Setting up and setting up a hand plane

From the materials in this short article you will learn how to set up a plane, jointer and sherhebl, that is, we are not talking about electric, but about hand-held carpentry tools for planing wooden products. To get the desired result, it is necessary to adjust the blade, setting it at a certain level, which directly determines the thickness of the chips removed. For each type of wood, as well as depending on the degree of its humidity, the settings can change, which allows you to achieve the most even, almost sanded surface.

First you need to make sure that the surface of the plane sole is polished and perfectly flat, without deformation of the initial casting Source woodtools.nov.ru

Algorithm for replacing knives on an electric planer

To remove the knives from the electric planer and replace them with new ones (or properly sharpened ones), you will need a set of wrenches, and also, in some cases, a screwdriver. There is no need to completely assemble and disassemble the electric plane to change working attachments. Replacement is performed in the following sequence:

rotate the drum, placing it in such a position to gain access to the knife mounting bolts;
loosen, but not completely, these bolt clamps;

remove the working attachment manually or using a flat screwdriver;
the rest of the blades are treated in a similar way;
place new knives in the sockets, securing them with bolts;
put them in the correct position.

The main point is the need to place the blades exactly in the sockets and securely fix them so that they do not fall out while using the tool. Due to the fact that different models of electric planers may have different attachments for working attachments, it is recommended that you first read the operating instructions for the equipment you are using.

When there are two cutting attachments installed on the drum of an electric planer, both need to be changed at once. This will prevent the occurrence of an imbalance, which results in a decrease in the quality of lumber processing and failure of the electric planer.

Reviews of plane brands

This type is sold on the modern market from different manufacturers. Many brands are of very good quality. For example, planes from companies such as Bailey and Handyman have earned good reviews from craftsmen. Bailey tools are valued primarily for the excellent quality of their knives and long service life. Sharpening the knife of a hand plane of this brand is done quite rarely. Sometimes there are comments that mention the build quality is not very good. But even if any shortcomings are found in the purchased tool, they can usually be easily and quickly eliminated, and on your own. Handyman planes, judging by reviews, are also convenient and reliable. Their only drawback is that they are not very neat in design.

Experienced craftsmen do not advise purchasing Groz brand products (India). Despite the fact that the products of this brand are classified as expensive, judging by the reviews, they are not of particularly good quality. Their build quality is simply disgusting, and at the same time it is inconvenient to work with them.

How to replace knives on an electric planer

To remove old bits, you need a set of wrenches. A screwdriver may also come in handy.

How to do:

turn the drum of the electrical appliance so that the bolts become accessible;
loosen the fixation;
remove the working attachment;
insert new blades into the vacated grooves;
secure them with bolts.

Important! To avoid imbalance, all cutting parts must be replaced at once. It's time for adjustments

To do this you need a complete hexagon and a metal ruler

Now it's time for adjustment. To do this, you need a complete hexagon and a metal ruler.

How to adjust electric planer blades:

Place the instrument on the table so that its drum faces upward.
If necessary, wipe off resin from cutting accessories.
Set the minimum planing depth.
Place the blade in the slot between the soles.
Place a ruler on the back plate.
See if its edge touches the consumable. If not, raise the bar. To do this, you can slightly loosen the fasteners using the hexagon from the kit.
Tighten fasteners.

All this needs to be done for each nozzle. For balance, the distance between the knives should be the same.

Correctly sharpening the knives of an electric planer yourself is not so difficult. If the situation is not critical, you can do everything manually using a sharpening stone. If the blade is completely dull, a special device is needed. You can purchase it or make it yourself.

Planing process: nuances

For planing to take place absolutely safely, the main condition is rigid fastening of the workpiece. Planing can begin only after the workpiece has been clearly fixed. First, rough processing is carried out. Sherhebel is used for this purpose. The movements of the tool on which the sherhebel is installed must be directed across the grain. Otherwise, a large amount of wood will be spent on planing.

After processing small workpieces with Sherhebel, the surface must be cleaned with a double plane.

Plane sharpening angle diagram.

The movement must be performed along the fibers. The result is a smooth surface, without roughness.

A power planer is often used to chamfer a part. Depending on the width of the required chamfer, the edge of the workpiece is processed with a plane. Moving the tool at an angle allows you to obtain the desired chamfer angle.

If you attach a special side stop, usually supplied, to the electric planer, it becomes possible to perform folding. In this case, the stop must touch the workpiece being processed.

Stages of preparing the tool for work

To prepare the plane for work, you need to do the following:

adjust the knife extension;
adjust the position of the chip breaker (if equipped);
adjust the mouth gap.

The overhang of the knife affects the thickness of the chips removed, the speed of work and the cleanliness of the resulting surface. For rough processing it should be about 0.5 mm, for finishing - less. The process of setting up a metal plane is not difficult, but it varies greatly between models. In any case, the adjustment is made by rotating the adjusting screw. Typically the screw has a left-hand thread, and when rotated clockwise, the offset increases.

To properly set up a wooden plane, do the following.

Hit the back of the case a couple of times with a hammer. This will weaken the wedge that holds the blade. Then it must be removed.
Adjust the knife extension to a shallower depth than required. It is advisable to look at the end of the tool to visually control the position of the blade.
The knife has a one-sided sharpening. On most models it is inserted into the body with a chamfer backwards.
Install the wedge.
Adjust the position of the knife. To increase the reach, hit the upper non-sharp edge of the knife with a hammer. To reduce it, blows must be made at the end of the plane. Using blows on the sides, achieve an even position of the knife and wedge. The tip of the knife should be clearly parallel to the sole of the plane.

If the height of the knife is too low, the blade will not cut, but will slide along the surface. Next we set the position of the chipbreaker. It should be at a distance of 1-5 mm from the sharp edge of the knife. The more, the easier it is to plan, the thicker the chips are and the worse the quality of the processed surface. It is secured with a screw or eccentric clamp. Adjust the mouth gap. The smaller it is, the higher the quality of the product, but the lower the productivity.

Some models allow you to adjust the angle of the knife. It is different for working with different woods.

45 degrees – for planing soft wood. Most planes have this angle of inclination.
50 – for hard wood.
55 – used in profile planes for processing soft materials.
60 – in profile planes for hard wood.

The sole of the plane is checked periodically. It should be flat. To check, apply a ruler to it in several directions and look at the clearance. Small gaps are allowed, but not at the “mouth”, not at the beginning and not at the end of the sole. It should be taken into account that these gaps on a metal plane appear larger due to the reflection of light from the shiny surface. In reality they are less than 2 times.

If the sole is not level, do the following:

remove the blade from the plane;
attach sandpaper to a completely flat surface;
Sand the sole until the correct result is achieved.

The quality of the sole is determined as follows:

if there are many small shiny spots evenly distributed on the sole, it is flat;
if the shiny spots are large and there are few of them, sanding must be continued.

The main method of verification is the removal of test chips. The chips should be the same thickness across the entire width of the plane. The main thing when working is skillful hands. Therefore, we will tell you how to use a plane correctly.

Design Features

To know how to choose a good hand plane, you should have an understanding of its design. Such instruments consist of the following main parts:

Knife. Sharpened at a certain angle.

Clamp. Can be made from different materials. This can be a metal plate or bar.

Chip breaker. Installed slightly higher than the knife. As you can already judge from the name of this element, it serves to break chips and guide them.

Adjustment screw. This structural element is responsible for changing the position of the knife relative to the surface being processed.

All universal hand planes for wood have this design. The basic elements described above are also present in other, specialized varieties. On the body of any plane, among other things, there are two handles.

We process wood: what do you need to know?

Before processing lumber, you need to determine the direction in which you will plan. Usually planed in the direction of the wood grain. If the lumber is made from several boards, then you need to plan it diagonally.

To prevent the edge of the board from becoming uneven, you need to use a corner stop, which is attached to the base of the electric planer on the side and perpendicular to its axis.

When you have finished planing the wide board, you will need to align the boundaries between the passes. This stage is called scraping. For this, a special grinder is used, which will remove all roughness.

The world's first electric planer was released in Japan in 1958. Its appearance on sale is due to the desire to facilitate manual labor, which is a very tedious, monotonous and time-consuming task when processing wood.

This power tool can significantly save the family budget - untreated wood costs several times less than planed wood.

In order not to damage the tool or the material being processed, or to accidentally injure yourself, you need to know how to properly operate an electric planer.

Preparation for working with an electric plane and rules for its installation

First, you should read the operating instructions. Next, preliminary preparation is carried out, checking:

position of the front part of the sole;
degree of freedom of rotation of the working drum with cutting elements fixed on it;
presence of various damages to the plug, power cord, housing;
freedom of movement of the power button;
correct placement of knives.

The functionality and configuration of the electric planer must be checked at the time of purchase. The rotation of the drum is checked by moving it with your hand. The button operates by pressing it. The integrity of the unit is determined visually. When no defects are found, a test run of the equipment can be performed.

Before planing with an electric planer or performing other operations with it, it is recommended to first practice processing on unnecessary boards or bars. This will allow you to “get your teeth into” and adapt to the technique in order to get an acceptable result in the absence of the necessary practical experience.

It is recommended to start setting up the electric planer by adjusting the position of the front part of the stove with the plug unplugged. To do this, you will need to use a ruler or a suitable size piece of ordinary glass. All actions are performed in this sequence.

The front (movable) part of the sole, using a special adjusting handle, is set to a position that provides the minimum depth when planing.
Place the power tool on a level workbench or work table in an inverted position.
The drum is rotated so that one of the knives is located above its axis.
A ruler or glass is placed on the sole: they must lie in the same plane.

When the overlay on the slab is tilted, this defect is eliminated as follows:

remove the adjustment handle and the front part of the sole;
clean the opened cavity from chips and dust;
lubricate the mechanism;
put the stove in its original place;
install the handle;
Check the position of the sole using a ruler.

The installation of the blades is checked using a metal ruler. To do this, it is applied to the edge of the slab. Then they look to see if the blades located on the drum touch the ruler. When the knives do not come into contact with the ends of the lining, begin to regulate them. Using the hex wrench supplied with the power tool, loosen the blades on the drum.

Using the described method, the position of the blades is adjusted for models with both one knife and two or three. After completing the regulatory adjustments, they will be installed in the desired position.

When setting the correct position of the blades, they should not touch the sole when the drum rotates.

Some models of electric planes include a support stand. This makes it possible to perform work using this device in two ways:

placing it in a stationary position, when the power tool is fixed motionless (rigidly) to the workbench or table;
using an electric planer as portable equipment.

Electric planer with stand included

A rigidly fixed tool is, in fact, a planer. The wooden blank is moved along it, pressing it with sufficient force. At the same time, it is convenient to perform work operations with the help of a partner. You can work with short-length lumber alone.

The easiest option for preparing an electric planer for work is to contact specialists for help at a service center. Self-tuning of the tool should be carried out according to the recommendations set out in the manufacturer's instructions.

Hobby: how to choose a hand plane and set it up for work

What man doesn't love making things with his own hands? This is a process comparable to meditation, and for the result to be no less pleasant, it is important to select a tool and have everything you need at hand. Today we'll answer some of the most common questions about how to complete your home toolkit, and we'll be talking about the old trusty hand plane.

The main one is plane No. 4 (the plane number is usually indicated on the tool itself). The number 3 plane is practically the same and is usually considered a beginner's or women's plane, so its presence in the master's home set, by and large, is not entirely necessary.

Starting from number 5, it’s not quite planes in their pure form, but rather semi-jointers, which usually include tools with a sole up to 60 cm. Number five is quite versatile and is suitable for a variety of tasks, for which English craftsmen, for example, They gave him the name Jack (Jack in English folklore is considered a jack of all trades). Its fundamental difference from the “four” is the longer sole. “Six” is a semi-jointer that already has all the features of a jointer, for example, a wide, long sole. It is usually used to level large surfaces when it is required that it be level, but perfection is not needed. If the strength and weight are enough, choose number 6, otherwise take the “five”.

There are also numbers 7 and 8, but their presence in the home set is at the discretion of the master. “Seven” is still a full-fledged semi-jointer, and “eight” is such a specific tool with a large and long sole for craftsmen with great strength and weight.

If you move in the other direction from the main plane No. 4, then the next plane you need in your set is the so-called end plane, the smallest of the entire family. Its sole is 2 times smaller than that of the “four”, it easily fits in one hand. The main advantage of this plane is precisely its ergonomics - the fact that it fits so comfortably in the hand, while the master’s hands are as close as possible to the area of action of the tool. The closer, the more accurate the movements.

Thus, the minimum set of hand planes for a home craftsman would be a set consisting of a “four”, an end plane and a number 5 or 6 - depending on your personal preferences. The remaining intermediate options are purchased as needed and depending on the work performed. Now let's move on to the setup.

How to set up a plane for work

When buying a new plane, don’t be lazy and immediately buy a screwdriver for it. There are 2 screws on the plane that are involved in setting up the tool - the corresponding slotted screwdriver should be selected. Preference should be given to screwdrivers with a short handle - they will be more convenient to adjust.

When buying a plane, make sure that the so-called eye does not dangle. Then, at home, you need to tighten all the screws on the instrument, since they could have become loose during transportation and storage of the product - due to temperature changes, shaking, etc. The most popular now are double hand planes designed for fine planing. Their knife consists of two parts - the knife itself and the chipbreaker, the gap between them needs to be adjusted so that it is minimal, about a millimeter.

And one more trick in setting: the top screw of the plane, which controls the eccentric, or latch, must be tightened so much that the latch is done with force, but with one finger. If you do not tighten it enough, then the plane knife, or as it is popularly called, the piece of iron, will crawl inside during operation and will cease to perform its function. If you tighten this screw, as many people like to do, then adjusting the knife will become more difficult, and you need to adjust it after adjusting the screws, when the plane is already in a state ready for work.

To adjust the knife, you need to use the latch to adjust it so that it protrudes from the hole in the sole by 1-2 millimeters. Usually the knife is first set with a small margin, its shoulders and angle are adjusted, and then it is gradually removed, visually leaving the desired protrusion. To do this, in each subsequent position you need to look along the sole of the plane until you reach the required 1-2 millimeters of the length of the knife looking out from the opening of the sole.

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Varieties

Of course, you should choose a hand plane based on the specific purposes for which it will be intended. There are several types of planes on sale today. The most popular are:

Jointer. The body of this instrument is longer than that of a conventional one. A jointer is used to process large workpieces.

End plane. The knife of such a tool is located at a flatter angle. This allows high-quality processing of end grain fibers.

Zenzubel. A plane of this type is used mainly for cutting out various types of folds.

Safety rules when working with an electric planer

An electric planer is a device that requires safety precautions when working with it. The main damaging (traumatic) factors are:

a tool drum rotating at high speed with knives located on it;
electric current flowing through the device.

The workplace must be kept clean and well lit.
Do not use power tools in areas where there is a significant risk of fire or explosion due to the presence of flammable liquids, dust or gas.
Do not allow unauthorized persons or children near the operating tool, and it must be stored in a place inaccessible to them.
It is forbidden to be distracted by other things while working, as this may cause loss of control over the tool.
Do not allow water to come into contact with the power tool you are using, and do not carry it while holding it by the cord.
If an extension cord is used, it must be suitable for the load and also have complete insulation.
The power cable should be kept away from very hot objects and temperature sources, from moving parts of various mechanisms, as well as from sharp edges and various liquids (especially oil).
It is prohibited for the body to come into contact with grounded surfaces (for example, radiators and heating pipes) while working with the plane.
It is prohibited to use power tools while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as under the influence of medications or fatigue.
Preventive maintenance of the device should be carried out regularly.
Do not touch the running drum with your hands.

READ MORE: Instructions for adjusting the door closer, how to adjust adjust the door device according to the closing force Adjusting the mechanism with your own hands

Tormek sharpening machine

The Tormek is a low speed grinding machine with a powerful motor and significant torque. The machine allows sharpening work to be carried out continuously over a long period of time. High sharpening frequency is ensured by low speeds (up to 90 rpm) and water cooling of the cutting edge of the tool being sharpened. The design and operating principle of the machine for sharpening knives for planes is quite simple. The tool to be sharpened is clamped into the holder.

The holder with the attached tool is secured to a universal support. Then the sharpening machine is turned on. Sharpening of knives or other tools occurs at low speeds using a sharpening wheel immersed in water. The sharpening process is visible, at any time it is possible to adjust and control the clamping force, the width of the sharpening chamfer and the rotation speed of the grinding wheel. When sharpening a tool, burnout of the tool is completely eliminated. The use of various sharpening stones allows you to sharpen any metal.

You can learn how to operate a sharpening machine in a few sessions. Therefore, sharpening knives with your own hands will not be difficult. For greater confidence in the work and practice of sharpening plane knives, you can watch the video.

Let us remind you that sharpening work always requires attention and compliance with safety regulations.

Sharpening electric planer knives at home

With regular use of an electric planer for processing wooden surfaces (planing, quartering, chamfering), its cutting edges become dull. If the knives are intended for repeated use, then you can sharpen them yourself. Sharpening is carried out according to the same principle as with hand planes. The differences are only in the number of cutting edges that need to be sharpened.

You cannot use power tools with dull blades for the following reasons:

the load on the electric motor increases, as a result of which its wear accelerates;
The quality of surface treatment of lumber is significantly reduced.

Specialists from service centers or special workshops will help you sharpen the cutting edges of working attachments correctly. If it is not possible to turn to professionals, then you can do all the work at home. To sharpen your blades yourself, you can use the following tools:

knife sharpening machine;
an ordinary whetstone (abrasive stone, whetstone);

emery;
metal file;
grinding wheel.

You will also need a special clamp to hold the piece being sharpened.

Sharpening a blade using an abrasive stone is done as follows.

Remove the working attachments that need to be sharpened from the electric planer drum.
The knives are secured using special screws in the clamp so that their cutting edges lie in the same plane.
The fixed blades, with light pressure, move smoothly along the surface of the abrasive, ensuring that they are sharpened at the same time.
Inspect the sharpened parts for deviations, repeating the entire process if they are detected.
Check the sharpness on any piece of board.
Install the knife plates on the drum, adjusting their position.

Before performing work, it is recommended to pre-moisten the abrasive stone with water. It should be taken into account that coarse-grained abrasive is intended for primary processing, and fine-grained abrasive is intended for finishing. It is recommended to maintain the original sharpening angle of the blade (approximately 30 degrees).

The considered manual method is well suited for sharpening. If the edges are very dull or have jagged edges, then we sharpen them on a machine. When doing this, you should be careful not to remove excess metal from the blades.

With your own hands, all actions should be carried out carefully, carefully handling the blades to avoid injury. High quality sharpening will come with experience and skills.

The condition of the electric planer knives - their adjustment and sharpness - should be checked before starting to process lumber. Not only the quality of planing, but also personal safety depends on this. All operations for replacing, sharpening, and adjusting working attachments must be performed only with the power tool disconnected from the mains. To give initial sharpness to the cutting edges, it is enough to use a regular whetstone.

Today on the construction market there is a huge number of machine tools and devices that speed up and simplify work. These include an electric planer, because it is often used in construction or repair.

Every tool, be it a woodworking machine or an ordinary plane, has some additional elements in its configuration; for a plane, these are considered to be knives. If the blades begin to peel off layers poorly, this means that they have become unusable and need to be sharpened properly.

However, before disassembling the tool, you should figure out how to align the blades on an electric planer. Before adjusting the knives on an electric planer, you need to learn how to disassemble the device.

Installation recommendations

The blades are located on the rotating drum of the tool. Their purpose is to remove the top coating of wood during processing. The planer design can be equipped with one or a pair of knives. The last cutting parts are rotatable.

If any side becomes dull, the position of the blade can be easily changed. These parts are typically made from tool steel alloy or tungsten carbide. Steel knives can be sharpened repeatedly on a manual or automatic sharpening wheel.

Knives for electric planes are classified according to their shape:

Rounded - used for processing wide surfaces, because the transitions should be as smooth as possible.
Direct ones are designed for processing small products and in the process of selecting quarters.
Wavy (curly). Such blades are used to age the material.

Before working at home, you should make sure that the knives are installed and adjusted correctly. If there are any errors, then certain actions should be taken. The cutting edge of the part should be positioned strictly parallel to the bottom of the electric planer and protrude slightly upward. Correct adjustments can be determined by visual inspection of the instrument.

How to use?

Each master has his own style of work, but the general features are the same.

You need to plan smoothly, avoiding jerking. You need to stand to the side of the workbench with one leg forward.
You need to plan along the direction of the grain. If the workpiece is wide, it is better to first move the plane diagonally and then level it flat. To do this you need to use a special ruler.
The workpiece must stand still. Vibrations are not allowed.
If the tool is clogged with chips, then they need to be pushed down through the “mouth”. If this does not work, the chips are pushed upward with a sliver. You cannot use metal objects for this purpose, as they will damage the sharpening of the blade. For this reason, the plane cannot be placed with its sole on the workbench.
Some craftsmen hold the plane at a slight angle in the direction of planing. This improves the quality of processing, but accelerates wear of the sole.