HOME IMPROVEMENT Index
Appliances
Basement
Bathrooms
Bedrooms
Cleaning
Contractors
Doors
Driveways & Paths
Duct Tape
Electrical Systems
Family Room
Fences & Gates
Fireplace
Floor Coverings
Furniture
Handles, Knobs & Hinges
Help on the Homefront
Home Energy Efficiency
Home Office
Homeowner in Process
House Exterior
Indoor Pests
Kitchens
Lighting
Outdoor Equipment
Outdoor Structures
Painting
Plumbing
Safety
Sports-Related Additions
Staining
Stairs
Storage
Tools
Adhesives & Sealants
Chisels & Planes
Clamps & Vises
Drills
Hammers
Hardware & Accessories
Knives & Blades
Measuring
Metalworking
Power Tools
Sanders & Scrapers
Saws
Screwdrivers
Storing & Organizing
Woodworking
Wrenches & Pliers
Other

Utility Room
Walls & Ceilings
Windows

BEST OF
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Flooring
Decks
Mold Quiz
Home Safety
Tiling Techniques
Lighting Solutions
Weekend Projects
DIY to the Rescue
Home Renovations
Bathroom Makeover
Kitchen Renovations
Ultimate Media Room
Be Your Own Contractor

SPONSOR LINKS

  • Thickness-Planer Basics
  • From "DIY Tools & Techniques"
    episode DIT-114
    advertisement

    Click here to view a larger image.

    A power thickness planer will shape a board to the perfect size, one layer at a time.

    Click here to view a larger image.

    Figure A

    Click here to view a larger image.

    Figure B

    Click here to view a larger image.

    Figure C

    Click here to view a larger image.

    Figure D

    Click here to view a larger image.

    Figure E

    The thickness planer is a tool used for making a board a perfect match for the job at hand. The primary functions of a thickness planer are smoothing rough wood, reducing wood's thickness and removing paint.

    Handheld planers come in two types: manual planers (figure A) and power planers (figure B). When using a manual hand planer, you'll make more passes over the wood than with a power hand planer. To smooth wood's surface with either type, grasp the handle and run the planer over the wood in the direction of the grain, one pass at a time (figure C).

    Materials:

    Power thickness planer
    Rough piece of wood

    1. Make sure the planer is bolted down or securely fastened in place.

    2. Remove any nails or staples from the wood.

    3. With the planer's height adjustment, lower the cutting head until it just touches the surface of the board (figure D).

    4. Remove the board, and lower the head another 1/16" for the first cut.

    5. Send the board through for a first pass. The machine will automatically feed the board to its outfeed table (figure E).

    6. Follow with several gradually deeper passes. (For softwood such as pine, remove only about 1/16" from the surface per pass. Remove less per pass from hardwood.)


    RESOURCES :
    Hitachi
    Hitachi Power Tools Limited USA
    Norcross, GA 30093
    Phone: 770-925-1774
    Fax: 770-925-0547
    Email: corpcom@hal.hitachi.com
    Website: hitachipowertools.com

  • ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: