Planing Masonite?

[Bruce Benjamin]

Without going into details as to why I'd want to...How would running
1/4", (actually 7/32") Masonite through my Dewalt 735 planer effect
the planer blades? I want the Masonite to be down to 3/16" and one
side won't be visible. I've never ran anything through the planer
except solid wood and the blades are still in great shape. I'd like to
keep them that way as long as I can. Anybody ever try this? No,
I don't have a drum sander or I'd just use that. Thanks.

Bruce

[Roger Everett]

Bruce:

That's going to be murder on the blades.
Roger

[Michael Ballent]

May as well buy another set of blades now...:D

[Bruce Benjamin]

I don't plan to trash the blades. This is why I was asking
*before* I gave it a try. I'm hoping this advice comes from
experience and not just guessing. Thanks.

Bruce

[CPeter James]

Redesign the project to use the full thickness or use another product.

CPeter

[Michael Ballent]

I don't plan to trash the blades. This is why I was asking
*before* I gave it a try. I'm hoping this advice comes from
experience and not just guessing. Thanks.

Bruce

I am not speaking from experience, but I have cut a fair bit of MDF and it's murder on carbide, I would only imagine what it would do to HSS blades.

[glenn bradley]

I had some masonite laminated to some fir for a jig fence. It didn't glue up as flat as I had planned. I did plane about 1/32 off the masonite surface in two passes on my dewalt. The surface of course had to be re-sealed. I followed this with some test runs of oak through the planer and noticed no I'll effects. Granted I did two passes on a 4 by 36 inch surface, not a production run of masonite thicknessing.

[Bruce Benjamin]

I am not speaking from experience, but I have cut a fair bit of MDF and it's murder on carbide, I would only imagine what it would do to HSS blades.

Thanks Michael. I've cut and routed a lot of MDF with carbide blades
and bits and while I wouldn't quite say it's, "Murder" I do agree that it
causes more wear than solid wood. I've never used HSS on MDF and
I'd think that it would probably trash the edge pretty soon. Masonite
seems to be even harder than MDF. The kind I have is the really dark
kind that's smooth on both sides versus the softer, lighter brown stuff
that is only smooth on one side. Time for Plan "B" I guess. Thanks.

Bruce

[Bruce Benjamin]

I had some masonite laminated to some fir for a jig fence. It didn't glue up as flat as I had planned. I did plane about 1/32 off the masonite surface in two passes on my dewalt. The surface of course had to be re-sealed. I followed this with some test runs of oak through the planer and noticed no I'll effects. Granted I did two passes on a 4 by 36 inch surface, not a production run of masonite thicknessing.

Thanks for the info, Glenn. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking
for. I wouldn't be using more than maybe 3 or 4 times as much as you
did but that might be just enough to put the hurt on my blades. Since
it's not really critical I think I'll just use duct tape and aluminum foil
instead. ;)

Bruce

[Jim Becker]

You can probably do it as glenn point out from his experience. Do be aware that you could have "flaking" as you take off the surface, although that may not present a problem for you given the planed side will be hidden. That said...I wouldn't do it. Too much damage/wear to the knives will likely result and knives probably cost more than acquiring the correct thickness material.

[Doyle Alley]

Without going into details as to why I'd want to...How would running
1/4", (actually 7/32") Masonite through my Dewalt 735 planer effect
the planer blades? I want the Masonite to be down to 3/16"
Bruce
You might want to check the big box stores. I was looking for 1/4" tempored hardboard yesterday and both stores now only stock 3/16".

[Kevin Herber]

Perhaps a local cabinet shop would run it through their sander for you....

-- Kevin