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View Full Version : to plane or not to plane


aurelio alarcon
11-12-2003, 2:52 AM
Anyone here use a hand held power planer? If so, what type of applications do you use it for. Is it a good investment for someone who mainly works at home? Or is it more beneficial for someone who works on site?
Todd Burch
11-12-2003, 7:42 AM
I have one. I've had it for 5 years. I've used it twice - the second time was just this last Saturday. We've had a bedroom door sticking ever since we bought our new house (11/2001) and the builder's warranty department's attempt at fixing it failed. I took the door off, took it outside and took a few passes with the Makita power planer and that solved the problem.

It's difficult to handle when used so infrequently. I'm sure using it more, I would get used to it and be able to handle it with a deft hand. (I would make an analogy to a hand held belt sander in this regard.)

Todd.
Jim Becker
11-12-2003, 9:32 AM
This particular tool is best suited to carpentry rather than "fine woodworking". (IMHO of course) The short bed makes it impractical for edge jointing with any precision, but it's great for shaving off doors faster than an hand plane as Todd mentions.

I did "try out" the Festool planer when Bob visited a few weeks ago and it was a nice machine. They offer a fence for it that would allow a crafter to use it as a small jointer...but honestly, it would be pretty costly for that particular application!
aurelio alarcon
11-12-2003, 9:15 PM
I will pass on getting a power hand held planer and put the money to good use else wheres.
Byron Trantham
11-13-2003, 7:37 AM
My brother-in-law has one and he used it to trim the edges of a cabinet he was installing so it would fit tight against the wall. You know, push the cabinet up against the wall and scribe the line for a tighter fit? Anyway, it worked really well for that application.
Mike Cutler
11-13-2003, 9:00 AM
I have a Dewalt hand power planer, and like the rest I find it's real intended function is for rough carpentry, planing doors and squaring up wall studs in my 90 year old house. I did use it once for the some initial "rough" face planing but other than that it just sits in the cabinet.