DW735 Safety Question

[Joe Close]

Does anyone "know" what the minimum length for a price of wood that could be run through a DW735. I've searched the manual over and over, even online w/ search functions, and can not find any reference to this. Or maybe I'm missing it. It seems to me, that there should be a minimum length that one would not want to try and pass through the planer.

[Carl Fox]

Does anyone "know" what the minimum length for a price of wood that could be run through a DW735. I've searched the manual over and over, even online w/ search functions, and can not find any reference to this. Or maybe I'm missing it. It seems to me, that there should be a minimum length that one would not want to try and pass through the planer.

If you want to be safe, glue a couple of 2' long pieces of poplar to the sides of shorter pieces. This will increase safety, and prevent snipe. The will overhang both the front and the back of the piece to be worked, effectively making it 2' long

[Mike SoRelle]

Does anyone "know" what the minimum length for a price of wood that could be run through a DW735. I've searched the manual over and over, even online w/ search functions, and can not find any reference to this. Or maybe I'm missing it. It seems to me, that there should be a minimum length that one would not want to try and pass through the planer.

Confirmed in manual:

Page 3 bullet #7 Never plane material which is shorter than 12 inches.


Mike

[Joe Close]

Confirmed in manual:

Page 3 bullet #7 Never plane material which is shorter than 12 inches.


Mike

Excellent.

I scanned for "length", "minimum", and a few other key words, but never for "shorter"...:(

Thank you very much Mike!

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

on page 3 of the manual, under the 'safety rules'.


• Never plane material which is shorter than 12 inches.

[Curt Doles]

Hey Carl,

A good trick you suggested, gluing up a carrier.
Thanks,
Curt

[Tim Marks]

I have had no problems planning materials much shorter then that.

Not really about safety, it just doesn't work when you get to less then 4-6" or so because it gets stuck between rollers and carves a nice round pit in the wood before you can turn the machine off and reclaim it.

[Lee Koepke]

I think the general idea is not to have a piece smaller than the distance between the rollers. If you do, use a 'carrier' board ..or some longer pieces attached to the desired finished piece to span the rollers.

[Jake Helmboldt]

I have had no problems planning materials much shorter then that.

Not really about safety, it just doesn't work when you get to less then 4-6" or so because it gets stuck between rollers and carves a nice round pit in the wood before you can turn the machine off and reclaim it.


WHOA! Not so fast.
Not to be a safety nazi, but that statement could get someone hurt. It is about safety because those short pieces are the ones much more likely to get kicked back. It is precisely because of the reason you mention; the feed rollers aren't engaging while the knives are.