Hey all,
I’m completely new to shaping. I’ve only made one board with hand tools. I’ve looked at some power planers for a point down the road. I’ve seen the $900 Accurate and Skil planers. I cannot justify that price to myself. And I’ve also seen the non modified planer for $80 that cannot attach to a vacuum and does not open/close, but I figured why not buy something one time that I can grow into. But there are still price differences between the modified plastic planers. What makes one planer better than the next?
$200 https://shapersupply.com/collections/surfboard-planers/products/modified-makita-planer
$215 https://shapersupply.com/collections/surfboard-planers/products/modified-wen-surfboard-planer
$400 https://shapersupply.com/collections/surfboard-planers/products/modified-hitachi-surfboard-planer
$500 https://shapersupply.com/collections/surfboard-planers/products/modified-bosch-planer
If I was going to buy one those planers, I’d get the Makita. I have the modified Bosch and I like it, but I think the Makita will have better support over the long term. I wouldn’t buy the Wen planer.
I also use 2 other non modified very inexpensive wood planers. I learned with them so I have my techniques to make it work, but the on the fly adjustable shoe on a modified planer makes shaping much easier to get good results.
Buy something that will last because you’ll be training your body to use it and switching between different planers will require adjusting to a different a hand positioning and feel.
People tend to get super hyped on shaping for a few boards then it fades. It’s not easy.
If you don’t know if you’ll like it or not or how much you do it - I’d get a wen. If your still at it after a year - sell it for 100 bucks and buy a real planer.
Low investment to see if it’s for you or not.
Down the line I’d opt for a nice skil or one of those Makita.
What makes one better than the other - quality! Ergonomics, power, parts etc… (Also front shoe depending on who you ask)
There is no way I woud buy the modified Wen Planer for over $200. Good grief. Its a $40 planer with some mods. Here is a link to it at Home Depot. Buy it and make a few boards with it unmodified. If you decide to get into it look up youTube videos on modifying planers and modify it yourself. This thing unmodified will be just fine for a complete beginner.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-6-Amp-3-1-4-in-Corded-Hand-Planer-6530/205688956
Aloha DublAK2,
As a new to shaping greenie, you don’t need a planer with ALL the whistles and bells. Get an unmodified WEN, go to the local Vacuum Repair Shop, and get a salvaged long electrical cord. Or go to HD and get an extension cord, and attach that to the WEN. If changing out the cord is too challenging, perhaps shaping won’t be your thing. Learn the basics, with the WEN. You are not going to be adjusting your cuts '‘on the fly’'so don’t worry about having a short turn on the knob to adjust the cut depth. Take it slow and steady. If you later want to upscale to a Skil etc, then the WEN becomes your backup planer, or what you use on doors or decks. The WEN is a VW, the Skil 100, is a Mercedes. You’ll know when you’re ready to make the change up.
I was never gunna sink a few hundred into a planer until I had a few boards under my belt. I just want to learn about planers.
The base model for the WEN is $40 on Amazon. The hitachi is $130 and the Makita is $200 before modification. What’s the difference? I see the Wen and Hitachi even have the same amp value.
i was gunna hand tool a few more boards but then again the Wen is only $40. Hmmmmmmmmm decisions…
When I started out many moons ago I made a number of boards with an unmodified Ryobi. A planer will really help you get better results…modified or not.
What kind of foam are you shaping? If you get poly blanks that are close tolerance, you wouldn’t need a power planer. If you use block or slab cut EPS, it will help a lot.
Watch this guy’s youtube channel, he’s got a lot of good information. Here’s a clip about the new Hitachi, new modified Wen, and shaping without power tools.
My first planer was a nice 3 blade that my dad had. It got messed up by EPS beads getting into the belts and melting them. I was able to get backup belts and saved the planer, but it wasn’t good for surfboards so I got a cheap Ryobi and I still use that one. I attached a PVC elbow to blow the exhaust up and into a vacuum hose. You need to think about the vacuum hose and how it is set up. If it runs across the board you can mess up the rails.
Okay, well if I were to invest in the $40 Wen. I already own a shop vac. I’m assuming I buy a longer vac house that fits the 2.5” hookup. I have some bike hooks I can hang the hose onto garage beams. I assume I buy some sort of adapter to fit the dust exhaust port, but what do i do to redirect the exhaust port upward?
A pvc elbow? What’s a good size?
Measure the outside diameter of the exhaust port then go to a hardware store and get one of these that will fit over the port. Shove that ont the port and connect the other end to the hose. I have a small pipe in my hose that fits onto the elbow.
Hooking up to a vaccume is only necessary if you’re worried about making a mess. For a beginner I’d recommend not hooking up to a vaccume for a few boards until you have a good feel for using the planer. I’d rather never be hooked up to a hose. Using the planer will be challenging enough for a beginner without fighting a hose.
