Planing Wedges

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Gill

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I've been jointing some wood on top of my P/T. It's planing the leading part of the wood quite happily but hardly anything's being taken off the rear end. As a result, I'm getting wedges :( .

What am I doing wrong?

Gill
 
Not maintaining equal pressure each side? Try a few searches on planer technique - their has been some comprehensive replies to similar difficulties.

Adam
 
MikeW":21jftcv9 said:
Also, once you get one surface flat/straight, use the thicknesser to make it even down the second side.

Hey, he's bi-lingual!
 
Have a look at the hight of the outfeed table, if that is low it can result in wedges.Use a strait-edge, the outfeed should be just about level with the blade at it's top point
 
Hi, I had a similiar problem once which was due to the planner blades being incorrectly set. Too low I think.
 
Gill,

Can you please describe in a little more detail what the problem is?

Are you planing just one side or both? Are you using the thicknesser?

I suspect your tables (infeed/outfeed) may not be in parallel planes but need and answer to advise.
 
The blades are level with the outfeed table.

I'm just trying to get one side of a block of maple true. It started out being cut roughly square; as I fed it along the table, wood was removed from the leading edge but not the lagging edge. So I've got a rough sawn edge directly opposite a face that's been planed at an angle to it, thus creating a wedge. It's not as if the face that's been planed is properly finished - as I said, it won't remove wood from the lagging edge so it's partially rough.

Strangely enough, I planed three other rough cut blocks and had no problems. I planed one before the problem piece and two afterwards. That's what made me think there must be a problem with my technique rather than the P/T.

Gill
 
Gill,


Can't resist a damsel in distress!

As several other people have rightly suggested the initial problem of planing tapers is all to do with the setting of the knives. They are obviously a fraction too low in the block. The setting is absolutely critical with a planer, the difference between it working well and not at all being a few thou of adjustment.

Try raising them slightly ( make sure they are both set even) and try again. If you get a snipe at the end of the cut you have raised them too far. Keep lowering until the snipe disappears. Just to confuse matters though it is always better to lower the blades in too far and then pull them out again. That way the blade is sitting on the top of the adjustment with all the backlash taken out. Don't just wind them in.

Hope this helps.

Alan
 
Hello Gill
Was the piece of wood you had problems with roughly straight and flat to start with?
If it is cutting the leading edge but not the trailing edge, that sounds to me like the wood must be a little bowed and you have the convex side downwards.
As you move it over the planer, you might be rocking it forwards (as you'd naturally do since most of the pressure is near the cutterblock). This will lift the rear part of the timber so that it misses the cutters.

Thing is, with each pass, the planer should be working its way through the bow, so that it is nice and flat after a few passes... :?
As a general rule, plane the concave surface first, then go for parallel at the thicknesser. (Granny, eggs, suck... :wink: )
 
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