does anyone know how to even out planer blades on a hitachi(clark foam) planer. I made a pass with it wide open and one side of the cut was definitly deeper than the other. It came with a wrench to losen the blades but have no idea where to go from there. THanks for any advice.
how many boards have you done with the blades? maybe it’s time to get a new set
does anyone know how to even out planer blades on a hitachi(clark foam) > planer. I made a pass with it wide open and one side of the cut was > definitly deeper than the other. It came with a wrench to losen the blades > but have no idea where to go from there. THanks for any advice. The blades need to be set flush and even with the rear part of the base.Forget the front shoe.Lay a straight edge on the rear base and set the blades parallel and even.This is a common problem with planers but easy to fix.I reset the blades every time after sharpening.If you find this confusing I will try to elaborate if needed.Another problem is that Hitachis are very light in weight and by opening it to a deep pass it may tend to “climb” as you go.You may be over compensating by applying uneven pressure causing it to tilt to one side.Lighter passes are a lot safer and more accurate…Jim Phillips makes this very clear in his posts and on his video.
how do you go about sharpening your blades?
how do you go about sharpening your blades? I have a bench grinder with an 80 grit stone on one side and a hard felt honing wheel on the other side.Its not that easy to explain and there is a lot of stuff in the archives on this subject.I use a Skil 100 so I don’t have the option of just buying new blades.You can buy replacement blades for the import planers for next to nothing.I recently found out that I can get a set of blades professionaly sharpened for $8.00 and they are perfect.A lot of guys sharpen using wet stones but it is time consuming.Try calling the local Saw Sharpening place…they are set up for it.You can also refresh the edge of the blades by using a diamond honing tool,its kinda like a little file and are cheap at knife shops…you can do this step right on the planer without going through the removal hassle.Planers run at high R.P.M."s and dont have to be “razor sharp” like block planes.As an afterthought “Fine Woodworking Magazine” has an excellent book on sharpening if you want to take it that far…you can find them on the web.