[William Hodge]

If the dados are spaced the same distance apart as the rollers are, you could end up with no feed traction, assuming the dados are in the surface being planed. Running the wood at an angle would give the rollers bearing surface through the cut.

I have run into this milling wood that has through mortises in it. I have milled extra parts into small stuff, and the mortise layer ends up as chips. things can get a little choppy taking maximum cuts on wood and the rollers hit air.

The 735 is a great little finish planer. I use one, and just skim 1/32" off milled wood with it. By the way, it has knives in it.