chip master

Few of the city dwellers can boast even simple skills in turning or carpentry. Therefore, the need to trim or trim a little, say, a floorboard, will confuse many summer residents. However, modern electric planers will help to cope with difficulties.

Photo: SkilThe classic carpentry tool often serves not only to level the surface of wooden products, but also to finish them (joiners), as well as to make long recesses and grooves, for example, to select a quarter in the manufacture of a door frame (there are many varieties of planer like a zenzubel or Falzgebel). Electric planers are also suitable for a wide range of jobs, allowing you to plan wood, fit boards, quarter and bevel. FROMusing this tool, even an untrained user will show an enviable prowess when sanding logs, fitting a bar to the desired size, etc. In addition, the electric planer can be installed in a stationary position (sole up) on a special stand (it is included in the package or sold separately) use it as a miniature planer.

one Photo: Boris Bezel/Burda Media

2 Photo: Hitachi

3 Photo: Skil

1, 2. When choosing a planer, pay attention to the convenience of its design. Handles (front and back) should be grippy so that the hands do not get tired. Soft plastic damping pads are also desirable.
3, 4. Planer models Skil: 1558 LA (3), power 600W, planing depth 2mm, planing width 82mm, 17 thousand rpm; 1550 LA (4), power 450W, planing depth 1.5mm, planing width 82mm, 16 thousand rpm.

four Photo: Skil

5 Photo: Skil

6 Photo: Bosch

5. When working, the tool is held with both hands, pressing it tightly against the surface to be treated. Parts must be secured in such a way that during operation they are not carried along by rotating knives.
6. Before repairing used parts, always make sure that there are no nails, screws or similar items in the wood. If hit on a nail, the planer blade will almost certainly be damaged.

The working mechanism of an electric planer is a rotating cylindrical drum, on which cutting blades (two, less often one or three) are fixed. The electric motor rotates the drum with the help of a belt drive. The rotational speed of both cheap and expensive models is not regulated, usually it is 10-20 thousand rpm. This frequency provides optimally high performance when processing wood without the risk of «burning» it.

The type of cutting blade is chosen depending on the type of work. There are blades for regular and glued wood, chipboard and plastic. The latter can be processed with some reservations: for example, Bosch recommends limiting the width of the material to a strip of 20-50mm.

In front and behind the drum with blades is the metal sole of the planer. The back part is fixed, and the front part is able to move in height relative to the back using a rotary control (usually the front handle of the planer performs its functions), allowing you to precisely adjust the thickness of the cut.

Electric planers differ, first of all, in the width of the processed surface, equal to the width of the knife blades, as well as in the maximum thickness of the cut in one pass. These parameters determine the performance of the tool. AThousehold models, the processing width, as a rule, is 82 mm. Quite often there are household planers with a larger cutting width, for example 110mm, but compact and narrow models with a cut of 60mm, such as P 160 (Sparky) or 1550 AA (Skil), — a rarity. The maximum cut thickness is on average 2-3mm.

Look into the cable

The specifics of working with an electric planer usually involves continuous and intensive use of the tool for a long time. ATunlike, say, a screwdriver, whose continuous operation time is measured in seconds, a planer can function non-stop for tens of minutes. Hence the higher requirements for the design. ATfirst of all — to the metal sole. It should not only be smooth and even, but also wear-resistant, able to withstand bumps, accidental contact with knots and nails, and the like. Today, a cast aluminum alloy sole is widespread (not only expensive models, but also products from the middle price category are equipped with it), which has sufficient strength and at the same time is not very heavy. Although a large mass for a planer is not as critical as, for example, for the same screwdriver (during operation, the first one is usually not held in weight), it is still more convenient to use a light tool.

The planer should be equipped with non-slip ergonomic handles, preferably with convenient access to the control buttons, so that even in work gloves the owner can turn the tool on and off without looking.

7 Photo: OBI

eight Photo: Legion-Media

9 Photo: Boris Bezel/Burda Media

7, 8. Electric planers CMI 750 and 710W, 16k rpm, planing depth 2mm, planing width 82mm.
9. During operation, an electric planer produces a huge amount of dust and chips, so in a residential area it is advisable to attach a vacuum cleaner to it for effective garbage collection.

ten Photo: DeWalt

eleven Photo: Festool

12 Photo: Festool

10. Evaluate the quality of the guide stops. Metal parts must be made (as in this case) from a thick sheet so as not to bend even under significant load.
11, 12. Planer EHL 65 EQ (Festool) with a spiral knife and cantilever mounting of the drum, which allows you to make a deep selection of a quarter.

The cable is one of the most frequently broken parts of an electric planer. From monotonous movements back and forth, a core break can occur (usually at the entrance to the tool body). To prevent breakage, special cable glands with kink protection are used. A thick plastic braid also prevents the strands from bending to some extent. See what cables are equipped with professional models of electric planers, — and look for household tools with cables of similar thickness. As for the length, a cable 8-10 m long is provided in professional equipment, a four-five-meter cable can be considered long in a household — it will not hinder your movements. But with a two-meter «lace» it will be problematic to move, you will need an extension cord.

13 Photo: Bosch

fourteen Photo: Bosch

fifteen Photo: Bosch

13-15. Bosch planer models: PHO 3100 (13), power 750 W, planing depth 3.1mm, planing width 82mm, 16,500 rpm; PHO 20-82 (14), power 680W, planing depth 2 mm, planing width 82 mm, 19,500 rpm.

Often the cable is damaged when it gets under a rotating knife. Nevertheless, until recently, electric planes remained purely «networked». Battery models did not exist in nature, obviously, due to the aforementioned specifics of work. But in the last year or two, battery planes have also appeared, for example, the BKP 140 Z and BKP 140 RFE (both — Makita) or GHO 18 V-LI Professional (Bosch). They are easy to use, but their price is still quite high. — from 10-20 thousand rubles.

Take care of your ears like the apple of your eye

Like many woodworking tools, electric planers are noisy and generate large amounts of shavings, sawdust and fine wood dust during use. That is why working with these tools is considered “dirty” and potentially hazardous to health. So during planing it is recommended to wear goggles (mask) and headphones.

To collect dust and chips, dust bags are used, which are included in the product package. It is good if the planer provides for switching the direction of sawdust ejection (left or right in the direction of travel). This option allows you to more conveniently place the dust collector so that it does not block the surface to be treated. ATon some models, instead of a dust collector, a vacuum cleaner nozzle can be connected to the planer. This design is somewhat cumbersome, but the dust does not pollute the room.

Characteristics of electric planers

The editors would like to thank the OBI company, representative offices of Bosch, Festool, Skil for their help in preparing the material. The prices indicated in the publication are valid at the end of December 2014G.The actual cost of the goods should be specified at the point of sale.

• Source: Ideas for Your Home Magazine#193

Material prepared

Boris Bezel