Static Charge while planing wood
user-105550
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
It’s winter in canada again, and I am having a huge problem with static while thickness planing some white pine, the wood shavings seem to be sticking to the cutterhead and getting pushed back onto the wood leaving a rotten finish, I have tried grounding the planer, and I empty my shop vac often (I have a very small shop with no room for a large dust collecter) and always find the shavings are very staticy. Is there any solution to this at all, I have alot of pine to plane and if I have to finish them all with a hand plane I will be here forever
HELP!
Replies
Your basic problem is that you are trying to clear the shavings with too small of a dust collector aggravated by the type of wood you are planing, and possibly made worse by the static, but I doubt that, static forces just aren't that strong.
If you can't hook up to a full sized dust collector, could you switch to using the open chute for the machine and possibly work outdoors to prevent blowing shavings all over the shop?
John White
Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
I have tried removing the chip shield but it only made the problem worse and of course quickly filled my shop with shavings. You are right about the type of wood though becouse I have noticed the problem is greatly reduced with say hard maple. I have been taking thinner cuts which seems to help, but my normal cut is only 1/32 which is pretty light anyhow, with lighter cuts I seem to be planing forever. And as for working outside today it is -22 here which isn't good for me or probably the tools either
Something doesn't seem to be quite right with the situation you are describing. Usually going to a straight exhaust chute will solve a problem like this because the shavings can evacuate without any restriction, that the problem gets worse with a straight chute is unexpected.
What type of planer do you have, are the knives sharp, and is the machine otherwise in good condition?
With the cutter head cover off, look to see if resin and chips from the pine have possibly built up around the cutter head housing restricting the air flow around the head. On some benchtop planers the tin cover has an air duct that directs the exhaust air from the motor over the cutter head to help clear the chips, make sure that nothing is blocking that air flow and that any foam gaskets that seal the cover are in good shape.
Something to try: get a small bucket of water and a sponge and dampen the face of the boards before you plane them. The wood should be thoroughly wetted without having actual puddles on the board's face. This will do two things, the moisture should help carry off the static charge and the character of the shavings will change, but whether the change would be for better or worse I can't be sure.
John
Hi John
Thanks for the help, I checked over my planer (it is a rigid 1310) it is usually quite clean and in good order, and still was in this case, I did give it a good cleaning and swap in new knives, this seems to have helped the problem but it is still quite there, but at least at a more manageable level now. Maybe after lunch I will try the water trick to see how it works, untill then maybe clear out some space for a dust collector
Is the pine dry? I planed some partially air dried pine [content 20-30% or so] and my planer [DeWalt] clogged continuously. Once the pine was down to 7 or 8%, it planed easily. It wasn't the static, it was the moisture.
Just my 2 cents, but it sure made my job harder, and it sounds similar to what you're experiencing.Ken
Yeah the pine is dry, I remember on of the first boards I tried planing was pretty wet and I had alot of problem with clogging as well, but this wood is deffinatly dry. and there is so much static to it that when I open up my shop vac alot of it just jumps out and sticks to everything, much like a baloon you rubbed on your head does, which if i remember right the wet chips don't do
wood,
I have had the same problem in the past. For some reason, white pine is the worst at "static cling". My problem was solved when I switched from no dust collection, to a 4bag whole shop dust collector. Perhaps a humidifier for the shop will help, if a larger dust collector isn't possible. Might be better for you, too, healthwise.
Regards,
Ray Pine
I have solved my problem, I went out and purchaced a delta dust collector, it was actually the one that got the best tool award in the latest FWW issue, I didnt know till after I bought the collector since I got the mag on my way home from buying it. Anyways with the now much larger dust collector my problems are gone
thanks to all for your help and as far as beer goes, I think I will just go and have a cold one
Yves
After I ran grounding wires through my DC and Vac hoses, the only static I get is from my wife eh?Eric, in Cowtown
FIRST off, Make sure your planer is grounded to a pipe or electrical box
A good sharp zap from built up static charge can make you hop or jerk toward the high speed machinery.also a rubber mat below your feet could prevent you from being part of the path to ground. If you are Canadian, the term for ground is earth.
Steinmetz.
Actually, in Canada the term for ground, is ground, eh.
Just because our beer is better doesn't mean we're totally messed up.
The older I get, the better I was....
Papa, How did I guess you were Canadian? EH!You are correct about Labatts'Strailian' beer is pretty good too.
Thanks (By the way,)for all the snow you're sending down to us here in ConnecticutSome years ago, a frind's daughter returned home from Canada with a trunkful of great Canadian beer and I sampled a few g.. pints. Very high alchol content Can't remember the brand though.For a long time,I have wondered why your visiting geese never fly, They just meander around, taking their, time and hold up traffic,Also wondered, Did they walk all the way on foot?ED from Ct,
You guys should spend less time with your beer, Instead you guys should try sitting with your wives holding them and having meaningful sensitive conversations.
-LMC
lou,
"try sitting with your wives holding them and having meaningful sensitive conversations."
Right, then later, maybe she'll bring you a beer...
Cheers,
Ray
...Man comes home, worried look on his face. He gets in the door, looks at his wife and says:
"Quick grab me a beer, right away before it starts!" so she rushes and gets him a beer, and he downs it in one shot.
"Better get another, I'm sure its gonna start now" so she grabs another, and he chugs it down.
"It's starting, I can feel it, Honey get me another!" she races off, really concerned, and brings him one more beer.
He sits down on the couch and starts drinking the beer, and sits quietly....
She looks at him for a minute and then says :"Well? What is that all about? Do you actually intend to sit there all night and just drink beer? Do you think I'm just going to keep fetching them for you like some darned dog?...."
"... it's started." The older I get, the better I was....
paper, Scene: Old Pennsylvania Dutch farmer returning to his farm with his new blushing bride .They are riding in a newly purchased hansom cab pulled by a stately Morgan horse.. As the happy couple passed through a freshly harrowed cornfield, the proud horse stumbled on a rock (missing his gait)
The (Up to now smiling)bridegroom halted the rig and scowled at the animal shouting just two words: "THAT'S ONE."They continued along and the hapless horse faltered yet again. The red faced farmer then shook his gnarled fist at the steed and announced,
"THAAAT's TWOOO!"All was peaceful and serene along the next road until the horse was 'spooked' by a ground snake and the animal reared. THAT'S THREEEEE! roared the incensed driver who produced a Colt 45 and uncerimonisly shot the animal just yards from their new homestead.
The Couple (Now on foot) proceeded toward the house, but the bride
finally spoke,"WHY IN HEAVEN'S NAME DID YOU HAVE TO SHOOT THAT POOR H...!?""THAT'S ONE!" shot back her spouse.Edited 2/16/2006 7:28 pm ET by Steinmetz
Edited 2/16/2006 7:28 pm ET by Steinmetz
Is Moosehead Canadian?
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
Most absolutely.
Pretty much all good beer is. (Although I am very partial to Kilkenny...)
Creemore Springs is probably the best beer in North America these days (and the brewery is about 30mins from my house!)The older I get, the better I was....
One factor to keep in mind here is that the passage of air (and it's tiny dust particles) over a surface will create an electrical charge. Keeping this in mind, it will be clear that it may well worsen a static problem when airflow is increased (more air and dust passing over the surface = more static charge). This may explain why a more efficient air flow would worsen the problem. Dissipation of the build-up of static potential would reverse this situation. There have been some modest attempts to utilize this effect as a source for generating power in special situations.
You are correct. The problem is that a planer on an elevated surface with wheels, is effectively insulated. The dust hose also further insulates the planer. What you have created is a large capacitor. Metal with dielectric. There is no way to discharge the static. First, the ground wire (EGC) in the power cord will do nothing as far as static is concerned. That is not its purpose. The static charge is not trying to get to the earth, just to the other charged surface. Basically the static is the result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges in an object. Bonding prevents the static buildup. The IEEE Green Book states "a resistance on the order of 1,000,000 ohms is usually satisfactory for static mitigation". So what is the solution. "Bonding" not "Grounding". This is accomplished by connecting ALL conductive parts together with a #12 AWG wire. A #14 AWG will work as well, but the #12 is stronger. Think of rubbing your hair on a balloon. you have two charged surfaces. put the two together and no more static.
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