View source for Induction Script - Wood Planers

{{:Risk Assessment/ Wood Planers}}

===What are the Planers For===

Generating smooth flat surfaces on a piece of timber
Reducing the thickness of timber to a specific size

Demonstrate the 4-step process to surfacing a board:
# Plane one wide face on the surface planer
# Plane one edge on the surface planer, 90° to the first
# Thickness plane the other face to dimension, parallel to the first
# Square the other edge parallel to the other edge. Best to use the table saw for this, use thickness planer if > tablesaw capacity

Just can jump it at any page of this procedure depending on how flat and how smooth you need to be (e.g. if one face already good can go straight to the thicknesser)

Alternatives:
* Handheld planer for big stuff
* Handplanes for small stuff, also often get a better finish

=Surface Planer=

===Parts of the Machine===

Point Out:

* The blade
* The infeed and outfeed tables
* The infeed table height adjustment
* The fence
* The guard - vertical and horizontal adjustments

===Pre-inspection===

Check blades are not damaged or chipped. If doing anything critical, run a test piece through. 

If blades are damaged it's a nightmare job to change - speak to the maintainers

If edge planing, always a good idea to check the squareness of the fence.


===Face Planing===
# Check material is suitable - length > 300mm, at least 10mm thick, no loose knots or shakes
# Set guard to the appropriate width (width of material + ~5mm)
# If material is very wide, more than about 100mm, switch to bridge guard mode
# Have paddles at the ready
# Set depth of cut (generally don't start more than 1mm, can dial it up if needed)
# Turn on and run up to speed. Gently move work forward over the bed, keeping good down pressure throughout
# Keep pressure consistent over the whole length of the cut

===Edge Planing with the Fence===
# Generally the same procedure as face planning, but use hand pressure (generally not paddles) to keep the wood pressed against the fence as well as down on the bed and forwards (a three-way push)
# Never pass hands directly over the blade, pass-through motion

=Thickness Planer=

Generally a safer machine as the blades are enclosed, but that doesn't mean inherently safe
Minimum length (300mm) very important. Side runners can be glued on if piece is short

# Set depth (just enough for workpiece to slide under grey tray)
# Pass wood through. First few cuts won't do anything till you find the depth
# Keep cutting. Generally 1/2 turns of the handle is a happy feed rate
# Stop when you reach depth. The scale is a useful guide but not accurate, best to measure

=After Use=
# Sweep down the bed and the surrounding bench
# Hoover inside the machines if they've been run without extraction.