this may sound stupid...When planing down a piece of stock that has to be a 1/4" thick, tommy puts it on a piece of MDF board. My question is do you push the MDF board tru your planer to? and if you so do you double stick your piece to it.
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 08 12:01 pm Posts: 967 Location: Canton, MA 02021
it aint stupid...you can make the mdf long enough to go to the back end of your planer...in the front you want to clamp a board to the mdf to act like a stop against the front rolers or whatever..the thin piece runs through no problem....go back into the bombe videos...its in there...
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 08 9:06 am Posts: 724 Location: Lawrence, KS
You can do it either way, use the MDF as a sled with the thin piece riding or as an auxiliary bed.
As I understand the reasoning, it is a safety issue. Just in case the head slips down or bounces or does some other crazy thing, the second board acts as a sacrificial barrier so the knives don't hit the planer's metal bed. Knife on MDF may chip the knife a little but but it probably won't shatter!
I've been using the auxiliary bed method. This also lets me extend the effective length of the planer bed a little bit. My poor little benchtop planer is pretty good with minimal snipe except that when I was working with thin stock, the lift-at-the-end-of-the-board trick didn't work because the stock would bow. A longer bed helped the situation greatly.
Just make sure that if you opt for the stationary auxilary bed method, you secure the MDF or plywood so it can't get pulled through with the friction of the small piece. A cleat on the underside of the aux. bed should do the trick.
_________________ -- Pussyfooting about with a poesy in one hand and a sonnet in the other is not an option. ---
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 08 3:15 pm Posts: 379 Location: Boston, MA
In addition to safety, the auxiliary bed helps if your planer has bed rollers. The rollers will flex thin stock, increasing the chances of snipe or disintegration. The extra piece supports the stock evenly the whole way.
Forum rules
By using this forum and/or its affiliated web sites, you are agreeing that under no circumstances will the owners, moderators, its affiliates, or any other member listed on this site be responsible for (1) any information contained on or omitted from the site(s), (2) any person's reliance on any such information, whether or not the information is correct, current or complete, (3) the consequences of any action you or any other person takes or fails to take, whether or not based on information provided by or as a result of the use of the sites. 207 Woodworking, 207 Forum, Thomas J. MacDonald Fine Furniture, Inc. and their affiliates also have no responsibility for (4) any person's satisfaction or use/misuse of any information or advice obtained through these sites.
The Owner and Moderators of this site do not attest to the veracity of, nor accept any liability for, the opinions or suggestions posted by any individuals on either site. When using tools, equipment or chemicals, one should always read, understand and follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper use and disposal.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum
