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Anybody used a compact power planer for burl caps?

odie

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I have some burl caps that I'd like to create a flat spot on the rough side, and am seeking comments from anyone who has attempted this, using a compact power planer......something like this:

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/compact-palm-planer-420w-triton
detail.jpg


Thanks for any comments you may have on this, but mostly interested in hearing from someone who has actually tried this......:D

-----odie-----
 

odie

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BTW: I have a large forstner bit for boring a spot for attaching a faceplate. This actually works pretty good, but only works if the prep is done on the interior of the bowl, where the waste area will be.......
detail.jpg

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/3-clock-fit-up-bit

-----odie-----
 
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Odie, Can you elaborate on the size that you're flattening? I use an ancient 3 1/4" Makita to plane pieces right down to a couple inches, though the smaller the pieces get, the more careful I get with fingers or clamps.

For leveling out small pieces, I think the critical measurement isn't the blade width but the depth of the throat between the back bed and front adjustable bed.

Happy Holidays!
 

Bill Boehme

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I have some burl caps that I'd like to create a flat spot on the rough side, and am seeking comments from anyone who has attempted this, using a compact power planer......something like this:

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/compact-palm-planer-420w-triton
detail.jpg


Thanks for any comments you may have on this, but mostly interested in hearing from someone who has actually tried this......:D

-----odie-----

It might be a bit difficult to control on something like a burl ... at least until you get an area flattened. Maybe start off with a Forstner bit or a belt sander then use the power plane.
 

hockenbery

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Forstner bit on drill press gets two parallel surfaces.

I have used a few of the hand planners owned by friends - easier to get a flat surface than it is to get get a parallel surface.
I can get closer to a parallel surface with a chain saw.

if it s less than 40-50 lbs and structurally sound I would jamb chuck it against a plywood disc and turn a parallel face, a tenon, or a slight concave to mount a glueblock..
 

odie

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Odie, Can you elaborate on the size that you're flattening? I use an ancient 3 1/4" Makita to plane pieces right down to a couple inches, though the smaller the pieces get, the more careful I get with fingers or clamps.

For leveling out small pieces, I think the critical measurement isn't the blade width but the depth of the throat between the back bed and front adjustable bed.

Happy Holidays!

About 3-4" ought to do it, Zach. Tell me, is this a recommended procedure to pursue? I can see how holding a smaller piece would be crucial. Have you had any "catches" doing it this way?

Some of the other comments here are making me wonder if this is such a good idea! :rolleyes:

Thanks

-----odie-----
 
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I have been using a Rockwell Jawhorse to hold the piece. Mine is a cheap hand planer from Harbor Freight. If you take down enough you can move the piece to achieve the balance you want in the finished natural edge.
 
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Odie, have you given any thought to trying out the idea of planning just using a hand plane? Slower and less aggressive so more time to back out if the results don't look so good.
 
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Odie - just curious - is there a reason not to just turn it between centers? I generally use a two prong drive center (in a forstner recess, if necessary), a oneway big bite for bigger pieces, or an elio drive if the surface is really irregular. Any allow adjusting the center for balance or grain direction. Once the center is established I’ll turn a recess on the face and use that to reverse in a chuck to deal with the other end and turn it parallel with either a tenon or a recess as needed.
 
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I have used a power planer and hand plane to create flat areas. If the wood has much moisture the power planer loves to get stuffed up. If you have a way to hold the wood well enough a hand plane works. I usually mount between centers to get a flat or concave area for a faceplate, faster and easier.
 
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About 3-4" ought to do it, Zach. Tell me, is this a recommended procedure to pursue? I can see how holding a smaller piece would be crucial. Have you had any "catches" doing it this way?

Some of the other comments here are making me wonder if this is such a good idea! :rolleyes:

Thanks

-----odie-----

Odie, I plane down pieces as small as 3", but it's not something I would ever recommend to anyone but those very experienced with having their fingers close to high speed cutters. Being a retired machinist, I know you'd be fine.

First: to answer your question, have I had any catches... No. The worst that has happened is taking a little too much off the leading edge. I turn the planer upside down and hold the wood in my fingers or if possible, with a clamp. This will sound technical, but bear with me. First: take small (shallow) cuts. The key is to know where to put the pressure and when to shift the pressure during the planing. As you enter the cut, the pressure is at the back, behind the cutters. Somewhere around the middle of the cut, the pressure goes ahead of the cutters assuming there is contact between the wood and the bed of planer. It's the same principle as joining a board.

An accident would be very messy, but I was raised by a machinist and woodworker, and have been do dangerous things with machinery all of my adult life. I feel comfortable with the risk.

I also use a hand held belt sander with a course belt for really small pieces, down to an inch or so. I just clamp the beltsander to the bench with the belt up, and proceed cautiously. Again: this is an advanced procedure, and violates a number of safety rules.

As for the sanding concepts if there isn't a lot to true-up: I also use a morse taper drill chuck with a sanding mandril for flattening small pieces.

I know you mostly buy blanks, but for truing blanks, a hand held planer is a great tool. I often use a Oneway screw chuck, and if the blank is just a little off, I'll plane the corresponding face a hair to have the blank adjust accordingly. The Oneway screw chuck has plenty of wiggle room for the screw to go in at angle not exactly perpendicular.

If you go the route of the planer, you might check ebay. I recently bought a back-up 3 1/4" Makita that was 20 years old but brand new, never used, for 99 bucks delivered. It's identical to the one I bought new so long ago and is still ticking. I just don't think small powertools are as well made today as they were 15+ years ago.

I hope that helps!
 
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Odie, I often use my power planer when the top or bottom of my turning blocks aren't parallel or flat enough for a faceplate (rough chainsaw cuts). See no reason why it couldn't be used to make a large flat spot on burl caps. Bonus: Use power planer to remove wax/sealant from the top & bottom of turning blocks before running them through a normal planer in order to reduce wax building up on the rollers.

The output port on Triton Compact Power Planer seems rather small and, therefore, easily clogged even using the dust extractor attachment. You might be better off paying a little more for a higher rated Bosh PL1632 or the Makita mentioned above.

-Karl
 
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Odie,You have received many suggestions which you will have to develop to work for yourself. Since safety is involved, sometimes it is best to work with what you already are familiar with.I would use the forstner bit you already have, using a drill press and by levelling the burl cap by putting shims as required to get the flat machined to the angle required.
 

odie

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Odie,You have received many suggestions which you will have to develop to work for yourself. Since safety is involved, sometimes it is best to work with what you already are familiar with.I would use the forstner bit you already have, using a drill press and by levelling the burl cap by putting shims as required to get the flat machined to the angle required.
Ya......I've pretty much put the power hand planer idea on the back burner for now.......;)

-----odie-----
 
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Hmm, I am trying to figure out what you are needing here, as in a flat spot for a glue joint, or to mount a face plate? I have needed larger flat spots than I could safely drill with a big bit, so I would use a small bit, and set the depth stop on the drill press, then drill out the dead center that I want, then drill down around that, and with the depth stop, it will be pretty much dead flat. If I wanted a 3 inch flat, I would use a 1 1/2 inch bit, or even a 1 1/4. If it is a small burl cap, then I would use a strap wrench of some sort, or a sled with wedges, and maybe hot melt glue.

Side note here, and I can't find the post, but previously, you mentioned some thing about taking slow cuts with your gouges on bowls for your roughing cuts because a heavy roughing cut would disturb the fibers underneath the cut because no matter how sharp your gouge is, if you push to hard, you will get more tear out. I guess to me, that is the difference between roughing cuts and finish cuts. I do my roughing with scrapers, which for sure will leave a rougher surface than gouges. If I am going for 1/4 inch wall thickness, I stop with the scraper at about 1/2 inch, or at least get very dainty with my cuts if I am going down thinner than 1/2 inch. Then I come back with 'finish' cuts with the gouge. That leaves plenty of 'distrubed' wood to be remove so I can get down to undisturbed with my finish cuts. Both methods work. I would love to see you turn some time because I think your methods are at least as 'different' as mine are....

robo hippy
 
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If you set the burl between a set of parallel rails you could use a plunge router to flatten a surface to the same plane as the flat side of the burl. This would be a safe commonly used woodworking practice that will get you a flat surface on the irregular surface..
 
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Odie I have and it works great. Triton tools are a good value but I’m a big makita fan and have always used them. They are very handy for trueing up a chainsawed block before putting it on the bandsaw. Since I got my new 18bx I’ve been doing a lot more of the processing with the bandsaw instead of the chainsaw. Now I just use the chainsaw to cut the log into pieces I can lift and finish on the bandsaw. The planer makes short work of eliminating high spots so it sits solid on the table.
 
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I own the Bosch referenced above. It is pretty powerful...but looking at the Triton for this application - the Triton looks more compact, and the form factor makes me think it would be more controllable because of the overhand grip. I will be looking at one of these......
 
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