duckkisser Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 ok so i have use traditional planers and hand planers but i have never used a electric hand one bladed planer........are they any good? what are the limitations and benifits? they look like a small hand belt sander but they have a planer blade in the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelKowalski Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 I keep one in my work truck. Great for doors. Ok on cabinet fillers. Think that is about all I've used it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bywc Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 Honestly about the only tool I regret owning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 You can use it on doors, scribing filler panels & couter tops. I haven't used mine in over 4 years. Last time I used it was to help flatten a bowed board for the jointer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joestyles Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 Good for the edge of a board but a hand plane is easier to use. Best use I found for one is on beams but you want a six inch model and that would set you back a bunch. I know a few timber framers who use them when they have very large timbers to try to plane. You still have to sand after them to get the marks out. Neighbor has a cheap one 3" wide he loaned it to me a few weeks ago I tried it out didn't like it much. Hard to control it. Perhaps it was too cheap though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWC Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 I used one a LOT when I built the Pilot Assembly. The two beams were waaaaaay too large for any of my equipment. I did a lot of the work old school with straight edges, squares, etc. The wood was old reclaimed white oak that was very hard. The Makita powered hand plane that was originally my grandfather's did wonderfully. I used it to shape the faces of the staves too. If you're not careful you leave lines from where the edge of the blade digs in and they also tend to send dust flying. Also as one of the other members noted, you definitely need to sand afterward. It's not a tool I use a lot, but when I need it I'm glad it's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bois Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 Festool launched one last year at AWFS. I got a chance to play around with it, and it excelled at hogging out about as much stock as you could with a lunchbox planer. The problem is the sole isn't that long to be able to register something flat over any length. My sense was that if Festool was building one, there had to be a market demand for it, but I haven't seen them in any stores since that conference. Still seems like a solution in search of a problem to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 I always thought they were for finish carpentry and not fine woodworking or cabinet making for that matter. I could see them in fitting entry and interior drawers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted May 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Wow not many people think they are a replacement for more traditional planers. Most people have only used it for large beams or cabinets and I was thinking I should get it for classroom so the kids could do multiple projects and not hog our big planer. Oh well I'll just keep my eyes out for a new toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joestyles Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 They will not replace the traditional planes I think until some one comes up with a better design. It is like using a hand held jointer is the best way I can explain it. The front shoe is higher than the back one. The adjustment on the neighbors is in 1/64 increments up to about 5/64 I seem to recall. As you push it along it tends to tip forwards not riding on the back shoe.This causes things to be not flat really and was the most annoying thing. On the edge of the board it was ok sort of because I could walk beside the thing while the board was in the bench vise. That allowed me to control it better. For use on a door it would be fine for sure. The trouble is that in a shop there are many better tools to do the job hand or power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flairwoodworks Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 I use the Makita 6-3/4" wide planer to surface slabs. It produces a good flat surface and saves a lot of elbow grease but I do not rely on it to produce a finish-ready surface. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmsdph Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 Matthias Wandel @ woodgears.ca has a write up on how he uses one to get a board that is two wide for the jointer flat "enough" to run through the planer. An interesting approach... http://woodgears.ca/shop-tricks/flattening.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobwobbler Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 I recently splashed out for one after I got a load of unfinished timber cheaper than normal, now I don't have room for a Jointer / thickness-er machine. My word is it a lethal tool! It sure does do a quick job BUT for a nice CONTROLLABLE finish I prefer the non powered plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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