BLADE SHARPENING
The Blade must be completely removed from the Planer and from the Back Plate in order for it to be safely sharpened. Follow the preceding instructions for Blade Removal. The blade set in the G9004 Planer is reversible, so that once one side becomes dull, the blade can be simply reversed to provide a new cutting edge. Once both edges become dulled, it will be necessary to sharpen them.
For the best results, have planer blades sharpened by a professional sharpening service which has the grinding and mea- surement equipment to assure that the blade cutting geometry is maintained at optimum levels. It is a procedure which requires special equipment and precision, otherwise, a set of blades can be easily ruined. Knives should always be ground as a set so that an equal amount of material is removed which will maintain the balance of the cutterhead.
The blades can be tuned up between major sharpenings using the Sharpening Jig supplied. Remove both Blades com- pletely from the Planer.
To Sharpen Blades:
1.Separate the Blade from the Back Plate by removing two Phillips® head screws.
2.Mount the two Blades onto the Sharpening Jig as shown in
Figure 6.
Planer blades are dangerously sharp. Use extreme caution when inspecting, removing, sharpening, or replacing blades into the cutterhead. Substantial risk of laceration injury exists!
G9004 Portable Planer
Fig 6. Blades in Sharpening Jig.
3.The bevel edge of the blades will extend beyond the sloped edge of the Jig. The blades can be sharp- ened by sweeping a fine metal file along the two edges, using the existing bevel angle as a guide. Or the entire Jig can be turned faced down on a sharpening stone and swept across the surface of the stone.
4.Remove the Blades from the Jig and reinstall into the Planer.
Blade sharpness is one of the most impor- tant factors in getting good results with the planer. Take care to ensure that the work- piece being planed is free from grit, dirt, or nails or other embedded metals such as staples. These can nick or chip the knives and can require a complete regrinding.
