Grizzly G0505 instruction manual Wood Types

Wood Types Wood Characteristics

The species of wood, as well as its condition, has a dramatic effect on the depth of cut the planer can effectively take with each pass. The harder the wood (as illustrated by its shear strength), the shallower the depth of cut should be.

Commonly used hardwoods and their associated shear strengths are illustrated in Figure 8.

	Type	Shear (PSI)
	Black Locust		2,480
	Sugar Maple		2,330
Increasing Difficulty	Pecan Hickory		2,080
	American Elm		1,510
	White Oak		2,000
	White Ash		1,950
	Black Cherry		1,700
	Black Walnut		1,370
	Red Alder		1,080
	Basswood		980
	Cottonwood		930

Figure 8. Common hardwood shear strengths.

Similarly, common softwood shear strengths are displayed in Figure 9.

	Type	Shear (PSI)
	Western Larch		1,410
	Tamarack		1,280
Increasing Difficulty	Douglas Fir		1,160
	Cypress		1,000
	Alaska Cedar		1,130
	Sitka Spruce		1,150
	Sugar Pine		1,050
	Redwood (OG)		940
	Red Cedar		860
	White Pine		850
	Balsam Fir		710

Figure 9. Common softwood shear strengths.

Below is a list of wood characteristics you may encounter when planing. The following descrip- tions of defects will give you some possible answers to problems you may encounter while planing different materials. Possible solutions fol- low the descriptions.

Chipped Grain

Problem—Usually a result of cutting against the grain, planing lumber with knots or excessive amount of cross grain, or using dull knives.

Solution—Decrease depth of cuts. Inspect your lumber and determine if its grain pattern is caus- ing the problem. If the lumber does not show sub- stantial crossgrain, sharpen your knives.

Fuzzy Grain

Problem—Usually caused by surfacing lumber with too high of a moisture content. Sometimes fuzzy grain is an unavoidable characteristic of some woods, such as basswood. Fuzzy grain can also be caused by dull knives.

Solution—Check the lumber with a moisture meter. If moisture is greater than 20%, sticker the lumber and allow to dry. Otherwise, inspect the knife condition.

Glossy Surface

Problem—Usually caused by dull knives or too slow of a feed speed. Surface gloss will usually be accompanied by overheating. Often, lumber will be scorched and damage to knives will occur. Solution—Use sharp knives and increase the feed speed.

Snipe

Problem—Occurs when board ends have more material removed than the rest of the board. Usually caused when the workpiece is not prop- erly supported as it goes through the machine. However, a small amount of snipe is inevitable. Solution—The best way to deal with snipe is by planing lumber longer than your intended work length and then cutting off the excess after plan- ing is completed.

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G0505 121⁄2" Lean & Mean Portable Planer