Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Anyone have any experience with power hand planers? Are they effective on end grain or plywood edges? Any tips for what to look for if purchasing this tool?

That is one electric tool I do not have...but have always been wanting to try out. If you get one let us know what you find out!

I've begun constructing my teardrop. A power planer has helped shape my profile pattern and the floor. It's a nice time and labor saver. Till you're comfortable using one set it for shaving off small slivers of wood. It's easy to get carried away and take off too much. It'll cut end grain but not as smoothly as cutting along the grain. It's been a big help to cut and smooth the edges of my plywood pattern for the sides after roughly cutting it out with a jig saw.

I got a new Dremel Kit for Christmas to replace the vintage one handed down from my grandpa, and it came with a planer attachment. I thought "I'll never use this thing", but it's turned out to be really useful for shaping plywood curves. It doesn't leave the smoothest finish in the world, but a little sanding takes care of that.
Link: http://tinyurl.com/54whoe

I have a couple of them and use them all the time, I have a PC and a Ridged cordless, I use the cordless more than the corded. As long as the blades are sharp they will cut smoothly in any grain direction. They make a lot of shavings so make sure you get one with a dust bag.
I have cut anything from MDF, solid wood, Styrofoam, Masonite, plastic etc...
You really need to be careful with it, they can be pretty scary cause there is nothing keeping you from running it across your arm,leg or fingers! As long as your careful it is a wonderful tool and I "wouldn't" give mine up for anything!! Aaron

Airspeed wrote: I would give mine up for anything!! Aaron

I'll give you a dollar Danny

Okay Danny! Since I screwed up, you can give me a dollar!
I am so glad this forum has an edit option!
Thanks! Aaron

Airspeed wrote:I have cut anything from MDF, solid wood, Styrofoam, Masonite, plastic etc...

And for the oddest use of a power planer competition, my former boss borrowed mine to do some fine tuning on the 3/4 ton lead bulb that went on the bottom of a racing yacht's keel! It worked really well and didn't clog up as I thought it would, plus the blades didn't seem any less sharp afterwards - I know lead is soft, but I was sure my planer blades were still going to be toast, but they weren't.

Andrew

I have a Ryobi and really like it, but as stated go slow on the depth of cut.
You can clamp some scrap to the end grain to help keep the wood from chipping out.
I have to replace the blades and clamp on my planer, I did'nt see a nail in the edge of a door I was trimming, It chipped the blades and scared up the clamp Guess I learned the hard way to be a little more carefull.
William

I have a Bosch powerplane that I really like for taking a bunch of stock off quickly (and it works incredibly well). But if the truth were to be known...when I want to bevel an edge or plane a cedar hull, I grab my trusty Stanley 60 1/2 low angle block plane. Something about taking the time to hone the edge on a wet stone, and then feeling the swish, swish, swish as I work the wood... and seeing a pile of shavings appear on the floor.... is lost.

I have a B&D electric planer that I used all the time. I would make my cuts outside the line and use the planer to clean up to the line. My blades are shot now because I hit every nail I ever put in my tear, but it came with an extra set of blabes , so I'm good. Wouldn't want to be without it.....

I use mine quite a bit. I wouldn't say planers and belt sanders replace each other, but they compliment each other.

The planer will take a consistant line on each pass and it'll take down a lot of material in a short amount of time without having to check the line for parallel. It's great for doing end grain on plywood, as long as you go with the grain. The downside is it's not the best for shaping, (in my hand anyway), and if you want to plane an inside corner the front of the planer will hit well before you get to the end. Of course, I might be the only one that has to remove material after the joinery is glued up.

My belt sander is great for getting in where the planer won't and doing detail that takes a light touch. It'll pretty much do what the planer will do, but you have to change belts and it's easy to get off the line if you're not the best with pressure control.

I tend to use the belt sander to finsh up after the planer, if needed. I don't need to change belts much when I'm using both.

One trick to use when using most tools, (and it works for pool, too), is to keep your wrist locked and keep your forearm in-line with the stroke. Kind of like, when you're pulling, guide the tool with your elbow - keep your forearm on the line. If your elbow starts to arc away from the line, time to stop and reposition. If you train yourself to do this, you'll be able to cut down a corner when painting, without masking tape; cut a piece of wood with the skilsaw, without a clamped staight edge; and be able to use the sander/planer without beveling, unless you want a bevel .

I found a Makita unit on sale, and bought it because it was a good deal. Great purchase. I love it. I find I am able to do some pretty fine planing with it. I've used it mostly on solids, but I have used it a few times on birch plywood, and it has worked fine.




CD