Planer Operation Question -

Doug DeVore

Member
Messages
106
Location
Southern, Illinois
This maybe a silly question, but do the larger 3HP planers not have positive stops on them? My old lunchbox\portable planer had a great positive stop on it. I would just set it at 3/4" and rock and roll until the head bumped up against the stop. On this new Delta 22-790, I have to keep an eye on the progress of each board. With a positive stop all boards were identical thickness, but this having to dial in each board makes them ever so slightly different.....and really annoying.

Thanks,
doug
 
Maybe I'm missing something here, but that wouldn't be unusual! When I mill the parts for an item, I get them to rough dimension on the table saw or band saw. After I have all components of a specific target dimension together, I run them through the planer one after the other. I don't have a problem with variations following that procedure.
 
All boards run through at the same setting, lower the head, run all boards through again, lower the head ... when final thickness is reached, all boards are the same.
 
Thanks guys.

I do usually run them as a group, but every now and then, I need to come back and plane something else for the project. That usually happens because I screwed something up :p. With the stop, I was ensured they were always identical. Just something I took for granted and figured it would be on a nicer machine.

I looked at the a wixey digital and think I will go that route. They seemed reasonably priced, but until then I will use a caliper....
 
Thanks guys.

I do usually run them as a group, but every now and then, I need to come back and plane something else for the project. That usually happens because I screwed something up :p. With the stop, I was ensured they were always identical.

Right you are. Getting a group of boards to the same thickness is a no-brainer. Making a replacement part or an additional piece 3 days later is where the DRO helps you out. I have the Wixey on my lunchbox although I have not used it since I got the floor model. The absence of the DRO was immediatly felt and I did as shown in the preveious post/link.

I went with the Grizzly DRO as the Wixey maxes out at 6" and my planer maxes out at 8". I rarely plane real thick material but, in self defense I got the longer unit. Now that I have it I will NEVER plane anything thicker than 6" of course :D
 
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