A thickness planer, also known as a thicknesser in the UK and Australia, is a woodworking machine used for planing rough boards to achieve a smooth surface and uniform thickness. As smoothing the boards is the basis for doing woodworking projects, the planer is an indispensable piece of equipment in most workshops.
In this tutorial, you can explore how to use a thickness planer. We will show you the detailed steps and tricks to use it, and some safety precautions to keep in mind.
How to Use a Thickness Planer?
The thickness planer has advanced features, enabling accurate dimensions, smooth surfaces, and consistent thicknesses throughout the entire length of the board. It is suitable for a variety of woodworking applications, such as furniture making, cabinetry, flooring installation, and other woodworking tasks that require precise dimensions and smooth surfaces.
The component used for cutting and removing the material is a rotating cutterhead with sharp knives or carbide inserts, which generally comes in three types: helical, spiral, and straight. Among them, the helical cutterhead is the most popular one.
Before using a thickness planer, you must read and understand the user manual provided by the manufacturer to avoid injury. Then, check the planer for any damaged components and wear protective equipment.
Related Article: [2025]The 6 Best Benchtop Thickness Planer
After getting things done, start planing the wood. We will give you the detailed steps for using a thickness planer in this part.
Planer Using Steps
It is important to note that a thickness planer will not straighten or remove the natural twist of a board. It must be used after flattening the reference surface of the wood on a jointer. After that, follow the simple steps below to plane the lumber.
- Assemble the thickness planer set according to the operator manual.
- Check the infeed table and the outfeed table, ensuring they are level with the inner planer table.
- Wear protective equipment to protect your eyes and hearing.
- Connect the planer to the power source.
- Put the reference facing down on the infeed table.
- Adjust the height of the cutterhead (depth of cut) by turning the crank. Clockwise to lower and counterclockwise to raise.
- Until the board barely touches and passes through the front roller, toggle the locking lever.
- Trigger the power switch to start planing the lumber.
- Feed the board into the thickness planer and cut a small amount of material with each pass.
- Repeat planing several times until the board has a flat surface and consistent thickness.
- Check for planer snipe at the ends of the board and handle it if necessary.
- Trigger the switch and disconnect the power source.
Planer Using Tips & Tricks
To perform better and get good results with a thickness planer, here are some tips you can learn:
- Keep your workspace clean and organized before starting planing and remove any debris that may interfere with the operation.
- Apply paste wax on the planer table to make a smooth feeding process and a clean outcome.
- Feed the board slowly and don’t cut too much at once.
- Plane the board with its grain to minimize tear-out.
- Make lines with a pencil to monitor the planing process. When the pencil lines completely disappear, the board is perfectly parallel and flat.
- Take measures to prevent planer snipe before it happens.
- Upgrade to a helical cutterhead for better results.
- On the final pass, make a light cut - no more than 1/32 in.
- Regular maintenance is crucial to make your thickness planer last longer.
Thickness Planer Safety Rules
Safety is everything. To reduce the risk of injury, you must follow the safety rules when using a thickness planer.
- Do not allow familiarity with tools to make you careless.
- Wear safety equipment to protect your eyes, ears, and lungs.
- Always keep your hands away from the rotating cutterhead.
- Do not force the workpiece through the machine. Just let the planer do its work.
- Disconnect the power supply and wait for it to completely stop when you want to make adjustments and clean the work area.
- Check the machine for damaged components or missing parts before using it.
- Don’t wear loose clothing, jewelry, and gloves when operating to avoid being caught by the thickness planer.
- Never plane more than one workpiece on the planer table at a time.
- Do not turn or rotate the cutterhead with your hands.
- Do not plane material shorter than 14 in. Or narrower than 3/4 in.
- It’s better to make a planing cut not deeper than 1/16 in.
Summary
A thickness planer is an essential machine for woodworkers who need a significant volume of planed stock and choose to purchase it in a rough-cut form. You need to choose a good planer before you understand how to use it.
There is a wide range of thickness planers available in the market. Making a purchasing decision that meets your expectations takes time. You need to consider the budget as well as the function and performance of the planer.
FindBuyTool offers industrial-grade thickness planers with an HSS blade and a helical cutterhead. The two types are both at an affordable price, you can choose one that suits your requirements. They provide fast, clean cuts and extended use. We give the newcomers a 5% discount, don’t miss it.
Hope this post can be helpful to you. If you have any confusion about this blog, leave a comment and your email address below, and we will give you feedback ASAP. Furthermore, we would greatly appreciate it if you shared this post on your social media.
FAQ About How to Use a Thickness Planer
#1. What can you do with a thickness planer?
A thickness planer is designed to flatten rough boards to a smooth surface and uniform thickness through the entire length of the board, enabling accurate dimensions.
#2. Which face gets planed on the thickness planer?
The top face of a board gets planed on the thickness planer. The bottom face must be perfectly flat (jointers do this job).
Also Read: Spiral vs. Helical Cutterhead: Essential Differences You Should Know
