15" planer snipe

[Jay Goddard]

For those who own or have used the 15" floor model planers (Delta, Jet, Grizzly, etc.): What has been your experience with snipe? Are these larger planers better, worse, or the same as the benchtop models?

Other than extra planing width, what are the primary benefits for going with this type of planer?

Thanks,

Jay

[Phil Phelps]

I bought a large planer because of mass, hp, and four knives. Longer beds help eliminate snipe, along with lowering you bed rollers to a maximum of .003.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

We run a Grizzly 20" (1033) at the mesquite outfit. The snipe correction adjustment isn't difficult. The blade changes (4) are simple, and the blade setting jig they provide does a fine job. It has two speeds (16 and 20' per minute), and slowing it down makes a noticeable difference in the 'finish' of the cut. I've used several big-name industrial planers over the years, and frankly, I think the Grizzly does every bit as good a job as any of them. That said, I think my DeWalt planer leaves a better finish...even with blades that probably need to be changed.

I've used a couple PM 15", and JET 15", and all of them literally scream...much louder than the Grizzly 20. Looking at the pictures, the Grizzly 15 looks awfully similar to the PM/JET.

So here's my take on the whole thing...if you feel like you need the extra width of the 15", spend a few more bucks and get a 20". You'll be surprised at how often you'd like to have one even wider once you have it...but not as often as you'll wish you had more than 15". The benefit I see from going wider to begin with is the ability to plane a panel once you've glued it up...and 15" just isn't that much more than 12-1/2 or 13" you can get with the lunchbox...20" is.

KC

[Martin Shupe]

I went to the Marc Adams school in July for the blanket chest class, taught by Kelly Mehler. I really enjoyed it, learned a lot, and will post pictures when I get them back. If anyone is considering going there, I would highly recommend it. The only bad part is that he is a victim of his own excellence, and it may be difficult to get the class you want due to the extremely high level of returning students. Having said this, I will go back for at least one class a year for the forseeable future. Marc runs a truly first class operation in all respects.

Someone asked Marc about snipe. He said (paraphrasing here), that it is not worth the time and effort to align the planer to totally eliminate snipe, because once the blades get a little used, it would (theoretically) need to be realigned. He also did not like rollers on planers, and covered his with melamine, laminated to hardboard so that it was exactly one inch thick. So, let me explain his better. He takes a piece of melamine 3/4 inch thick, laminates it to 1/4 inch hardboard to make the thickness one inch thick (in order to read the thickness scale easier), then cuts it to the width of the planer, and long enough for infeed and outfeed. He screws or glues an extra one inch piece to the "front end" to hook against the rollers so it will stay put. Then he runs boards through the planer on top of the melamine. That way he does not have to have the rollers in perfect alignment. He even made a plastic alignment device to attach to the thickness gauge so you wouldn't have to compute the one inch.

So...what do you do about snipe? You cut your boards long enough to account for it, then cut the snipe off when you cut the boards to final length.

I have a 15" Delta planer, and while I have tried to eliminate the snipe, I still have a barely perceptible amount. So, I agree with Marc. Just cut it off.

I sure would like a 20, or maybe even a 24 inch planer, but I think I need a shop first.

[Phil Phelps]

[QUOTE=Kirk (KC) Constable]We run a Grizzly 20" (1033) at the mesquite outfit. The snipe correction adjustment isn't difficult. The blade changes (4) are simple, and the blade setting jig they provide does a fine job. It has two speeds (16 and 20' per minute), and slowing it down makes a noticeable difference in the 'finish' of the cut. I've used several big-name industrial planers over the years, and frankly, I think the Grizzly does every bit as good a job as any of them. That said, I think my DeWalt planer leaves a better finish...even with blades that probably need to be changed.

He uses this machine in business and what he says is true enough. It is by far the best investment, for the money (and then some), I have made. Maybe some folks don't like green