Planer question

I am planning on building my first board, and as much as I would like to have the best tools for the job I can’t always afford top quality. I found a really cheap planer (around $75.00) made by Craftsman and I was wondering if it would work. Also, what is the depth you want your planer to be able to cut? In no way am I looking to do any production work, its more for my enjoyment. If this planer won’t work what is a good inexpensive planer to get? Thanks everyone for your input

I am planning on building my first board, and as much as I would like to > have the best tools for the job I can’t always afford top quality. I found > a really cheap planer (around $75.00) made by Craftsman and I was > wondering if it would work. Also, what is the depth you want your planer > to be able to cut? In no way am I looking to do any production work, its > more for my enjoyment. If this planer won’t work what is a good > inexpensive planer to get?>>> Thanks everyone for your input I understand your views on spending, but if youre gonna spend $75 for the Craftsman, I’d recommend dishing out the extra bucks and get the modified Hitachi from Clark Foam. It was designed for the job at hand. I started out with some inexpensive Black and Decker planer then ended up getting the Hitachi anyway. This way you’ll skip one step in getting something that works better.

I’ll vouch for foamdust’s response. However, if you don’t know if you want to shape even as a hobby…yet, then try shaping the entire board with a sureform. It is a lot of elbow grease power but it will introduce you to your secondhand man, the sureform! Anoyher thing to consider is buying a real cheapy Chicago brand planer for about 35-50 bucks. It will work for you.

I am planning on building my first board, and as much as I would like to > have the best tools for the job I can’t always afford top quality. I found > a really cheap planer (around $75.00) made by Craftsman and I was > wondering if it would work. Also, what is the depth you want your planer > to be able to cut? In no way am I looking to do any production work, its > more for my enjoyment. If this planer won’t work what is a good > inexpensive planer to get?>>> Thanks everyone for your input Hey P.V. You can always just peddle on down to your local thrift shop, ask the girl behind the counter to show you one of those older dusty second hand Skill 100 planers that people have donated. Kick down a few bucks, and your out of there. Get it home, get out dads hack saw and lop of the bed just behind the handle, hog out the depth control slider slot at each end, pull the shoe off (it’s easy) unscrew that clicker plate, toss it in the can, file the hacksaw edges smooth, tin snip the crossface off the chip chute, tape the trigger to the on position, tuck the cord in the back of your pants, get a grip on it, plug it in, and shazzam, your blank will be foam dust, lick-ity split. Oh By The Way, don’t forget to unplug the cord. Good luck! We’ll see ya

Hey P.V. You can always just peddle on down to your local thrift shop, ask > the girl behind the counter to show you one of those older dusty second > hand Skill 100 planers that people have donated. Kick down a few bucks, > and your out of there. Get it home, get out dads hack saw and lop of the > bed just behind the handle, hog out the depth control slider slot at each > end, pull the shoe off (it’s easy) unscrew that clicker plate, toss it in > the can, file the hacksaw edges smooth, tin snip the crossface off the > chip chute, tape the trigger to the on position, tuck the cord in the back > of your pants, get a grip on it, plug it in, and shazzam, your blank will > be foam dust, lick-ity split. Oh By The Way, don’t forget to unplug the > cord. Good luck! We’ll see ya yo magic . i bet your so cute.

I’ll vouch for foamdust’s response. However, if you don’t know if you want > to shape even as a hobby…yet, then try shaping the entire board with a > sureform. It is a lot of elbow grease power but it will introduce you to > your secondhand man, the sureform! Anoyher thing to consider is buying a > real cheapy Chicago brand planer for about 35-50 bucks. It will work for > you. I just bought the Chicago Electric Hitachi knockoff. How do I cut the front plate? How can I make the adjuster knob work easier, more accurate?

I’ll vouch for foamdust’s response. However, if you don’t know if you want > to shape even as a hobby…yet, then try shaping the entire board with a > sureform. It is a lot of elbow grease power but it will introduce you to > your secondhand man, the sureform! Anoyher thing to consider is buying a > real cheapy Chicago brand planer for about 35-50 bucks. It will work for > you. Thanks for all of your input. Excuse my ignorance but, how do you use the sureform for this type of work? For example, skinning the blank. It seems like it would be impossible to keep a relativly smooth surface. Thanks again, P.V.

if you don’t have an electric planer just get a good block plane and sharpen it up and that’ll work. save the surform for rails/nose/tail foiling.

Noodle: I bought and still use the Chicago planer on short boards. I didn’t cut anything off the front shoe but I did modify it to avoid gouges etc. Fill the chamfer (v-groove)with bondo or whatever and sand smooth then smooth the outboard edges of the shoe and base with a light belt sanding or just some other means. I rounded off the leading edges pretty good. The adjuster is a problem. If you can get a modified Clark Hitachi knob like Jim suggested then that is the ticket. They stone walled me on ordering the knob- I didn’t have a history with them of ever ordering a planer. The problem with the knob is that the threads are too coarse. In order to remedy this you would have to replace the screw and the bolt molded into the knob with something finer. The quick response handle on the Hitachi could be duplicated by melting/drilling a tight hole with a 1/8" or so metal dowel through it. I tossed the foam spacer to get a little more depth out of the front shoe. Tom>>> I just bought the Chicago Electric Hitachi knockoff. How do I cut the > front plate? How can I make the adjuster knob work easier, more accurate?

Thanks for all of your input. Excuse my ignorance but, how do you use the > sureform for this type of work? For example, skinning the blank. It seems > like it would be impossible to keep a relativly smooth surface.>>> Thanks again, P.V. Cut outside templates from 1/4" plywood. I make three rail templates, an upper one, a lower one, and a whole one. After cutting your board outline, use a pencil to lightly mark the intended rail vertical tangent line all around the blank. Take the rail foam down, checking the foam form with the templates as you shape. Also, Eyeball your rails for symmetry. You can make shaping blocks out of 1x4’s. Buy some of the 1/2" thick backpacking foam pads. Glue foam pads to the wood with contact cement. Get some sandpaper from a wood floor supply store and glue it to the foam. Make 3 blocks, 18" to 24" long, with 40, 60, and 100 grit sandpaper. Start with 40 grit and switch to 60 grit, then 100 grit paper as you get closer to shape. Your sanding blocks will help even out the shape. Before you glass thoroughly blow the sanding dust out of the blank.

Noodle:>>> I bought and still use the Chicago planer on short boards. I didn’t cut > anything off the front shoe but I did modify it to avoid gouges etc. Fill > the chamfer (v-groove)with bondo or whatever and sand smooth then smooth > the outboard edges of the shoe and base with a light belt sanding or just > some other means. I rounded off the leading edges pretty good. The > adjuster is a problem. If you can get a modified Clark Hitachi knob like > Jim suggested then that is the ticket. They stone walled me on ordering > the knob- I didn’t have a history with them of ever ordering a planer. The > problem with the knob is that the threads are too coarse. In order to > remedy this you would have to replace the screw and the bolt molded into > the knob with something finer. The quick response handle on the Hitachi > could be duplicated by melting/drilling a tight hole with a 1/8" or > so metal dowel through it. I tossed the foam spacer to get a little more > depth out of the front shoe.>>> Tom Thanks Tom. I’ll probably cut the corners off the existing shoe and bevel the resulting edge. I’ll probably draw a circle centered at the back of the plate. I like your idea of filling that groove. I’ll probably use diatamaceous earth and epoxy. Also, somebody else suggested using axle grease on the bolt threads. -Noodle

Cut outside templates from 1/4" plywood. I make three rail templates, > an upper one, a lower one, and a whole one. After cutting your board > outline, use a pencil to lightly mark the intended rail vertical tangent > line all around the blank. Take the rail foam down, checking the foam form > with the templates as you shape. Also, Eyeball your rails for symmetry.>>> You can make shaping blocks out of 1x4’s. Buy some of the 1/2" thick > backpacking foam pads. Glue foam pads to the wood with contact cement. Get > some sandpaper from a wood floor supply store and glue it to the foam. > Make 3 blocks, 18" to 24" long, with 40, 60, and 100 grit > sandpaper. Start with 40 grit and switch to 60 grit, then 100 grit paper > as you get closer to shape.>>> Your sanding blocks will help even out the shape. Before you glass > thoroughly blow the sanding dust out of the blank. Thanks for the great advice, I’ll do it. P.V.

I was side tracked while posting the reply above. The existing threads are too FINE a superior mod would be to rethread with a more COARSE thread. Not suggesting you go this far first, axle grease or good lithium grease is worth a try, also chase the existing threads with the same size tap and die to clean them up. Good luck! Tom>>> Thanks Tom. I’ll probably cut the corners off the existing shoe and bevel > the resulting edge. I’ll probably draw a circle centered at the back of > the plate. I like your idea of filling that groove. I’ll probably use > diatamaceous earth and epoxy. Also, somebody else suggested using axle > grease on the bolt threads.>>> -Noodle

I was side tracked while posting the reply above. The existing threads are > too FINE a superior mod would be to rethread with a more COARSE thread. > Not suggesting you go this far first, axle grease or good lithium grease > is worth a try, also chase the existing threads with the same size tap and > die to clean them up. Good luck!>>> Tom Thanks, I already figured the fine/courzse thing. The fulll plate travel corresponds to about 1.5 revolutions of the ddjuster knob. Optimum would be maybe 270 degrees.

Yep! So you a gambling man? eh? good guess! Hey P.V. What ever planer you end up with after all this, remember, that it’s a gnarly tool. A miniture lawnmower that is designed to trim wood doors on construction sites. It will twist a pant leg in a second. It will take a tip of a finger off before your realize it. If you don’t have an idea of where your cord is, it will get wound up next to the blades too. A week ago I dug the cord out of one of the visiting shapers barrels who wasn’t paying enough attention. A lot of other stuff going on around that planer when you think that all there is to worry about is the skin on that blank, or the glue that they slopped here or there on the skin from the stringer. Take it with care! Oh by The Way, just a little humor there, See Pee

Actually somewhere between 180 and 270 degrees would be optimal depending on how good you can control your wrist and how far it will turn comfortably. Steve

I just bought the Chicago Electric Hitachi knockoff. How do I cut the > front plate? How can I make the adjuster knob work easier, more accurate? Good and important advice from Magic Man!! I failed to tuck my shirt tail in one day and my skill 100 literaly ate the shirt off my back! Watch those blades PLEEEEEASE!!!