Planer for squaring up blocks

Tom Militano

Tom Militano

KNIFE MAKER
I've thought about buying a small planer several times to true up wood for stabilizing or after being stabilized, but not sure if they will handle short pieces of wood. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks
 
A small shaper works great. don't know about a planer. You can get a small shaper at one of the large outlet home stores fairly cheap that will work for you
 
Thanks. I called Grizzly and they said they don't recommend using a planer on any wood shorter than 6" in length due to the rollers being six inches apart. I'm going to look into a small shaper.
 
I use my table saws for that, but let me qualify that with.....
I've been a carpenter for 40 years now and am confident around my power tools. A secure push stick is a must and a zero clearance table also. Two passes through the saw usually does it, once to obtain a flat face and the second to get the opposing face paralell. The other edges won't matter. I do have a power planer but you'll spend valuable time taking off 1/32" multiple times to get one workable face. In the end, we're grinding it all off anyway.

Rudy
 
Tom, you could use a router table and a jig to hold your wood. I use to do this before getting my 20" Disc Sander. This also depends on your blocks and how accurate you need them to be. I'd finish blocks intended for Japanese kitchen knife handles off with a granite square, fence and sandpaper.
 
Thanks for the replies everybody. I was talking to my son and a friend of his has a cabinet shop. He told my son to bring them to him and he'd do them for me. Can't beat that deal!
 
I use a 6" X 48" Harbor Freight Sander. $200.00 shipped was what I paid a couple of years back. I refer to their machines as Harbor Fright! As you never really know what you will get, And count on one trip to the hardware store to buy the correct nuts & Bolts. Also the manual will be for a different model!

I just went cheap on this purchase and For a really nice 6" x 48" move up to Grizzly tools.

Buy some real name brand belts and it will take away wood in a hurry with a 60 Grit on it.
When I am done doing rough work on a bunch of blocks, I switch to a 150G or 220G to finish it up for a nice look.

I have a Ryobi 12" planer but it has eaten up to many sets of scales, 5-6" x 1 1/2"- 2" by 5/8"ish. When putting these through is spins them and just eats them up with deep gouges in the scales.

Cheers!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
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rhinoknives said:
I use a 6" X 48" Harbor Freight Sander. $200.00 shipped was what I paid a couple of years back. I refer to their machines as Harbor Fright! As you never really know what you will get, And count on one trip to the hardware store to buy the correct nuts & Bolts. Also the manual will be for a different model!

I just went cheap on this purchase and For a really nice 6" x 48" move up to Grizzly tools.

Buy some real name brand belts and it will take away wood in a hurry with a 60 Grit on it.
When I am done doing rough work on a bunch of blocks, I switch to a 150G or 220G to finish it up for a nice look.

I have a Ryobi 12" planer but it has eaten up to many sets of scales, 5-6" x 1 1/2"- 2" by 5/8"ish. When putting these through is spins them and just eats them up with deep gouges in the scales.

Cheers!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
Click to expand...

Laurence, have you tried sanding one side flat, then gluing said side (using super glue to tack the corners) to a larger piece of MDF prior to feeding it through the planer? This will keep the smaller scale from moving while traveling and eliminate those deep gouges for the most part. Be sure to remove as little material as possible per pass as it is easier to fix a small mistake.
 
Rudy's advice works well coupled with a zero tolerance table insert and a Forrest woodworker II blade.Again care and experience on the saw is a big plus. Ron.
 
Mike928 said:
Laurence, have you tried sanding one side flat, then gluing said side (using super glue to tack the corners) to a larger piece of MDF prior to feeding it through the planer? This will keep the smaller scale from moving while traveling and eliminate those deep gouges for the most part. Be sure to remove as little material as possible per pass as it is easier to fix a small mistake.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike,

I will give it a go! By MDF I suppose you mean a flat finished board?

Cheers!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
Hi, new to the forum and knife making, I've just finished my second knife. I'll try to get some pics tonight.

I have a full complement of machines in my wood shop including a 15" Makita planer, a 12" Delta portable planer and an 8" Delta DJ20 jointer. I don't think I'd use any of them with a piece of wood less than 12" long.

The table saw should work ok but please be sure to use push sticks and don't stand directly behind the work piece while you feed it into the table saw. If it kicks back you need to at least be standing off to the side of the work piece.

If the wood has a high spot and won't lie flat on the table saw without rocking end to end or side to side you could flatten it on a disc or belt grinder enough to feed the wood through the table saw safely. Actually the disc grinder may do the job well enough by itself.

I don't have any experience with the drill press surface planer, but it looks like it could eat a finger very quickly.
 
rhinoknives said:
Thanks Mike,

I will give it a go! By MDF I suppose you mean a flat finished board?

Cheers!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
Click to expand...

MDF-Medium Density Fiberboard
It's a sheet good sold in the same aisle as plywood and other sheet goods. Available in different thicknesses.
Usually more economical than plywood. Nice flat, smooth surface. Heavier than wood. Stays flatter than plywood, but don't get it wet or it will swell.
For project use, it works OK but it's ugly as all get-out in unfinished form. Best for projects that either disregard aesthetics or will be painted.
Not good for holding typical blind fasteners (srews) unless you either use specialty fasteners or anchored inserts.

I like to think of it as ground-up cardboard mixed with a ton of glue. Maybe not technically correct in that description, but that's how I define it.
Watch out when you cut/sand it- this stuff throws out a ton of fine, nasty dust that is not particularly healthy.

The primary use it sees in my shop is for making jigs, etc.
I've used it to make tool cabinets and doors. Fairly cheap construction material for making stuff for the shop that doesn't need to look good yet still perform a function.
My assembly table top is made out of it, too. The flat, smooth surface on top of a torsion box makes for a reliable combination.

It's a very useful, economical material. Just different than wood.
 
Tom Militano said:
That surface plane looks interesting. I think it would work on my milling machine.
Click to expand...

Tom if you got only a few blocks to do then by all means just use your 6 x 48 sander or whatever, but I spend enough money on my "sander / grinder" belts the way it is, and I go thru them quickly with the stabilized materials. Heres a vid / jig I thought was interesting (different application but its still squaring stock) The drill press planer would be the poor mans version I guess....:biggrin:


[video=youtube;0hyKrhA2-14]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hyKrhA2-14&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/video]
 
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rob45 said:
MDF-Medium Density Fiberboard
It's a sheet good sold in the same aisle as plywood and other sheet goods. Available in different thicknesses.
Usually more economical than plywood. Nice flat, smooth surface. Heavier than wood. Stays flatter than plywood, but don't get it wet or it will swell.
For project use, it works OK but it's ugly as all get-out in unfinished form. Best for projects that either disregard aesthetics or will be painted.
Not good for holding typical blind fasteners (srews) unless you either use specialty fasteners or anchored inserts.

I like to think of it as ground-up cardboard mixed with a ton of glue. Maybe not technically correct in that description, but that's how I define it.
Watch out when you cut/sand it- this stuff throws out a ton of fine, nasty dust that is not particularly healthy.

The primary use it sees in my shop is for making jigs, etc.
I've used it to make tool cabinets and doors. Fairly cheap construction material for making stuff for the shop that doesn't need to look good yet still perform a function.
My assembly table top is made out of it, too. The flat, smooth surface on top of a torsion box makes for a reliable combination.

It's a very useful, economical material. Just different than wood.
Click to expand...

Mike,
The most economical is the stuff I already have at the shop!:biggrin:

If non is flat enough I will go get some MDF. Thanks a lot for the pointer.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
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