I purchased a DeWalt 735 planner and infeed / outfeed tables. Since day 1, it has left “indentions” across the work piece at both ends. I took it to a DeWalt service center and they re-placed the roller, front and back. Same problem exists. Does anyone have a plan for a shop made infeed – outfeed table for this unit? I talked to someone at a Woodcraft store and they suggested to build my own tables and described them to me. Of course, I could not remember all he said nor vision it. It entails giving up about 3/4″ in highth but if it gets rid of the indentions, I’m for it.
Any help would be appreciated.
Replies
Do you know the term " snipe " ? If so is this what you are referring to ?
Snipe can totally be eliminated by " adjusting " the tables.
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
This is not what I would call snipe. It is more like you took a drill and drilled a hole and cut the piece in half then you would have a "valley" left. Of course not as large. Just the impression. I've adjusted the tables with a good straight edge and they line up but the problem is still there.
It is almost like the rollers themselves are "grabbing" the piece and putting this in it. I've tried small pieces, medium pieces and large pieces taking small cuts and increasing them, all to no avail.
Could you post a picture? That would be quite helpful in finding a solution.Cheers,Peter
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
That sounds like snipe to me. Snipe is the tendancey for the cutterhead to cut deeper at the beginning and/or end of the cut. The length is equal to the distance between the feed roller and cutterhead, about 3-4" on the DW735.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Well as everyone here will tell you I am getting all out of my depth now. I don't own planer. However . . . let me say this about that :I covet the DeWalt 735 ! I would have one by now if I wasn't all hording " gold " for the great what ever that is happening with the economy. I was just about to place the order about then.I have read a whole bunch of reviews on Amazon and here about it.People have great luck with no snipe if they do a few things :• sounds like the tables need to be a tweek high so they flex down to level ( with the larger/heavier planks ? ). You said you used small stuff too so maybe that is proof that this isn't the prob.• wax the tables including the table between the outside ones. If the plank stops moving it gets marked.• be sure the rollers that pull the work in are clean. I believe they are rubber and pick up stuff and glaze a bit also and then they can't grip and the work stops and starts.Well for what it is worth that's what I got.Hope some one helps if this isn't doing it.rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )Edited 10/3/2009 8:02 pm by roc <!-- ROC2013 -->
Edited 10/3/2009 8:04 pm by roc
Snipe would be a large rectangular area, slightly lower than the rest of the board, running back two to three inches from the leading and trailing edges of the stock.What you are describing sounds like torn out chunks from weak spots that were either created by end checking or by ring shakes. Ring shakes are cracks that sometimes form between the rings of a tree so the separation will be a smooth circular surface. Ring shakes are usually caused by stress on the tree while it was growing but can also be a result of felling damage or stress from drying. The very heart of the tree is especially prone to the problem, your description of the damage as looking like a drilled hole cut in half lengthwise suggests that is the case here. If your board does include the center of the tree it should be ripped into three pieces discarding the narrow center board that includes the pith section since it will be highly unstable and will usually cause a large dog leg cup in the board as it dries. Oddly enough the two outer boards that you save will be quarter sawn and will be the most stable wood in the log. In any case the fault doesn't sound like it is with the planer.John White
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998 to 2007
Edited 10/5/2009 9:15 am ET by JohnWW
Okay, I am guessing my defination of "snipe" may be different than others. I consider snipe to be torn edges at the end of a cut on a saw or router. The ends of the boards coming off my planer are okay. The divot starts about 3" from each end and goes completelt across the workpiece. And, it doesn't matter what type of wood, red oak, poplar etc, it is still the same.
I did take the unit into a DeWalt service center and they replaced both the front and rear rollers. When I ran some stock through it, I got the same. Then I noticed they had removed / lowered my infeed and out feed tables. I re-adjusted both using a straight edge and still got the same results. I adjusted the infeed table a little higher than the actual planed table and it stopped some of it but not all. So now the outfeed is still getting the same amount. I,ll continue to adjust the out feed and try and correct that. But, it diesn,t look as though it will remove all of this.
I can always cut a piece longer than needed but I look at it this way. At 3" on each end that's 6" per board. If you are working on a side for a bookcase or cabinet and the wood is $4.00 per foot or more, that is a lot of wasted wood, not to mention $$$. I just don't think all is well with the planer.
I know I am not as familiar as all of you are, hence this posting.
Thanks for all of your suggestions!
Jerry
"The divot starts about 3" from each end and goes completelt across the workpiece." Planer snipe -- here's the Highland Woodworking snipe page, w/ illustration of the cause, and tips.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanks for the input and the link. This is what seems to be hapening. Perhaps I can adjust the infeed/outfeed tables accordingly. I'm also thinking of building a bed that runs completely through the planer and further out than the mfg tables.
Again, thanks.
Jerry
A sled should work, but the vast majority of 735 users posts seem to indicate very little in the way of snipe (burnishing or extremely light snipe that's removed by standard pre-finishing sanding). Did you hear our question about how much of a "bite" you're taking with each pass? This would be useful information.
Extended support such as Tom Hintz discusses on this page would help, even if it wasn't a sled. Lifting up on the end of a board as it enters and leaves the planer helps me the most.
Oooo, one more question -- did the service people check the auto-engage headlock-type mechanism on your planer? The device mentioned here in Tom's 735 review: "Another important feature of the DeWalt #735 is the very effective and automatic snipe-reducing device that engages after each height change. This device engages the four heavily threaded, 1"-diameter corner posts to virtually eliminate snipe."forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanks for all of the help. I've got some good input and will try all of it. I am sure some( Most) is operator error. I was just not expecting the snipe on the end like I was getting. I will see what happens and make sure I add to the length to be able to cope with the snipe.
As you can tell, I've just started woodworking. For about a year. My father in law passed away about then and I got his 20 year old Delta Unisaw, bowed fence and all, hand planes etc. Heck, I've never been able to drive a nail! Now, I've built a bookcase (seems like everyone's first prokect) and wall cabinets for my wife's sewing room, 137" long done in 3 sets. So, I am learning. And, I'll probably ne back with more questions.
Thanks!
Jerry
Enjoy the Unisaw, and major kudos on the wall cabinets. Big project!!
(Yep, my first was a bookcase too, but barely worthy of the name)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I made a bookcase once, but during that last earthquake, one of the rocks rolled off the table.
Oooo, don't want to think about earthquakes. Just hoping whatever's going on beneath Indonesia and Sumatra doesn't spread to that fault running underneath the souther tip of the island!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
At least you and I will hopefully not be subject to a big wave, living in sheltered waters. I think the major fault lines are one the west side of the coast line. Have to look that up.Cheers,Peter
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Jerry,The "torn edges at the end of a cut on a saw or router" is called tear out or sometimes blow out. What you are seeing is snipe. Actually you will probably find that the entire area from the end of the board to the divot is actually lower, it just is more prominent at the transition point.The most common cause is the slight upward flexing of the power head as the stock runs under the rollers. The stiffer the machine, and the better its head lock system, the less snipe. Your machine doesn't have a manual headlock but it is supposed to lock automatically after you set the depth. If the machine isn't set up right for the locking, or the roller pressure, or the fit of the head on the four posts you will get some snipe. Why they would have changed the rollers is a mystery, they probably did it because it was an easy way to collect warranty money I'd guess.Lifting the stock upward as the board enters and exits the machine works to reduce snipe because it puts some added pressure on the head and eliminates the flex before the board reaches the cutters.John White
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998 to 2007
Thank you for the reply and help. I just hate to think I'm going to lose 4 to 6 inches off every piece I plan! I'll work on the tables and adjust them accordingly. I may try and build a bed to go over the factory one and extend it out a little further.
Again, thanks for your help! Any other suggestions or any plans for a bed would be greatly appreciated.
Jerry
Snipe can totally be eliminated by " adjusting " the tables.
Sorry, I sort of disagree. I LOVE my 735.. But I can get or eliminate 'snipe' depending on the 'stick' length and support rollers. For long boards it takes support to not allow the board to get 'off horizon'.. when entering or leaving the final inches before/after the pressure rollers have contacted the wood surface. My shop floor is not level so I marked the floor for the unit and the in/off-feed roller stands. I have a 'jig' to set the roller height!... I have added leveling feet to the roller stands, just in case.....
I think it takes more than the leveling tables.
Hi Will,I am glad you are still talking to me. You're a nice person ! I am sorry I got all stupid about the didgeryroo. I didn't realize what I said could be so offensive until later. I was just joking around. Doesn't mean I will be buyinng any Didgeridoo recordings any time soon but I hope it is fun and goes well for you and your Grand daughter.Very commendable that she is exploring such exotic things.>Planer beds<Hey what do I know. Just relating what I read. I am going over to Amazon and see if I can pull some info that I had seen there. Here is one of interest that I cut back then and put in my files about the blades. Kind of a racket not being able to resharpen the blades.Dewalt Planer
replaced a five-function Robland Combination machine because I was moving to a house with a smaller workshop. The Robland was a heavy-duty monster (1500 lbs) and all five functions (planer/jointer/mortiser/table saw/shaper) were a real pain to calibrate. I've replaced all functions with individual Delta or Dewalt machines. The Dewalt planer was a real step down, but works remarkably well. The knives, however, are a real disappointment when you've become used to using HSS or carbide knives. My experience with the Dewalt knives was so bad that I thought the machine itself was woefully underpowered. My first few board feet were pine, so, no problem, but my passes on pecan had the machine smoking and stalling. I was only taking off paper-thin amounts but the wood came out burned every time. It took me hours to plane 35 board feet of 1 1/4 inch rough pecan to 3/4, using both sides of the knives, and I almost gave up the project all together. In frustration I did an internet search on Dewalt planer replacement knives and found ONE company that made their own high speed steel knives specifically for the Dewalt planer. Theirs are only a few dollars more and are resharpenable. When I received the first set I had to slightly overbore the set pin holes to get them to fit, but once installed the blades performed awesomely. I have planed another 30 feet of pecan in 1/10 the time and am still on the same knife edge. No smoke or burn marks and I can take off a lot more wood on each pass. Dewalt must deliberately make flimsy, disposable knives to guarantee a revenue stream and I don't understand why more companies don't make alternatives. I don't know if Amazon will let me post this, but the company I purchased the blades from is Infinity Tools, and the knives are under "Specialty Planer and Jointer Knives." I brought the set pin hole issue to the company's attention and they acknowleged a couple of other calls, but said they sell a lot of the knives so the problem is rare. I still ordered another set almost immediately and I'm still on the first knife side of the first set! If I had not found an alternative source for knives I would not be able to recommend this planer. I have a spare set of Dewalt knives that will never see the outside of the package.rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
This is some of the kind of stuff I read that made me think it is possible to eliminate snipe.Also some info on cleaning rollers and waxing tables/bed.Review:
Two pieces of advice on this tool. 1. make sure you get the infeed/outfeed tables or build your own. This will eliminate any snipe you might be getting and again they are cheap. 2. make sure you keep the bed clean and waxed. The only time I have feed issues (and I run allot of board feet) is when the table is dirty, clean with some mineral spirits, wax it down and your feed rates will return to normal...Next Review :
purchased this planer and at first had terrible trouble with snipe. After disassembling it and figuring out how to adjust the ball screws (not something I recommend to most folks) I am astonished at how much better it performs. It went from horrible snipe over the first and last three inches to an indistinguishable amount. Mine was apparently misadjusted at the factory. It happens.... I've seen complaints about blade life and the blades do seem susceptable to getting nicked and leaving tiny ridges. However, they are not dull and if the ridges become objectionable I'd turn around just one blade. Primarily I've been planing hard old growth maple. Overall I'm really happy with this planer and recommend it. The claims stating "virtually no snipe" are true and the wood is usable from end to end. No more losing 6" off every board. Next Review :
I've used this planer for about 2 months now, but put it through it's paces. I've put about 500bf of 8/4 hard maple through it, about 50bf of fir, and a little cherry and walnut. On the hard maple, I've experienced that the rollers get clogged w/ maple chips and don't allow them to properly grab and therfore feed the heavy boards through at a contant rate. Cleaning the rollers, then running the board through again at the same thickness fixes it, but it's a bit of a hassle. Plus, when the black rubber rollers slip, they leave a black skid mark on the wood. I've had no slippage problems with the cherry, fir, or walnut, however. All of these woods planed with no snipe, as long as the board was long enough (I'd say at least 3 ft long) not to tip up when the first roller grabs it. I experienced some tearout with the fir - some very bad, actually. This is the first planer I've ever used, so I'd refrain from making a judgement. Rather, I wanted to provide some concrete facts based on daily use from a semi-amature woodworker.Next Review :. . . It took a little playing around with and reading to learn the correct technique for moving stock through so I did get snipe on the first bunch of passes on stock, more frequently on the end of the boards then on the front. Most of what I put through was between 3 and 6 inches wide and 2-5 feet long. I did put a couple wider ones in just to see how it handled it. On a 14in long 11in wide hard maple glue up I took off 1/16th per pass and got no snipe or tearout. Then I put through a 10in wide 4ft long oak board and did get snipe on the end but not the start. I still think it's technique because it didn't do it on every pass and when taking off 1/32 I didn't get it at all. The folding tables aren't out yet, but they will probably help even more. I'm pretty convinced once I get the proper technique down I won't get snipe anymore. I'm getting more and more snipe free boards.
Next Review :I have owned this thickness planer for about 6 months and used it for a few projects. The surfaces are excellent on a variety of woods--so far I've used it on curly maple, cumaru, cherry, poplar, and oak with no issues. Dust collection is good with just my whining shop vac attached. Set-up was a snap and worked great right out of the box. So why not 5 stars? Two reasons: first, the "optional" extension tables are not at all optional. Without them, the planer has significant snipe; with them attached there is no appreciable snipe (<1/64" at worst). At this price point the extension tables definitely should have been included, and I would not recommend buying this planer without them. Next Review :. . . After attaching the folding tables I get no snipe at all. I think the planner was well worth the extra cost.Next Review :I wouldn't be writing this if my new/old Delta single speed planer had managed to do what I needed. It wasn't very expensive, but faced with 100 board feed of maple it simply gave up trying. In desperation I bought this DeWalt 13" portable planer, and the day was saved.. . . The planer uses four very solid screw posts to position the head. The cutter and rollers are not going to be moved by any piece of lumber that a rational woodworker would feed into it. If you are careful feeding in the lumber (and buy the extensions) you will find that snipe can often be completely avoided . . .rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
I never go by most reviews.Number one, once someone puts down their hard earned money for any product, any objectivity they have usually leaves. I've read "reviews" that were nothing more than justification for having bought the cheap one.Number two, admitting they made a mistake in their purchase is a hard thing to do.Number three, and this is applicable to woodworking in spades, is that no reviewer can get beyond their personal level of expertise. Remember the old joke about starting the chainsaw and cords per day.I do read reviews from places like FWW, specifically because they are not affected by number two, and they make specific efforts to eliminate the other two.But reviews from Joe User-Woodworker, who saved for three years to purchase a 735?There's no chance I'll listen to him. Even if he's right.That all said, my 735 is a great thing. :)
I find the reviews on Amazon most helpful. Especially electronics, books . . . most things actually. I agree there are some helpless and confused people out there. It is pretty easy to tell who they are. There may be some fraudulent posts by the companies but in general, over all I learn a few things.Of course you are welcome to limit your exposure to the world anyway you please. Do you have any tips you care to share about the care and feeding of the genuine article ?Of course you may just be a planted DeWalt agent sent here to spread propaganda and lies but I am willing to put what you say through the old BS detecter and see if it goes zonk or bing.: )rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
>People admitting they made a mistake<ReviewWithin 5 more minutes, >ponk< a sprocket (also made of clay or cardboard?) broke. . . . took it for repair to a DeWalt service center and asked why the knives wore out so quickly. The clerk rudely observed "you're not supposed to plane nails,. . . the sprocket broke again (note: 100 lbs is actually pretty portable when you're that angry).End reviewHhhmmm not only admits they made a mistake in buying something they can't understand how to set up or use but admits that someone else agrees with them. Then admits that they were hysterical.there are actually over thirty cases in the "hated it " one star category alone. Is two stars hated it but like the color ?Next reviewI have gone through at least two dozen drive sprokets in the first month of operation with the DW735End reviewOoooh thats a case of doesn't know when to change hobbies ! But I admire the stamina. Perhaps marathon running would be the thing. Probably not going to let them work on my Ferrari though.Next reviewThis planer is pure junk. It's a total waste of time and money having this thing around. The knives last absolutely no time at all, literally no time at all. When you take these knives out of the package stand them up on a flat surface and gaze at all the light streaming through the ragged and not very straight edge of these knives, they are totally worthless. Why would anyone make something this bad? End review
What was that you said ? . . .
>once someone puts down their hard earned money for any product, any objectivity they have usually leaves. I've read "reviews" that were nothing more than justification for having bought the cheap one.
Number two, admitting they made a mistake in their purchase is a hard thing to do.<Seems like this last person has heroically over come their reticenceMight be worth considering how you arrived at your "opinion". Are you repeating something you heard someone else say about the reviews who doesn't really have a good feel for the reviews if they take the time to read them at all. Or is your perspective science and I imagined all these people admitting they made a mistake ?rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )Edited 10/6/2009 3:44 am by roc <!-- ROC2013 -->Edited 10/6/2009 3:44 am by roc <!-- ROC2013 -->
Edited 10/6/2009 3:47 am by roc
Here is a start :
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=44565.6
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Hi roc
Here is a quote from that link you provided ..
I did have a bit of trouble with snipe until I raised the infeed and outfeed tables just above the bed. This handles the little bit of table deflection that you get.
My lunchbox planer ("thicknesser" on this side of the Indian Ocean) is a newish (old stock) Delta 540. Below is the modification I made that has eliminated snipe.
The problem lay with the infeed and outfeed tables moving. These balance on the frame end up bending slightly with the weight of the board, first as the weight rests on the infeed side and then when the weight moves to gthe outfeed.
My solution was simply to prevent the tables from deflecting at all.
To do this I added rests under the tables. These used allen bolts to add a degree of adjustability ...
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This works well for boards up to 4-5 feet. After that I clamp a rigid platform to extend the tables.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Edited 10/5/2009 11:32 am ET by derekcohen
>added rests under the tables. These used allen bolts to add a degree of adjustability ...<Derek,As always your solution is professional and well done. Thanks for the tip and great photos.The latest news I heard was that natural gas prices are going down a significant amount this winter so, dare I say it and knock on wood, there may be a power planer in my future yet.PS: I been thinking about starting a new thread : Knocking on wood, how it works, the finer points, what wood is best, left hand verses right hand . . .thanks,rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
From my understanding, snipe varies with each planer/user. I own the same model and only rarely experience what you are describing. When feeding, I feed one board at a time keeping the board firmly on the table until it reaches the second roller. On the other end, I pull it out in an upwards direction. That works for me. I don't know whether the snipe depends on the planer or the user.
and www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
One test that might eliminate the diagnosis of snipe would be two take two pieces of stock, the same thickness, and run them through the planer with one pieces butted right up the trailing end of the first piece that goes through.
This is a feeding technique that's used to eliminate snipe from all but the first and last pieces of several being planed. If your first piece comes out with the divot only on the front edge, and the second piece only with a divot on the trailing edge, then what you have is snipe.
In that is the case, perhaps you're taking off too much stock with one pass? or the other causes described above.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 10/3/2009 9:24 pm by forestgirl
Edited 10/4/2009 11:56 am by forestgirl
<<It sounds like you don't have the DeWalt infeed/outfeed add-ons, right? Not good, unless you build your own station that provides infeed and outfeed support.>>I did not clue in to that until you mentioned it. I have the same machine and, believe me, it will snipe without those infeed and outfeed tables. I suppose they are sold separately because some folks build their own.Cheers,Peter
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Peter,I don't use in/outfeed tables, but I do have a very careful feed technique as described above in this thread. I certainly don't see how feed tables could not help though.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Reading the OPs original post again he says he has (the DeWalt 735 planner and infeed / outfeed tables), I never realized that the Dewalt didn't come with infeed and outfeed tables. I have the Makita 2012NB 12" Planer it came with both tables, but it almost always leaves some amount of snipe on the infeed end of the board, but very rarely on the outfeed end of the board. I have never tried to adjust the tables I just cut the boards five inches longer than needed which is enough to allow for snipe on both ends.
Mike
I should have gone back and reread the first post. [I've edited my post to remove the incorrect "sounds like" info] Because of the Woodcraft employees recommendation to build his own tables, I thought he didn't have them.
With as heavy as his divots are, it seems Big Bite Syndrome might be a player here.
Re: your Makita, it might be worth it to adjust the tables and see how much snipe you can eliminate. I've adjusted my little Delta, but still use feeding and removing technique -- a little "lift" -- to get the best results. Or, as mentioned above, feeding one after the other, ends touching.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 10/4/2009 12:02 pm by forestgirl
Forestgirl:
It is raining and in general looks like a gloomy day around here today. Just waiting for finish to dry on a couple of night stands that I built for my wife, but I think I will take your advise and try to adjust the tables on my Makita a little better than they are, gives me a reason to get out of the house. I think you could be on the right track with the big bite syndrome. Maybe the OP could post a couple of pictures so we could get a better idea of the issues he is having. Well you have a great day and enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Mike
JS,
The motor on this thing is working at 10k rpm. The feel rollers are geared down to move the stock at several feet per minute. Try to imaging the forces there.
The cutter head is spinning at you with three knives - fast enough to make 96 or 179 cuts per inch. Imagine the force there.
The rollers - rubber - are compressing against the wood with such force that they can not only hold back against the charging knives, but also progress the wood through. In fact, only one roller is used when you start. Imagine the force that one roller represents.
In my opinion, regardless of how well you adjust infeed/outfeed tables, and no matter how carefully you proceed with feeding and extracting the first and last inches of your stock, you cannot overcome those forces.
When that point comes where there is a transfer from two to one rubber roller, or from one to two, a portable machine cannot be engineered to counteract that force. The resulting 'bounce" will cause that kind of snipe you described (as if you drilled a hole from edge to edge then resawed through it.) That happened at the "bounce" point. Even if one could argue that a "portable" machine could be engineered so the cutter/roller mechanism could be sufficiently rigid and locked, how can the fact that you are moving the load from two rubber rollers to one be accounted for? When one roller leaves the board, will the other show no difference in compression?
The kind of snipe that runs to the end of the board - tapering the last 3" or so - can be attributed to infeed/outfeed tables and technique; that little gully across the stock, is just a fact of life.
Rather than being upset about it, look at the bright side. These machines bring the ability to thickness stock to the small shop for a few hundred dollars.
I say accept the snipe so you can accept the great things these little machines can do and move forward by:
- Planing your raw stock in as long a state as you can, then cut to needed lengths
- Don't trim any ends for square or to remove checking until after you surface
- Mark the snipe with chalk as soon as it comes off the planer so that later,
when you cut to length, you know where it is and can work with it.
- Consider that you may not have to waste the snipe section on boards with tenons or boards that you can hand plane or boards that will not show.
- As far as hand planing goes, while it may not be practical to hand plane a 10 foot plank to remove the snipe at either end, it may be practical to hand plane the snipe off a 12 inch board you cut from that plank. Just make sure it's a board where finished thickness won't impact joinery since you will be changing the thickness by hand planing.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you will have snipe at both ends of the board and on both faces.
If you are working in rare stock or if you are really stretching and have barely enough stock to complete your project, you could consider attaching runners to the edges of the board that extend on both ends to bridge the rollers on entrance and exit.
But in most cases it's best to just accept the fact that snipe cannot be avoided, allow for it, deal with it and move forward making furniture!
Frank
Thanks for your help. I will try the fixes you mentioned. I guess I just was not expecting to see the snipe like that. It wasn't that visible on a bookcase I was working on until I applied the finish. Then is really stood out. From now on, I'll add some lenght to be on the safe side. Great idea about using the ends for tenons etc. I hadn't thought about that.
Thank you!
Jerry
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