planning puzzle???

[mike toulouzas]

 :-/can any body tell me why the very first and last 5 cm are smaller in thickness (1/10 mm)when i plan wood? ???I found one solution by gluing dummy pieces but iwould like to correct the prob from the planner.Is it maybe the strength of the springs?
I am all ears

[Canuck]

Yeah, planer snipe is a bit of a 'hot' topic with puzzlemakers I think   I've never been able to eliminate it to the point of actually being able to use the entire length of a planed board?  I usually cut off both ends, however depending on the wood I sometimes use these offcuts for......yeah you know ...PENS!!!!

[rolly_wood]

I have a very poor quality planer and it did not show the problem you are mentioning but the opposite one: the stick at the centre was thinner. SOmeone suggested me that probably it happened because the steel board undergo tilting. Then I put against it a counterboard of mdf coated by plastic sheet (I do not remember the name of this plastic veneer, sorry) on the steel plane of the planer. It is much longer of it (about 80 vs 30 cm) in order to have the piece laying on this MDF board even at the beginning of the operation. Result: it do not show anymore the problem as above but the usual problem that Miike reports: it "eats" more at the first 4 cm....
maybe realizing a longer adjunctive board may help... actually it helped me although to solve a different problem. 
Do not laugh... I am a hen_woodworker.. you know!

[RKB]

:-/can any body tell me why the very first and last 5 cm are smaller in thickness (1/10 mm)when i plan wood? ???I found one solution by gluing dummy pieces but iwould like to correct the prob from the planner.Is it maybe the strength of the springs?
I am all ears

The phenomenon is explained, as well as a solution is given here: http://www.woodezine.com/08_2004/0804_snipe.html

[mike toulouzas]

The phenomenon is explained, as well as a solution is given here: http://www.woodezine.com/08_2004/0804_snipe.html

Thanks rkb Thats what i do now by gluing dummy wood(for my planner is 3'' 6-7 cm)any way thanks the info was great.Caution dont try to glue with hot glue when you are about to bring down the wood to 3 mm.Tha glue will not hold  the scrap piece and it wil fly very dangerously to the machine or you.The glue you are using is the best by living overnight and working next day.Dont forget do something under so it wont stack (wax paper wax, newspaper,etc|)

[Canuck]

The phenomenon is explained, as well as a solution is given here: http://www.woodezine.com/08_2004/0804_snipe.html

There you go...problem solved...now my pen blank supply has just been eliminated, thanks Ry!

[Chinnomotto]

The Chinnomotto way is to buy a Drum Sander

Mnd you, it has its own set of problems, like .3 mm each pass,,,,zzzzz,,,,, and it trims soft and hard woods differently

and the Drongo who devise the sand paper changing  should be shot

When it works, real smooth , very important in multiple laminations eg 4 layers of 4mm exact thickness= 16 mm

I have this habit of 4 layers different woods,cut, flip over and glue, 90 degrees cut again and flip over and glue.

And if your woods are uneven, you cry, and when it works,,,Hee, Hee

Drum sander is not a thickness reducer, but everyone does it

Also likes perfectly flat wood,,,,,,,,,as if

But if you have wavy grain wood, or burrs,,,,perfect

Best ones I've seen has a double barrel, 80 grit then 100,,,,wow on the wallet too

Dust extraction is mandatory. Hope this helps

[Canuck]

Oh Yeah, I've wanted a thickness sander for quite some time, seen one years ago sanding a multiple lamination...pretty much the only way to do that sort of thing....someday

[Roby]

Chinney, I like the way you think.  I frequently have to sand things to size and following up with a sander is also a nice way to get rid of any stripes from a plainer.

However, as far as reducing snipe, the problem comes from the ends of a plank not making contact with both rollers.  The problem increases over time as the rubber on the rollers smushes.  To solve the problem, try adjusting the feed plates on both sides of the plainer.  If you lift them up just a hair, it applies applies pressure to the board  (pressing it more firmly agains the feed rollers) when it goes in and comes out of the planer.

IF you want to ellimianate snipe completely, hold the board so that you are applying a slight lifting force to the back end as it enters the machine, and again lift slightly on the board as it comes out the other end.