I have a question, I am getting ready to start my own point work. I have done some on test pieces and I am ready to do them in my cues. I want to get a thickness planer and I have seen some with two blades and some with three. What are the differences, what are the pros and cons? Will I be ok with just a two blade or do I spring for the three. Thanks.
Porter Cable Planer
- Thread starter seahorse1877
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planer
First, we are in the cuemakers section and i dont make cues anymore, but i have been a woodworker all my life so feel that i am qualified to answer this.
I think you will be OK using a 2 blade for what you are intending. Having said that, most of the 3 blades are somewhat superior to the 2 bladers as far as
ease of cuts, the depth of cuts and the smoothness of the cut. The harder the wood, the more my previous statement holds true. But, the cost if usually
more to purchase and the cost of the blades is higher. Hope this helps you, cheers.
First, we are in the cuemakers section and i dont make cues anymore, but i have been a woodworker all my life so feel that i am qualified to answer this.
I think you will be OK using a 2 blade for what you are intending. Having said that, most of the 3 blades are somewhat superior to the 2 bladers as far as
ease of cuts, the depth of cuts and the smoothness of the cut. The harder the wood, the more my previous statement holds true. But, the cost if usually
more to purchase and the cost of the blades is higher. Hope this helps you, cheers.
Some good info from Jcat, Planers are a great tool but they are not known for giving you a 90 degree edge without the use of a jointer. So, with that being said, I don't use a Planer, it's over killl for points. I go from the table saw to the jointer. For those that use a jointer, Blade alignment is critical so use this, http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2003200/2681/Oneway-Multi-Gauge.aspx
It will make your life easier.
It will make your life easier.
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I agree with Mike W. Although I mill(Bridgeport) most of my point stock, jointer and table saw work really well. Most of my point stock is a little short to run thru a planer and be really accurate. Side note, Porter Cable is now owned by Black and Decker and is probably a knock off of the older Delta 2 blade planer. I got a Porter Cable drill press for Christmas and so far I'm impressed with it.
Correct Michael, and that tool is a real gem (I have one), but expensive. For non-woodworkers, here is some info: a correctly set planer only ensures that the top and bottom of the piece being planed are 180 degrees to each other, or "on the same plane". If you started out with a parallelogram (or something close), after planing all 4 sides you will still have a parallelogram. To straighten up a piece, here is how to do it: plane 2 opposing sides, then go to an accurately set table saw(the blade is 90 degree to the saw surface), put either one of the 2 sides just planned "down", so that it rests on the table saw surface, and keeping downward pressure on that planned side, rip a 90 degree angle to either of the planned sides, then take the side you just ripped and turn it "down" to the bottom, and then plane the top side to that. You should now have four 90 degree angles.
A jointer is "easier" and more accurate to get true 90 degree angles if you know what you are doing, but there is a learning curve that not many master. Hope this helops someone, cheers.
Edited: I forgot to mention that there are speciality router bits that will cut a 90 degree angle and be very accurate if you can solve the vibration problem.
Edited again: both planer and jointer give far smoother cut/surface than a saw blade ever will, even with blade stabilizers.
A jointer is "easier" and more accurate to get true 90 degree angles if you know what you are doing, but there is a learning curve that not many master. Hope this helops someone, cheers.
Edited: I forgot to mention that there are speciality router bits that will cut a 90 degree angle and be very accurate if you can solve the vibration problem.
Edited again: both planer and jointer give far smoother cut/surface than a saw blade ever will, even with blade stabilizers.
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I use a Delta Planer and Jointer and get great results. There are ways to get around using one or the other, but you need both to do it right.
fishinpoolplay
Registered
planner
hi any opinions on the spiral with carbide cutters say one from grizzly tools
hi any opinions on the spiral with carbide cutters say one from grizzly tools
I bought a larger jointer on a stand. It takes up too much room in the garage so going to get a bench top and hope that it will be accurate enuff for point squares.
After I bought the jointer, I had the blades sharpened. I bought a larger flat foot for the dial gauge but thinking that maybe the best way is to buy a jig that Michael posted. When you get the knife height proper, the act of tightening
the allen screw will raise the blade enuff to mess you up. It has 3 knives but thinking that most of the time, its only using 2, maybe only one.
After I bought the jointer, I had the blades sharpened. I bought a larger flat foot for the dial gauge but thinking that maybe the best way is to buy a jig that Michael posted. When you get the knife height proper, the act of tightening
the allen screw will raise the blade enuff to mess you up. It has 3 knives but thinking that most of the time, its only using 2, maybe only one.
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I use a joiner for point stock myself. I bought a 12" Delta planer around 12 years ago and I have a joiner. I have never found an occasion where the planer was needed or of any benefit in building cues (almost every thing gets turned round). Dale (PDQ) uses mine on occasion so that he can see the figure better on Birdseye and such but I've only tried using it a couple of times over the years as I don't like the snipe on the ends. Even a cheap joiner (H/F) will do a great job once good blades and an accurate set/up is done to the machine. I don't have that particular blade setting tool (but I wish I did) but I bought a cheaper tool and put on a good set of Freud blades, adjusted the tables correctly and now the machine does a fine job.
Dick
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I use to mess with it before the indicator, what a pain. For some work, close is good enough but for points, I like 90. Now it's a no brainer, just patience. For those that buy a bench top jointer, make sure it's a cast bed. Aluminum over time will drive you nuts. Also this works good on all your bed surfaces,
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000984/207/T9-Rust-Protectant-12-Ounce-Spray.aspx
If you spray a dab of it on a paper towel and apply it to your tenon, it will also make working with the hand held tenon threader butter.
One more in the mix
A lot of good advice was given. A planer makes short work of making two surfaces parallel, but not much use to square off anything. But even if I just wanted to make surfaces flat and parallel, I would much rather use a drum sander like a JET 10-20 than any blade planer. A sander will never tear out chunks of wood in extremely hard and figured woods like a planer will. And a sander can take slabbed wood from the band saw and make nice veneers or inlay slabs.
When I want to make my wood square I first make two surfaces parallel with my drum sander, then I use a large homemade router table that I have set up to work like a jointer. The infeed is parallel offset to the outfeed to take up the amount cut by the long straight 1/2 inch bit. I get consistent and square results and can shave off a few thousandths at a time if I like. Once the wood is square I use the sander again on the router cut surfaces to make them smooth and sharp edged. You can cut yourself on those sanded 90 deg edges !
I struggled with buying a jointer, but hated to add another large piece of equipment to my already crowded shop. And I had a router table for my woodworking that hardly ever saw use for my cues. The router table has a 24x48 surface and is massive enough to give anyone that moves it a hernia, not a toy by any means. It has a several HP router on a solid mount and it is an accurate repeatable tool. ANd the dust collection is so efficient that it hardly spits out a speck !
If the person that started this thread is a woodworker already he may have this type of equipment and can use it instead of buying more?
I had learned how to make a router table into a jointer from one of the many woodworking magazines out there. It just required me to make a simple but solid MDF fence for it. I am sure glad I did not buy a jointer, or a planer.
A lot of good advice was given. A planer makes short work of making two surfaces parallel, but not much use to square off anything. But even if I just wanted to make surfaces flat and parallel, I would much rather use a drum sander like a JET 10-20 than any blade planer. A sander will never tear out chunks of wood in extremely hard and figured woods like a planer will. And a sander can take slabbed wood from the band saw and make nice veneers or inlay slabs.
When I want to make my wood square I first make two surfaces parallel with my drum sander, then I use a large homemade router table that I have set up to work like a jointer. The infeed is parallel offset to the outfeed to take up the amount cut by the long straight 1/2 inch bit. I get consistent and square results and can shave off a few thousandths at a time if I like. Once the wood is square I use the sander again on the router cut surfaces to make them smooth and sharp edged. You can cut yourself on those sanded 90 deg edges !
I struggled with buying a jointer, but hated to add another large piece of equipment to my already crowded shop. And I had a router table for my woodworking that hardly ever saw use for my cues. The router table has a 24x48 surface and is massive enough to give anyone that moves it a hernia, not a toy by any means. It has a several HP router on a solid mount and it is an accurate repeatable tool. ANd the dust collection is so efficient that it hardly spits out a speck !
If the person that started this thread is a woodworker already he may have this type of equipment and can use it instead of buying more?
I had learned how to make a router table into a jointer from one of the many woodworking magazines out there. It just required me to make a simple but solid MDF fence for it. I am sure glad I did not buy a jointer, or a planer.
Thanks Michael. Mine is cast and the bench top will be the same except
smaller. Have to try the rust spray trick.
smaller. Have to try the rust spray trick.
I can vouch for the Boeshield - it's GREAT stuff!! After you apply it, rub a little furniture paste wax on top (Johnson's or MinWax or your favorite) for a slick finish with even a little more protection.
If your table has any rust or stains - here is a sister (brother?) product that will remove them:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000984/208/T9-Rust-Free-845-Ounce-Pump-Spray.aspx
But use it in a WELL ventilated area, as it contains phosphoric acid and isn't very good for your lungs and the rest of you.
HTH
Gary
Thanks Gery, thats exactly what I need. My chucks get a bit of rust on them occasionaly. I have some stuff that works not bad but doesn't get it all either.
Use a straight bit in a router table, a jointer or planer are completely unnecessary in truing up point stock.
Router tables also work well but like everything else, there not for everyone, I bought an expensive one from MLCS a couple of years ago in hopes of doing woods like Birdseye and curly pink ivory, What I thought was a small cut, turned out to be to much and put a 1 1/2 piece of stock, right thru the wall. I took the table apart, stuck it under the bench and haven't touched it since. Lots of ways to skin a cat.