Floor vs Benchtop planer

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I haven't worked with white oak in about three years and now I'm making an entertainment center to match the display cabinet I built at that time. The cabinet was a PITA because I got some chip out with my Delta Benchtop Planer on the white oak. Since then I bought a 15" Jet and got rid of the Delta. Now I'm getting lots of chip out, in fact I can't get a decent board anything over 40" long. I get lots of chip out every place the grain switches directions. I know white oak is brittle and sometimes hard to work with but this is crazy. That brings me to the crux of the question. I like the extra width and durability of the Jet, but the cut quality just isn't up to the benchtop planers I've used. Would I be crazy to go back to a benchtop unit?

[Todd Burch]

Dennis, when was the last time you sharpened your knives? When grain reverses, it is possible to get chipout even with sharp knives, but dull knives will guarantee it. Take a sharpening stone, diamond hone, whatever you have, and hone the knives real quick while they are still on the machine and see if that helps any. Maybe 10 to 12 passes per knife should make a difference. I've gotten to the point that I'll hone my knives a few times between sharpenings to extend their life. And, if you think about it, there is no reason to regrind if just a little honing will bring back acceptable performance.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Todd, the knives just came back from the sharpening service a month ago. Can't have more than a couple hundred board feet through the planer since then.

[Eric Sanford]

you might try dampening the board prior to running it through...sometimes that helps. skewing the board, if possible, and/or taking smaller cuts can help, too, sometimes


and if that doesn't work, time to get out a hand plane

Eric

[Byron Trantham]

Dennis, I agree with Todd, sharp is mandatory. You already indicated that the knives are sharp. The next thing is thin passes. I would try this. Once you find a board that is tearing out, pass it back through with small increments. If your passes have been too deep, this should show a difference. I had a Delta 12 1/2" and the only time it did this was when the blades needed to be flipped over or I was too aggressive in the depth of cut.

The length shouldn't have too much to do with it. Usually long boards that are not supported correctly will exhibt snipe rather than tear out.

Good luck.

[Ted Shrader]

I. . . .Would I be crazy to go back to a benchtop unit?

Dennis -

I have both. Started with a Ryobi AP-12. Got a 15" Powermatic after I burned up the drive belt on the Ryobi. I use the PM 15" when there is a lot of wood to be planed. Those planers will run all day. If I only have one or two boards to run through or need really smooth cut, I pull out the lunchbox. ('Spose it is time to change the 15" knives I guess.)

When I got the 15" planer, thought about selling the lunchbox. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't.

Ted

[Ian Barley]

I can't speak for the specifics of your machines but generally the "lunchbox" planers get the energy they need to make the cut by developing very high rotational speed while the cutter head has relatively low mass. The bigger floorstanding machine probably spins a heavier head somewhat slower.

On the basis that rotation/feed speed gives the "length" of each sweep of blade over timber I would be willing to bet (not much and certainly none of my own cash you'll understand) that the lunchbox will give you a shorter sweep and **probably** less tear out. This assumes that all other things are equal such as blade sharpness etc.

Can you drop the feed speed on the Jet?

I tend to change HSS blades out after a couple of hundred board feet because I consider them to be too dull. This is especially true with Iroko but pretty much applies when I am using Oak as well (I use French Oak and the grain there can be pretty wild at times as well). It's not that they won't do the job, it's more that I end up spending too much time sanding to get the right kind of finish.

[Todd Burch]

Dennis,

Humor me. Try honing them. You have nothing to lose!!

Todd

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I'll give it a try Todd. I bought one of those "in machine honing" thingies and have never used it. I'd really rather have an excuse to mount a dewalt 735 on top of the Jet........

[Stan Smith]

Yo Dennis, I feel your pain. I had a 12" Delta portable. It was mounted on a pull out on casters under my workbench. That was sort of a pain in the neck/back, if you know what I mean. Then I got a 13" Jet cabinet planer that also has molding capabilities. I hardly every use it since I got my Performax 16-32 sander. I'v e never used the molding operation. I'm getting an 8" jointer this month and with a good bandsaw for resawing, I don't even know when I'll use my Jet planer again. So, I'm thinking of selling it and going back to a portable.

Stan

[Michael Ballent]

Besides honing, you could try putting a back bevel on the knives ala Dave Marks with his jointer... Not sure if it is possible, but worth a shot as well...

-Michael