What Is a Power Planer?
A power planer is an electric tool that is applied to the surface of wood to smooth the surface by scraping.
It is also used for adjusting thickness and chamfering to eliminate corners of wood. A manual planer requires a knack for applying force and is inefficient, but a power planer speeds up the work process dramatically. In particular, when cutting large surfaces smoothly, it is possible to work efficiently and in a short time.
Uses of Power Planers
A power planer shaves the surface of wood by sliding it from the front to the back.
The process of shaving the surface by sliding is the same as that of a manual canner, but the direction in which the wood is shaved is different. With a manual canner, the surface cannot be shaved if the direction of movement is wrong, because the canner is pulled from the back to the front. Therefore, care must be taken in the direction of movement.
Principle of Power Planers
Power planers have a drum with two blades that rotates at a speed of about 15,000 rpm to shave wood.
The depth of cutting can be changed by turning the adjustment knob. Turning the adjustment knob will make the front base move up and down, creating a difference in the height of the blade and rear base and the depth of sharpening.
With a manual planer, the blade protrusion width is adjusted based on experience and intuition by tapping the body of the planer and the planer stand with a mallet, etc. With a power planer, the depth of sharpening can be easily adjusted even by beginners by simply turning the knob.
How to Use a Power Planer
This section describes the general flat sharpening procedure.
To use the power planer, place the front base of the power planer in a position where the blade does not hit the wood and hold it firmly with both hands. The basic way to hold it is to grip the handle with one hand while the other hand rests on the adjustment knob.
Once the switch is turned on and the rotation speed is constant, press the power planer forward smoothly and horizontally with the base part in close contact with the wood. For a clean finish, apply forward force at the beginning of cutting and backward force at the end.
For a more beautiful finish, it is important to start with deep roughing (0.7 to 1.0 mm) and then slowly finish with shallow roughing (0.2 to 0.4 mm).
How to Select a Power Planer
The following four points should be checked when selecting a power planer.
1. Type of Power Source
There are two types of power planers: outlet type and rechargeable battery type.
Many outlet-type models have higher output and can be used more continuously than battery-type models because they are connected to an electrical outlet. The cord may get in the way when the workspace is small or when the canner is used in various orientations.
The rechargeable battery type is easy to carry and convenient because there is no cord. However, the battery needs to be recharged, and the power is reduced when the remaining charge is depleted. Compared to the outlet type, many products tend to be more expensive.
2. Blade Type
There are two types of blades: replaceable blade type and sharpened blade type.
The replaceable blade type returns sharpness by simply replacing the blade with a replacement blade, which is either included or sold separately. This type is suitable for simple DIY projects, beginners, and those who are not good at sharpening blades.
In the grinding type, the sharpness is restored by removing the blade, polishing it, and installing it. While there is no need to purchase replacement blades, they are suitable for advanced users who need to install the blades at a precise angle.
3. Cutting Width
The cutting width is the width of the blade that can be cut at one time with a power planer. 82 mm is the most common cutting width, and there are numerous products. As the cutting width increases, the weight of the power planer itself increases, so it is important to select one that is easy to use.
4. Dust Collection Method
When cutting wood with a power planer, a lot of shavings are generated. If shavings are scattered around the workpiece, they may require cleaning and affect the workers. Therefore, it is advisable to check in advance whether a dust bag is available as an accessory or sold separately, which can be attached to the power planer to collect shavings without scattering them around.
If you are cutting a large amount of wood, adapters and hoses that can be connected to the dust collector are also sold separately, so it is recommended that you use them according to the amount of work and space you need to do.