STL196: Is It Time to Upgrade Your Planer?
Mike, Barry, and Ben discuss planer upgrades, chip-out prone furniture parts, benchtop tablesaw concerns, and write the next chapter in the rabbet block plane debateQuestion 1:
From Chase:
I have an old 13″ hitachi planer I got from craigslist many years ago. It has served me well but is starting to have issues. 13 inches has been useful, but at times I wish it was wider. In your experience is it worth the extra money to buy something bigger, or should I stick with a more reasonable choice like DW735? I have 220v access and floor space, so that isn’t an issue. I am in my 30s, have been woodworking for ~10 years. I would like to keep woodworking into my 80s, so I can justify a longer term investment. I can afford a 1.5 or 2k tool, but could buy something else if I stuck with a cheaper planer.
Question 2:
From Martin:
I know Mike likes to have a small offset between the rails and stiles of his frame-and-panel doors. But how does he then avoid chipping the unsupported inside corners of the stiles when planing the top and bottom of the door to fit the opening?
- How to Fit an Inset Door – Systematic approach yields perfect results every time
- Install Inset Doors With Ease – Four-step process uses the jointer and tablesaw to guarantee a perfect fit
Segment: All Time Favorite Tool of All Time
Barry: SketchUp
Mike: Suizan Japanese Saws and DFM Dowel Plate
Ben: Shopmade Hot Pipe Bender
Question 3:
From RobGoSlow on YouTube:
I’m not sure where to submit questions for the podcast but I have one: I’m a very new wood worker with a lower end contractor table saw. Obviously things like the blade angle and fence are not very precise but I want to know what sources of error are there to look out for? What are the types of error you’re concerned about with a cheap table saw?
Question 4:
From Capt. Zachary J. Daniels:
I want to buy a block plane from Lie-Nielsen. I know Mike is a fan of the adjustable mouth block plane. However, I also remember Mike and Matt Kenney having a spirited debate where Matt was extolling the virtues of the rabbeting block plane. I can’t seem to find the original discussion between Matt and Mike. Instead of listening to the entire catalog again, (and without Matt around to defend himself) I’m interested to hear Mike’s opinion on why he prefers the adjustable mouth block plane over the rabbeting block plane.
Right now, I only want to buy one block plane as I also have my eye on the No. 62 low angle jack.
Thanks for the show and keep up the great work! I became an unlimited member after listening to several of the podcasts, so keep the content coming and inspiring others!
Every two weeks, a team of Fine Woodworking staffers answers questions from readers on Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking‘s biweekly podcast. Send your woodworking questions to [email protected] for consideration in the regular broadcast! Our continued existence relies upon listener support. So if you enjoy the show, be sure to leave us a five-star rating and maybe even a nice comment on our iTunes page.
Comments
Easy way to get rid of that little guy in Sketchup... Go to Sketchup > Preferences > Template and choose "Woodworking - Inches"!
Hey, Mike, surprised at a light bulb generating 400F? Remember that the color temperature of a light bulb is typically 3200K, because it is AT that temperature. Reason to be careful with how you rig your heater.
Ben, what is the method for reducing blow out on end grain that you referred to involving mineral oil when using a shooting board?
Just a quick wipe of mineral spirits on the end grain before planing. It isn't for reducing blow out really, it just makes planing end grain a whole lot easier!
DW735 with a Shelix cutter would be a great combination for a small shop. I have Shelix cutter heads in my 14-inch 4-post planer and 8-inch jointer. I could not be happier with the performance. (I also have a 2-inch head for my shaper that has even more uses for pattern work.) All fine if you have the space.
I am outfitting a much smaller shop and space is at a premium (When is a shop truly large enough?) The DW735 seems like a good compromise. No space for a large jointer so I will rely on a sled with wedges or my L-N #8 and winding sticks.
With some planning I can square and flat materials in my south shop, but inevitably some thickness planing will be desirable in the hand-tool centric shop. I think the DW735 is an ideal solution. --DKH
Sketch Up's new pricing structure came up on the podcast. That (plus the dodgy web-only free version, poor CNC compatibility) is making me contemplate the switch to Fusion 360. There's a link near the bottom of the Fusion 360 main page for a 'Hobbyist and Start Up' license, which is FREE! Plus, 'Start Up' is defined as a business generating less than $100,000 in income. You don't have to be a 'Start Up' furniture maker to fall in that bracket. I'm going to follow up with the company on the details, but it does appear to be a great option in the face of Sketch Up's new pricing model.
Ben,
Can not remember if it was this episode or not but you mention signing up for the weekly STL email list, I can't for the life of me find where to do that, do you have a link please? Thank you
I know! That was an amateur mistake and I'll rectify it in the next episode. https://www.finewoodworking.com/newsletter
No worries 🙂 thank you for the link.
Thanks for the thoughtful advise as always. My thinking on a 15" was what Ben highlighted. That is a marginal increase over a 13, for a big cost. I use hand tools regularly, so I have the ability to plane any width if needed. Ultimately I found a refurbed DW735, and put a used (looked new to me) shelix in it. I was able to do that for $750. I put the rest towards a split mini AC so the shop season is longer than 5 months (Florida!).
If I get 20 or 30 years out of that and it breaks, or I decide to upgrade to whatever techno-cyber-laser planer is available in 2050, then I won't feel bad at all about what I spent.
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