Does anyone know if such a thing exists? Most planers seem to have bases around 300mm in length. Does a planer with a much smaller base, say 200mm in length or less exist? I ask because I think a planer with such a short base would be quite good for rail bands. Is there such a beast or would I have to modify an existing one?
http://www.capellemanmachines.be/schaafmachine_modelbouw_boehler.htm
It’s 25mm wide and cuts to 1 mm deep. Should take a week to do railbands on a longboard 
LOL!!
This is the best I could come up with. Looks a tad wide to me.
Some time ago, someone posted photos of those: (Rockwell, old stuff)
Why do you need a short planer?I just turn the base at an angle as I go up in to the nose rocker.You can cut a clean line using this technique. rb
Hey I still have one of those little shorty Rockwells. It has a helical HSS blade, 1-7/8" wide. Good though little, it was the first planer I used. Depth adjustable IIRC. It hasn’t seen the light of day for years, but I know it’s there.
Yeah, angling any normal size planer is usually enough for the rails and top forward where deck rocker comes in. Otherwise, well, that’s why you have arms and hands with opposed thumbs.
Aloha Deanbo:
Wow! that is interesting looking, does it have a curved base or does the base stop right behind the blade. Sure would like to know a little more about that planer. Also it looks like it is a Makita is that correct?
For all my planers I always have shortened the bases to a length that I like. The only planer that I have used, that started out with a short base, was the original Clark modified Hitachi which had a fairly short base.
-Robin
Quote:
Aloha Deanbo:
Wow! that is interesting looking, does it have a curved base or does the base stop right behind the blade. Sure would like to know a little more about that planer. Also it looks like it is a Makita is that correct?
Looks like you are right, and it is a curved-base Makita. I was interested in it, too, and found this stuff.
general info page at makita: http://www.makita.com/menu.php?pg=product_det&tag=1002BA
Owners manual: http://www.makita.com/assets_product/1002BA/owners_manuals/1002.pdf
Buy it at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Makita-Curved-Base-Planer-1002BA/dp/B000I0XNN8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1205980017&sr=1-1
Aloha etmo:
Yes! I also got more and more interested so I did some googling and found it as well. I was interested to see that the curve in the base appeared to be adjustable to different radiuses. Really fascinating! Not sure how I would use one but it was interesting!
-Robin
Lowes in Hawaii carrys this planer from a company called GMC from Australia called a “palm planer” small enough to used with just one hand. I think it’s way less than $100. DOn’t know about the blades though.
looks like its for doing trim and doors
website with review:
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/gmcPPMPalmPlaner.htm
picture in hand:
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/GMCPPMPalmPlaner/GMCPPMpowerplaner8.jpg
I bought that mini power planer from greatplanes shown in post one. It uses 1.5"-2" spiral blades. I bought it to clean up my wood hollow skeleton bones before putting on the skins. I’d rather have a specialized linn-nielsen hand planer but some of them cost more than a skil 100. Then again a festools planer to go with my C22 vacuum would be nice and clean.
Sure would be nice to have a CNC at home to cut out all your kookbox bones so that you don’t have to clean them up before and after assemble… Must’ve been playing with them lincoln logs too much in my youth.