I shape some of my own shortboards wih hand planers as a hobby. This takes FOREVER! I can’t afford the extinct Skil 100 and don’t really want to buy the Clark Foam modified Hitachi right now either. Is there really any difference between power planers like Makita or other brands I see on ebay for $30-80 and the one’s specified above? Will the cheap-o’s work adequetly, or will they take huge chunks out of the foam?
I shape some of my own shortboards wih hand planers as a hobby. This takes > FOREVER! I can’t afford the extinct Skil 100 and don’t really want to buy > the Clark Foam modified Hitachi right now either. Is there really any > difference between power planers like Makita or other brands I see on ebay > for $30-80 and the one’s specified above? Will the cheap-o’s work > adequetly, or will they take huge chunks out of the foam? Rob, I use a Black and Decker planer that cost me £40 quid over here in England, and it worked just fine. Its a moulded plastic unit thats light enough not to leave your arms hanging off if your doing a big board, but not so light that it skips over the bumps. I was chatting to someone about planers and they said that because the cheaper units don’t have sealed bearings, that the foam dust will eventually clogg them up and ruin the planer. However I reckon you could get fifty+ boards out of it no probs, so if your not doing it for a living and doing hundreds a year then, it will save you shed loads of elbow power. If you’re gonna go for it and make a living at it, get saving those dollars. Have fun Peaman
Rob, I use a Black and Decker planer that cost me £40 quid over here in > England, and it worked just fine. Its a moulded plastic unit thats light > enough not to leave your arms hanging off if your doing a big board, but > not so light that it skips over the bumps. I was chatting to someone about > planers and they said that because the cheaper units don’t have sealed > bearings, that the foam dust will eventually clogg them up and ruin the > planer. However I reckon you could get fifty+ boards out of it no probs, > so if your not doing it for a living and doing hundreds a year then, it > will save you shed loads of elbow power. If you’re gonna go for it and > make a living at it, get saving those dollars.>>> Have fun>>> Peaman Sorry, it was a Bosch.
Sorry, it was a Bosch. Almost any planer will work in the begining, the biggest problem most begining shapers have is taking tooooooooo big a cuts. If the tool is run with the front shoe nearly closed, the end result will be much more pleasing and and cleaner. About the only time full depth cuts are needed is for reducing the blank to thickness , after that, it back to micro cuts for the for the tuning.
Unless you an industry shaper a less expense planer will do fine. I used a cheap-o Black and Decker for years until I switched to a DeWalt. I like the knob handle and high power of a DeWalt. It helps keep me from making mistakes by having the lack of easy adjustment. The DeWalt has more uses than just shaping boards.>>> I shape some of my own shortboards wih hand planers as a hobby. This takes > FOREVER! I can’t afford the extinct Skil 100 and don’t really want to buy > the Clark Foam modified Hitachi right now either. Is there really any > difference between power planers like Makita or other brands I see on ebay > for $30-80 and the one’s specified above? Will the cheap-o’s work > adequetly, or will they take huge chunks out of the foam? http://www.viser.net/~anthwind/
Thank you everyone for your responses. I am going to check out some features of several planers today. Cheers, Rob
Rob, I’m getting a Clark and have a black and decker that I’ll sell you if you’re interested. Got about 7 boards on it then started using a friend’s Clark.
I shape some of my own shortboards wih hand planers as a hobby. This takes > FOREVER! I can’t afford the extinct Skil 100 and don’t really want to buy > the Clark Foam modified Hitachi right now either. Is there really any > difference between power planers like Makita or other brands I see on ebay > for $30-80 and the one’s specified above? Will the cheap-o’s work > adequetly, or will they take huge chunks out of the foam? I wish I would have gone ahead and just ordered the clark when I started…Spend a dollar to save a dime. The modified Clark works!
I wish I would have gone ahead and just ordered the clark when I > started…Spend a dollar to save a dime. The modified Clark works! The hitachi does work, but how do you keep the depth adjustment fixed when you don’t want to vary the depth of cut. The udjustment is sensitive.
I just bought an el cheapo planer. It has only an 1/12 of an inch cutting depth and that anoying clicking when you adjust the depth. However, although the adjustment is 180 degrees on the knob from top to bottom, because of the design 99% of the depth ajustment can be made with as little as 90 degrees turning on the knob. And it cuts eps like a charm. I’m stoked! regards, Håvard
The hitachi does work, but how do you keep the depth adjustment fixed when > you don’t want to vary the depth of cut. The udjustment is sensitive. Soon you will begin to “feel” the depth of the cut by the harmonics the blades are making on the foam. Once you have a good sense of how open the throat is, you hold onto the knob firmly (guys, we’re all good at that!), the cut will stay fairly steady. That’s thing about knobs, they’re sensitive.