Harbor Freight Tools 41831 Suggestions for Better Planing, Select your wood with care

SUGGESTIONS FOR BETTER PLANING

This tool is ideal for finishing wood boards. You can use it to level or remove veneers. You can level warped boards. You can convert rough boards into finished wood. You can shape boards to a desired size.

Select your wood with care.

1.Be sure your wood is dry and properly cured. Green or wet wood will continue to shrink and may warp after planing.

2.Do not use splintered wood, or wood which may splinter while being worked. Some species such as Eucalyptus or Bamboo are prone to splintering and are not suitable for planing.

3.Do not use any boards with loose knots, or knots which are significantly harder than the surrounding wood. These can break out or come loose during planing, which can jam the machine.

4.Check your workpiece for foreign objects, such as nails, screws or stones which may be embedded in the wood. Remove any foreign objects before planing, or select another workpiece. Foreign objects may come loose and be ejected from the machine causing a hazard. Foreign objects may also damage the knife blades.

Plan the best way to handle warped and bowed boards.

1.Boards which are warped across the width of the board (“cupped” boards) should have the top planed flat first,

then turned over and the bottom planed flat.

2. Depending on the width of the board, you can reduceFigure 6. A Cupped Board waste in planing cupped boards by ripping them

lengthwise first, then planing both resulting pieces.

3.Boards which are warped lengthwise (“bowed” boards) are difficult to succesfully straighten out. The feed rollers in the planer will effectively straighten out bowed boards as they pass through. But the board will remain bowed when freestanding. If the bowed board cannot be used as is, it is best to select another board.

It is important to consider wood grain when planing.

Figure 7. A Bowed Board

1.It is best to cut in such a way that the planer’s knife blades are cutting with the grain. This will reduce chipping, and result in a smoother finished surface. You

	can identify the grain direction by looking at the edge or
	end of the board. You can also often feel the grain with
	your fingers.	Figure 8. Feed the Board so the Knife
2.	In some boards, the grain direction reverses part way
		Blades cut WITH the Grain
	along the board. If possible, cut such boards at the

transition point, and plane each piece separately.

Avoiding Kickback.

1.	Always insert boards for planing into the front of the
	machine. The insertion direction is indicated by the arrow
	on top of the left belt cover.
2.	Anti-kickback devices are installed along the top edge of	Figure 9. Boards Whose Grain Changes
	the front opening of the planer.
WARNING: Avoid kickback by never overloading the machine.		Direction in the Middle.

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