MisterDrow Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 Being my first planer, I don't know the norm with stuff like this. The blades are double-sided high-speed steel, not carbide, so I know they won't last as long as higher-end planers but they can be rotated. After about a year (and probably only a few hours total of use) I got my first nick in one of the blades the other day. I'm curious how long these blades should last before needing to be rotated, and then replaced? Also, can you have these things resharpened or is it worth it to just pick up the new blades for the $20-25 that they cost at Lowes? So far I've used this planer on walnut, maple, poplar, pine, Spanish cedar, and some hemlock (which, apparently, I'm horribly allergic to... that was a crappy couple of days). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 From my experience with the DW734, which is similar to your Porter Cable. The edge will last a variable time, all depending on what you're doing with it. Hours of use is hard to measure by if you're planing tropical hardwoods vs soft pine. In my experience, I can get a couple big projects through before noticing them start to dull, but I also don't use the power planer for my final surface, it's just for thicknessing, so a few nicks don't matter. It's not worth resharpening the blades, most of this type are indexed, and thus can't be adjusted if the edge shortens. you could try sharpening them yourself, but getting a shop to do it will cost more than a set of new blades. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 RichardA turned me on to replacement blades from Infinity Cutting Tools for my 735 and they're the cats meow, just below carbide blades. I would bet they make blades for your machine. Well worth the few extra bucks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted December 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 RichardA turned me on to replacement blades from Infinity Cutting Tools for my 735 and they're the cats meow, just below carbide blades. I would bet they make blades for your machine. Well worth the few extra bucks! I'll look into that! Thanks! From my experience with the DW734, which is similar to your Porter Cable. The edge will last a variable time, all depending on what you're doing with it. Hours of use is hard to measure by if you're planing tropical hardwoods vs soft pine. In my experience, I can get a couple big projects through before noticing them start to dull, but I also don't use the power planer for my final surface, it's just for thicknessing, so a few nicks don't matter. It's not worth resharpening the blades, most of this type are indexed, and thus can't be adjusted if the edge shortens. you could try sharpening them yourself, but getting a shop to do it will cost more than a set of new blades. I don't use mine for surfacing, either, just thicknessing. But the last couple pieces of wood I ran through it started chipping rather than producing those fine curls that it normally puts out so I was curious. It's probably time to turn those blades around right before I undertake the barn door project in my queue. I've got a bunch of 6/4 and 4/4 alder to mill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 HSS blades can be resharpened but as already said Infinity Cutting Tools blades are great. We can even buy from them in England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 +1 on not worth resharpening. If you're only flipping them after a year of use, I'd say you're doing OK. Get another set to keep on hand and you're good to go,. (oh - and +1 on blades from Infinity). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted December 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 Thanks for the advice, guys. I'll turn these blades around before milling that alder and order a new set from Infinity, assuming they make them for my planer. I made myself a sled for it so I can joint faces on it, as well. Going to try that out tonight with some walnut I'm using in a gift for my father-in-law. I've done enough hand-planing lately that I'm ready for a break from that and will let the machine do the work! 8 hours ago, Lester Burnham said: Grain direction might be a contributing factor as well. I just got a planer a few months back and oopsed a few boards because I was running them wrong. Yeah, I've had that a couple times, too. The boards I was running recently had lots of figuring, too, so there were some grain direction changes involved there. I just took lighter passes and it got better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 And if you have a two speed machine, the faster cut with a slower pull, will give you a much better surface on figured woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted December 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 Just a single speed machine. Eventually I'll upgrade and get a DeWalt 735 but that's a ways down the road unless something happens to my Porter Cable along the way. In the mean time, I'm wanting a larger band saw and a jointer, then a better table saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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