Thread: Is anyone using a Planer ???

Is anyone using an actual Planer to thin down their scale blanks ??? I need to know if there is one out there in an affordable range say < $1000 that can plane Small hardwood pieces, acrylic, etc: down to 1/8 inch sheets pretty accuratly...
Please only answer if you have actually worked with say 1x6 up to maybe 2x8 inch pieces of material..


So if I take a scale blank that is say 1.5 x 7 x 3/16 and send it through I would get a 1.5 x 7 x 1/8 and is it repeatable so that the second scale blank that goes through would be damn close ????


Thanks in advance for any info

While I don't have any experience using planers to make thin stock I have used a surface sander like this to make thin stock in the past: Buy JET Benchtop Sander Model 10-20 Plus at Woodcraft

Thanks Theseus I will look at in in person when I get down to Spokane next...

I like the Jet quality

My Dad used to have a Makita I believe..never personally used it but remember him doing so and it worked very well. I remember him getting down to some quite thin pieces.

I have a Dewalt, and I can tell you it will plane to thickness quite well and will repeat the process but if a piece shorter than one foot is put in, it can spin and make a mess. I have tried it. Also sometimes no matter how careful you are it will clip the end when starting so the piece would need to be at least an inch or more longer than you need. In other words if you want to get two scales out of a foot long piece it should be at least 13 or 14 inches long. I learned the hard way not to put short pieces in. Scared the H-- out of me.

I use a mastercraft 12" from canadian tire... If you could get your hands on one (maybe a challenge), you would be happy with it, especially the 250$ price tag....
Scale blanks are too thin for my planer to do its job, so I run them through on top of 2 interlocked pieces of hardwood, and I finish in 1/64th incriments.
Also, im not sure you can plane acrylics, I tried recently with a peice of UHMW and it made a mess ...

I've done it, with varying results. You need to put the thin pieces on a piece of plywood, and they have to be fastened down so they won't fly off from the pressure of the spinning knives. If this happens, you end up with total destruction. I am going to try sticking the scales to the plywood with carpet tape soon - since you want info, I'll do it within the next couple of days and get back to you. My planer is a 12 inch Delta. I doubt that a planer will work with plastic. You might be better off with a small thickness sander. You'd still need a sacrificial board and probably tape.

I have an 8 in Rockwell.is no way in hell your going to plane 1/8 in. stock with any table type planer. without removing the ends of your fingers(been there,done that).
with the amt. of scale work you do,get a small milling mach and use a carbide endmill,would be the ultimate in precision work.

Sounds like the guys, I talked with up here were correct and the Planer is not the right tool for me... at least not the way or in the price range I am looking at using it...

Thanks Guys

Wait a minute,brain fart here,was thinking Jointer,I have a 12 in Makita PLANER also,If you could run say 16 in. long,strips of material thru it it would work great,say a few in. wide,small stuff would not work.
another option is get a zero kerf,ultra thin table saw blade,80 tooth carbide,will cut thin stuff like butter,just be very carefull with kickback.