Hi all I’m after some advice on a thicknesses and planer

[Steve22]

hi I’ve got a Screwfix Titan thicknesses and planer and it’s ok but it can’t handle long bits of wood no matter how hard I try I get a wavy finish on it Or to solve it. So I’m after some advice on how to sort this out the lumber is 2.4m long it’s for frame work on my work benches. It was first time using it but tried to keep it as flat as possible also with my wife who was helping And we had to move it outside. I just haven’t sussed out how I can work it with my disability. I will probably be saving up for a new one but can’t get anything too expensive. And can’t be big or heavy as I’m in a shed and needs wheels

 

[Housey210]

wavy finish from what surface planing or thicknessing?

 

[Steve22]

wavy finish from what surface planing or thicknessing?

From the planer There new blades I think it’s me unable to keep the wood flat as it’s 2.4 meters long and bed to short I’m not sure what I can use to help keep it fla.

 

[Jacob]

hi I’ve got a Screwfix Titan thicknesses and planer and it’s ok but it can’t handle long bits of wood no matter how hard I try I get a wavy finish on it Or to solve it. So I’m after some advice on how to sort this out the lumber is 2.4m long it’s for frame work on my work benches. It was first time using it but tried to keep it as flat as possible also with my wife who was helping And we had to move it outside. I just haven’t sussed out how I can work it with my disability. I will probably be saving up for a new one but can’t get anything too expensive. And can’t be big or heavy as I’m in a shed and needs wheels

Long lengths are difficult - you need to cut to length first wherever possible.
If you really need 2.4m lengths then you need rollers to feed them in and out. Still difficult though, and no easy solutions available, but there are handling techniques.
If all else fails I often do one face and/or edge by hand and the other sides through the thicknesser.
Trying to flatten long lengths of stock is a very common beginner's mistake - cut to length first, from your cutting list. Cut longest lengths first from shortest pieces available and work down the list.

 

[Housey210]

hand feed rate too fast, slow it down. My planer has spring pressure pads, two holding work piece down onto outfeed table and one pushing into fence, simple and effective. Possibly try to fix something like feather boards to unit fence, mine will hold a 6inch piece.

 

[Steve22]

Long lengths are difficult - you need to cut to length first wherever possible.
If you really need 2.4m lengths then you need rollers to feed them in and out. Still difficult though, and no easy solutions available, but there are handling techniques.
If all else fails I often do one face and/or edge by hand and the other sides through the thicknesser.
Trying to flatten long lengths of stock is a very common beginner's mistake - cut to length first, from your cutting list. Cut longest lengths first from shortest pieces available and work down the list.

Long lengths are difficult - you need to cut to length first wherever possible.
If you really need 2.4m lengths then you need rollers to feed them in and out. Still difficult though, and no easy solutions available, but there are handling techniques.
If all else fails I often do one face and/or edge by hand and the other sides through the thicknesser.
Trying to flatten long lengths of stock is a very common beginner's mistake - cut to length first, from your cutting list. Cut longest lengths first from shortest pieces available and work down the list

ive got 8 long lengths there for the benches the others shouldn’t be too much of a problem as smaller theses are the sides of benches top and bottom. Where you say you by hand is that with a hand plane if so what one do you use Im a novice and not got many hand tools need to get some but since my strokes I get confused a lot on what I need and what I don’t so to speak. If you could possibly give me a few pointers or what I need to do it I’m learning as I go not easy as forget things

 

[Steve22]

hand feed rate too fast, slow it down. My planer has spring pressure pads, two holding work piece down onto outfeed table and one pushing into fence, simple and effective. Possibly try to fix something like feather boards to unit fence, mine will hold a 6inch piece.

I would have to use the magnetic ones as none of the others would work as my thicknesser and planer hasn’t any miter slots nor does the fence I got it second hand and it’s a cheap and rubbish but all I could afford at the time

 

[Bingy man]

I use a makita 2012nb -are the lines present along the entire length of your timber or just at each end . If it’s the entire length then maybe change the blades or Check the set up . If it’s just the ends ( snipe) then adjusting the infeed/ out feed tables should help . I also made a set of rollers for the in-feed and out feed to assist with longer lengths but I try to keep these as short as is reqd

 

[Housey210]

always scary learning woodmaching. of the wood, make sue the hollow is down onto table and take small amounts off till one constant finish, the edge does not matter at this point. the finish will vary depending on number of knives in block, cutter speed and timber feed rate in pushed in by hand. Once the board is planed do the same to the edge, hollow down but one has to make sure workpiece is up tight to fence at all times, this is where the featherboards are usefull, pressure spring guard on mine but it is a 16 x 9 unit with 5ft bed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4vl2IM1IJw

 

[Steve22]

I use a makita 2012nb -are the lines present along the entire length of your timber or just at each end . If it’s the entire length then maybe change the blades or Check the set up . If it’s just the ends ( snipe) then adjusting the infeed/ out feed tables should help . I also made a set of rollers for the in-feed and out feed to assist with longer lengths but I try to keep these as short as is reqd

Is a planer thicknesser ?

 

[Steve22]

always scary learning woodmaching. of the wood, make sue the hollow is down onto table and take small amounts off till one constant finish, the edge does not matter at this point. the finish will vary depending on number of knives in block, cutter speed and timber feed rate in pushed in by hand. Once the board is planed do the same to the edge, hollow down but one has to make sure workpiece is up tight to fence at all times, this is where the featherboards are usefull, pressure spring guard on mine but it is a 16 x 9 unit with 5ft bed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4vl2IM1IJw

Ive just got the TITAN TTB579PLN 204MM I got it second hand 2 knives don’t know speed it runs at it’s just very very loud and not sure if it’s working right as had more chipping go out the front when planing instead of going out through the extractor bit and it’s small

 

[Steve22]

Ive just got the TITAN TTB579PLN 204MM I got it second hand 2 knives don’t know speed it runs at it’s just very very loud and not sure if it’s working right as had more chipping go out the front when planing instead of going out through the extractor bit and it’s small. If I did the long bits by hand is there anything you can recommend using cheers

 

[Bingy man]

Is a planer thicknesser ?

Sorry no just a thicknesser but it works well enough- my biggest issue is space .

 

[Steve22]

Sorry no just a thicknesser but it works well enough- my biggest issue is space .

Ok cheers

 

[Jacob]

ive got 8 long lengths there for the benches the others shouldn’t be too much of a problem as smaller theses are the sides of benches top and bottom. Where you say you by hand is that with a hand plane if so what one do you use Im a novice and not got many hand tools need to get some but since my strokes I get confused a lot on what I need and what I don’t so to speak. If you could possibly give me a few pointers or what I need to do it I’m learning as I go not easy as forget things

If by hand with typical sawn boards I'd use a 5 1/2 mostly, and/or a 7 for finer flattening/straightening, both with a cambered edge.
A long board evenly bowed, cupped and/or twisted has an area in the middle which is co-planar with the best flat surface you can get. So you work out from the middle and extend the flat to the ends. This means starting on the convex side and taking off the hump, as you can't start on the concave side in the same way. Machine or hand planing the same but other way up.
Over the planer you keep all the pressure in the middle of the board concave side up, as you take off the hump on the other side and extend the flat from the middle to the ends. You can see how you are going by the areas left un-planed. Ideally your last pass removes from the whole board including the last remaining un-planed areas at each end on opposite sides.
If not so evenly distorted you have to adapt the process. The easiest is to pencil mark high points/areas and plane to remove the marks, then repeat.
The thing to avoid is just thrashing away at it and seeing how it turns out. Much better to identify where waste needs removing and then remove it.
It's a proactive process, the machine doesn't think for you!

 

[Fergie 307]

Jacob makes a good point. Well worth making some light marks over the faces with a pencil, then you can see exactly what is going on. But for 2.4m you really do need rollers or similar to support it. If the marks you are getting are fairly regularly spaced across the width then I would check the blades, they may need sharpening or replacing.

 

[Housey210]

for a tiny table unit like that straightening a 2.4 board will be a long task. tack a 2.4 straight edge panel such as mdf and run router down with suitable bearing guided two flute straight cutter.

 

[Jameshow]

ive got 8 long lengths there for the benches the others shouldn’t be too much of a problem as smaller theses are the sides of benches top and bottom. Where you say you by hand is that with a hand plane if so what one do you use Im a novice and not got many hand tools need to get some but since my strokes I get confused a lot on what I need and what I don’t so to speak. If you could possibly give me a few pointers or what I need to do it I’m learning as I go not easy as forget things

Have you thought about going to your local men's shed and seeing if they can guide you.

Or even popping by a carpentry business and explaining your situation and getting them to put it through thier big machine.

Unless it's very rough sawn does it need thicknessing etc.

 

[wally7]

if second hand are blades good? Take very small cuts and put it through again on same setting. Try smaller lengths of wood and if waviness still there it;s not the length that's the problem. They are noisy and quite messy even with proper extractor. New blades might help but you have to learn how to set them properly. Good luck

 

[Steve22]

Have you thought about going to your local men's shed and seeing if they can guide you.

Or even popping by a carpentry business and explaining your situation and getting them to put it through thier big machine.

Unless it's very rough sawn does it need thicknessing etc.

I don’t think any carpentr business around me and yes I have thought about men’s shed bee trying to find contact details for one in next town problem I have I don’t have any transport other than a wheelchair. I gave up driving because I’m on 190mg of morphine a day. And it doesn’t affect me when using machines