Replies

1. 
   _mj_ | Nov 15, 2022 09:32pm | #1

   Did you flatten one face before you went to the planer? It sounds like variations in the thickness might be hanging you up. The face running on the planer bed has to be flat before you begin... There are work-arounds like leveling sleds that can help.

2. 
   john_c2 | Nov 16, 2022 02:35am | #2

   Is the planer new? Knives sharp? Have you tried a different board, one that's already planed?

3. 
   jharveyb | Nov 16, 2022 10:36am | #3

   It would be helpful to know what planer you have. If it is a "lunch-box" 12" planer, and you are trying to plane 11" wide olive wood (a very dense wood!) it will struggle to take off much per pass. A bigger planer should work a lot faster.

   To summarize and add a few things:
   One side of board flat (it goes against the table.)
   Knives sharp. (Especially important with dense woods.)
   Use paste wax (Johnson's wax, Minwax wax, or such) on the table, and pressure bar if your planer has one (it would be right behind the cutter head.)
   If your planer has bed rollers, they need to be adjusted 0.004" above the table. This is the thickness of a standard piece of paper.

   If you get the planer working right, it will be much faster and more accurate than a belt sander. If even thickness doesn't matter to you, that would make the belt sander a bit easier. If you do use a belt sander on one side, don't run that side thru the knives of the planer afterwards, as it will contain pieces of broken off grit from the sanding that will seriously dull your planer knives.

4. 
   elmaduro | Nov 16, 2022 12:45pm | #4

   I'd keep troubleshooting the planer until you get it to plane wood like it should. A belt sander is not the solution.

5. 
   [email protected] | Nov 17, 2022 10:15am | #5

   Grain direction is also important. This, along with all the other things mentioned, should be known before you start using a planer. JMO

6. 
   DRBWWing | Nov 17, 2022 11:53am | #6

   You're better off with a drum sander.

1. 
   john_c2 | Nov 17, 2022 12:12pm | #7

   A drum sander is great in certain situations. But it would take a billion years to flatten and thickness a board.

7. 
   stevieray | Nov 18, 2022 05:29am | #8

   I'm agreeing with those who say to flatten one face first. I'm willing to bet you didn't do that. I've tried to flatten boards too wide for my jointer by sending them through the planer, but it produces the outcome you describe. The only solution is a plywood sled on which you use shims to level the board, then send the package through. I bet that works.

8. 
   smeac | Nov 18, 2022 11:35am | #9

   Much of what has been said here is right on track in my estimation.
   -While certainly the suggestion that a drum sander is preferred; I’d suggest that’s not very helpful to those that don’t have access to or the money to purchase such a tool. Sure you could build one yourself following all sorts of decent designs like StumpyNubs’ or that kid from Europe that’s built nearly every tool in his shop (name escapes me, but he’s easy enough to find on YouTube and all his designs have gone through multiple iterations). I know I certainly can’t afford a drum sander right now and besides, I’m saving for a new or new to me bandsaw and for a new laptop. But hey maybe building one is something worth looking into, I totally get that it doesn’t help when you and most of us are working on holiday gifts/projects.
   -The recommendation to remain focused on the planer is probably what I’ve read here thus far, BUT that’s assuming you’ve gone down the list of recommendations folks have brought up here concerning the timber itself. Because grain direction is a fair point that one mentioned, but maybe that individual isn’t aware of Olive’s characteristics which kind of render his point moot: olive is a dense interlocking grain timber, so grain direction running through power planer isn’t so very helpful. I’d recommend only this regarding direction: if you can determine what direction was ‘up’ and what was ‘down’ in how the tree grew (like Japanese joiners do), then you could at least orient your passes though the planer that way by passing the timber into planer root end first, you would be thicknessing primarily in the most favorable direction to eliminate tear out and actually use the wood’s grain to your advantage.
   -So, if you’re certain you have at least one side flat from jointing and have attempted to run things root end of tree first, then the next focus would be on the planer itself, but not before; in my opinion. If you can’t seem to get the first side flat on jointer, then maybe use a sled in to do so. Then next I’d clean feed rollers and wax the bed. Heck, maybe it’s a good time anyway for you to do those two things anyway and the the time investment will certainly pay off in this and other projects this season.
   -Finally; and this may not be up your alley, so please don’t think I’m saying it flippantly like “hey, use a drum sander”. Do you have the plane and skill to flatten this by hand? If I was attacking olive, I’d flatten with a low angle jack and low angle jointer plane (that is bevel up planes, both), this is because working with olive is somewhat like working endgrain on every surface. Also too, a cabinet scraper or better yet a scraper plane would treat you well in these operations. Card scrapers are a must for final cleanup/prep for finish, but not going to really be what you can flatten with. I really believe that handtool work is the best answer I’d have to your dilemma and also, it’s far easier to sharpen and keep keen the edges of your planes for this project so that you can preserve the edges on your planer knives/segments for projects that are friendlier to run though your planer; even a cheap set of knives are running right near $60 anymore and I’d hate to kill an entire set just on one project of olive, elm, vera, merbau, ipe, etc…

   Good luck 👍

1. 
   john_c2 | Nov 18, 2022 03:39pm | #10

   For really gnarly grain, I like the toothing blade in a low angle jack plane. It does a great job of rough dimensioning.

9. 
   bilyo | Nov 18, 2022 06:12pm | #11

   I am guessing from your description that the lumber you are workng with is very rough and inconsistant in thickness and you are setting the depth of cut too deep. When ever the cutter gets to a high spot, it tends to pull to one side and bind.
   I agree that you need to start with a flat surface. You can do that by planing one side by hand or machine or you can mount the plank onto a sled. The sled could be nothing more than flat board or plank of MDF. Lay the work piece on the sled and see if it rocks or tips and/or has a bend it it. I have had good experience using hot melt glue for the following. Put a blob at the points where the work piece touches the sled. Then use small wedges and glue them where ever you have a gap between the work piece and sled. This will support the work piece and provide a smooth reference surface for the planer. Now set your planer depth of cut so that it will only take off the high spots. Make multiple passes reducing the depth of cut by no more than 1/16". When the top side is mostly smooth and consistent, it is Ok to remove it from the sled and use that side as a reference for the other side. Flip it over and repeat until it is mostly smooth and consistent. Then you can alternate sides until both sides are smooth.
   Good luck. Let us know how it works out