OPERATION
AVOIDING SNIPE
Snipes, or depressions made at either end of a workpiece by cutter blades, can occur when the board is not properly supported. Although snipe may be barely noticeable, it is important to keep the workpiece parallel and flat with the planer table to minimize snipe. Butting workpieces end-
For workpieces longer than 48 in., greater care must be taken to reduce the problem because the additional length means more of the total weight is unsupported by the planer table and rollers, causing the shifting weight to work against keeping the stock flat.
To remove snipe from a finished workpiece, cut off the end of the workpiece where snipe is noticeable.
WARPED WOOD
Little or no warpage is the ideal condition for planing a workpiece. Simply turn the workpiece over and plane it to the desired thickness. Otherwise, plane the top first, turn the workpiece and plane the bottom.
For a board that is cupped or bowed across its width, the best method is to rip the board lengthwise down the middle and plane the pieces separately. This method eliminates much of the waste in planing cupped or bowed workpieces.
The only way to remove the bow from a workpiece that is cupped or bowed down its length is to use a jointer.
Avoid using severely warped wood as it can jam the planer. If it must be used, rip it in half before planing to help mini- mize the possibility of jamming. If jamming does occur, turn the switch off and unplug the planer immediately. Raise the cutterhead assembly high enough to remove the workpiece easily. Carefully check to make sure no damage to the tool has occurred before making the next planing pass.
Always feed the workpiece in the direction of the grain. This allows the cutter blades to sever the wood fibers instead of tearing them. Feeding against the grain can also cause the cutter blades to chip the workpiece.
POWER SWITCH
See Figure 10.
The planer is equipped with a power switch that has a
TO TURN THE PLANER ON:
With the switch key inserted into the switch, lift the switch to turn ON ( l ).
TO TURN THE PLANER OFF:
With the switch key inserted into the switch, push the switch down to turn OFF ( O ).
TO lock THE PLANER:
Place the switch in the OFF ( O ) position.
Remove the switch key from the switch and store in a secure location.
WARNING:
Always remove the switch key when the tool is not in use and keep it in a safe place. In the event of a power failure, turn the switch OFF ( O ) and remove the key. This action will prevent the tool from accidentally starting when power returns.
WARNING:
Always make sure the workpiece is not in contact with the blade before operating the switch to start the tool. Failure to heed this warning may cause the workpiece to be kicked back toward the operator and result in serious personal injury.
SWITCH KEY
OFF | ON |
Fig. 10
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