reclaimed wood: Has anyone used this planer on reclaimed wood?
348050
Hello Valerie, used wood and planers are a touchy subject. I recommend taking a belt sander with a rough grit and expose the surface for any hidden nails...etc. Then at least you will wear out a belt instead of a costly set of planer knives...Makitas are great
1313897
No, I would not! It works perfectly on smooth, unfinished furniture - even unpainted but I would not recommend it for reclaimed would and certainly not crevices or chips in the wood. I have no idea what to use except for a good power sander and work down from several grades of sandpaper until it is more manageable.
606504
The segmented cutter heads are better then straight blades for a few reasons. First segmented and offset they leave a smother surface on more figured wood (practically no tear out). Second if you nick a nail all you have to do is rotate the segment and move on instead of having to change all of the straight blades. Also I believe that the segmented heads are quieter (however I have never owned any other planer).
496117
I have not, and I would not !! This saw is designed for wood as far as I know and it's a rough cutting saw, it would be very dangerous!!
1628682
No. You would need a shaper for that. Because of the enclosure and blade design on the planer, it will only run straight mouldings.
2225041
Howdy Andrew, My shop is a narrow shop and all my power tools, with the exception of my variable speed grinder (pedestal mount) are on wheels (Table saw, band saw, jointer, reciprocating sander, surface planer, dust collector and scroll saw). This allows me to move the power tools to the center of the shop and away from the wall. The DeWalt planer stand is used on my reciprocating sander and my surface planer. The DeWalt stand is heavy duty and capable of supporting over 300 lbs of load. A simple step pad moves the stand up from a sedintary to an elevated position for easy moving and positioning. The DeWalt stand is in my opinion the very best stand for power tools that I have seen or bought. You need to allow for about 1-1/2 hours to assemble the unit, but once it is completed the bolt patterns on the composite wood surface of the stand will take just about any power tool you have. Good luck with your search and evaluation. Best of luck with your woodworking projects Bob of Nevada City, CA
1916215
My DeWalt plate joiner came with a very useful manual. Practice, practice, practice on scrap lumber to more fully understand how to use this tool and you will love the results!!!
762102
I cut 3 ft sections of cedar trees in half length lenght wise. I use this planer to then even out the interior surface of the log to make benches. Tried using a hand powered rasp. Then quickly bought the Makita. I prefer Makita brand to all others.. Blades make quick work of a14 inch wide bench top, leaving a smooth surface thst requires only finish sanding after a finish has been applied.
1707607
Yes I do. Matter of fact I used it today. I resawed some 5 1/2 cherry. I also have resawn red oak. It does a good job but you'll need a different blade than what comes on the saw. I bought a resaw blade from highland woodworking. It has plenty of power to do what I want it to do. I don't think you should have any trouble sawing maple as I also plan to resaw maple myself. All in all I've been very pleased with the saw. Its pretty heavy so if you plan on moving it much you might want to put it on a set of rollers.
1884114
No. The blades are disposable & need a square back edge to set/align the blade properly. It's a good planer & I'm glad I bought it.
1417406
Jack: I have my table saw mounted on a Hi-Lo folding stand (Porter Cable stand, I think). I made a base for the Steel City planer out of 3/4" plywood and put two 3/4" runners under it which exactly match the miter slots in the table saw top. I then just place the planer on top of the saw (in it's low position) and the runners and weight of the planer hold it very stable. I like this combo, since I'm able to remove and stow it when not in use (I have s small shop!). I saw the other comment and it appears mine was not the first to be used this way! I run 6' and 8' boards through without issue. Bill Jack: I have my table saw mounted on a Hi-Lo folding stand (Porter Cable stand, I think). I made a base for the Steel City planer out of 3/4" plywood and put two 3/4" runners under it which exactly match the miter slots in the table saw top. I then just place the planer on top of the saw (in it's low position) and the runners and weight of the planer hold it very stable. I like this combo, since I'm able to remove and stow it when not in use (I have s small shop!). I saw the other comment and it appears mine was not the first to be used this way! I run 6' and 8' boards through... » Read More Jack: I have my table saw mounted on a Hi-Lo folding stand (Porter Cable stand, I think). I made a base for the Steel City planer out of 3/4" plywood and put two 3/4" runners under it which exactly match the miter slots in the table saw top. I then just place the planer on top of the saw (in it's low position) and the runners and weight of the planer hold it very stable. I like this combo, since I'm able to remove and stow it when not in use (I have s small shop!). I saw the other comment and it appears mine was not the first to be used this way! I run 6' and 8' boards through without issue. Bill « Show Less
805548
You might take a blade into Harbor Freight and see if the 2 blades that they sell might just fit your planer and the blades are reasonable.
649867
Tough question. If you have a twist our cup in the board it may be difficult. I make nice lumber from pallets all the time with the planer and my table saw. There are you tube videos that show how to make jigs to help with tough to tame boards. I bought the planer first and don't regret it. I now own a jointer too but that really is a dangerous tool that does not forgive a slip up. My results with this planner have been great.
1809780
Aside from the previous mentioned nails as well as insuring the boards are flat ahead of time (if a board is bowed going in, it'll be bowed coming out) this planer will handle that job. I ran 180 year old rough heart pine beams through this planer and it did a great job. Unfortunately I did miss a nail or too a chipped the blade but this planer did great job!
1312411
Hi Gene - well, I just ordered one, so we'll see how she looks when it arrives.I ordered a Makita 12" planer a while back. I have to say the packing looked like it wouldn't do much good - but it was in perfect shape. People reviewing the planer also said there were some issues with damage. So it sounds like crap-shoot: hopefully the percentage of shipped units ending up with damage appears high on the reviews since people with problems are more likely to write back.Anyway - I will reply when I get mine!cheers-Rob
598684
A cheap vac will do, but whatever you get you'll probably still need a rubber step-down adapter to the 1-1/2 ID you need for the planer. They're cheap, e.g. at Woodworkers Supply.
448590
I have, but you have to be careful not to nick the surrounding wood. This Shark is great with a mitre box, but a little large for flush cutting.