Art Mulder
Member
- Messages
- 3,383
- Location
- London, Ontario
Howdy Folks,
I’ve owned a DeWalt DW735 planer for about seven years now. The planer comes with a hex key (allen key) tool for removing the cover and changing the planer blades. There is a nice spot right on the top of the planer where the hex key is stored.
This is good design in that it always keeps the key with your tool, so it is right where you need it.
But for a flip-top stand, it is also a bad design, since when you turn the top over, the tool will just fall out. I have had my planer on a fliptop tool stand almost since the day I bought it. I’ve managed to NOT lose the key, but I thought that there had to be a better way.
If you take the top off of the planer, you will notice that there is actually quite a lot of open space inside there. (indicated with the red arrow) Not only that, but as there is a dust shroud over the planer head, the inside of the planer is quite safe and secure. And finally, there happens to be a piece of plastic webbing on the underside of the lid (indicated by the blue arrow) right beside the hole where the hex key sits.
I came up with this piece of artistically cut and drilled scrap plywood. I inserted a small rare earth magnet and sealed it in place with some five minute epoxy.
With the plywood fastened to the webbing, the rare earth magnet is positioned so that the shaft of the hex key tool slides right alongside it, so the magnet will hold it in place.
Problem solved.
Here is my planer, hanging upside down in my fliptop stand, and the hex key is now held securely in place.
(more details about my fliptop stand are on my website if you are interested.)
I’ve owned a DeWalt DW735 planer for about seven years now. The planer comes with a hex key (allen key) tool for removing the cover and changing the planer blades. There is a nice spot right on the top of the planer where the hex key is stored.
This is good design in that it always keeps the key with your tool, so it is right where you need it.
But for a flip-top stand, it is also a bad design, since when you turn the top over, the tool will just fall out. I have had my planer on a fliptop tool stand almost since the day I bought it. I’ve managed to NOT lose the key, but I thought that there had to be a better way.
If you take the top off of the planer, you will notice that there is actually quite a lot of open space inside there. (indicated with the red arrow) Not only that, but as there is a dust shroud over the planer head, the inside of the planer is quite safe and secure. And finally, there happens to be a piece of plastic webbing on the underside of the lid (indicated by the blue arrow) right beside the hole where the hex key sits.
I came up with this piece of artistically cut and drilled scrap plywood. I inserted a small rare earth magnet and sealed it in place with some five minute epoxy.
With the plywood fastened to the webbing, the rare earth magnet is positioned so that the shaft of the hex key tool slides right alongside it, so the magnet will hold it in place.
Problem solved.
Here is my planer, hanging upside down in my fliptop stand, and the hex key is now held securely in place.
(more details about my fliptop stand are on my website if you are interested.)
