Tip #34
Planer
Pg. 1-3, Pg. 4-6, Pg. 7-9, Pg. 10-12, Pg. 13-15 (PDF)
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Figure 21-1. The Thickness Planer can be mounted on the MARK V, as shown, or on the Shopsmith Power Stand.

Shopsmith has two models of planers: the Thickness Planer and the Professional Planer. The Thickness Planer mounts on the Mark V(Figure 21-1)or a Shopsmith Power Stand. The Professional Planer has its own stand and motor (Figure 21-2).

In terms of what it does, the planer might be the simplest power tool in a home woodworking shop. Yet, simple as it is, when teamed with other power tools, the planer gives you everything you need to transform all kinds of lumber into useful, beautiful and fun projects. It gives you greater freedom to work with hardwood, softwood, even trees from your backyard or logs from your wood pile. Adding a planer is a great step toward achieving a totally self-sufficient home woodworking shop.

Figure 21-2. The Professional Planer has its own stand with its own motor.

Don't confuse the planer with the jointer. The planer is not the best tool to use for straightening cupped or warped stock. These defects should be removed with the jointer before you plane the stock.

A planer performs only two basic tasks, but it does these very, very well:

One: It planes the surface of a workpiece so that it's smooth and flat. Sometimes this means it will remove a large amount of stock in several passes (such as when you're planing a really rough piece of lumber). At other times it can be set to take off just a small amount (when you want to get an extremely smooth, final surface).

Two: The planer wilt plane any number of boards to the exact same thickness.

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