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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a Dewald 12-1/2-inch electric =
planer. I use
it quite a bit. I can plane Sitka Spruce all day with it. I can plane =
narrow-ish
hardwood boards all day with it. But, I have been making a number =
of
pinblocks lately and find that when I run wide hard maple boards through =
the
planer numerous times, it seems to take its toll. I suspect I am simply =
reaching
the limits of durability with such a tool.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The blades are what seem to go first. I =
have enough
power (unless of course the slower rotation when stressed contributes to =
poor
performance). The unit is wide enough for most of my needs. But the =
knives get
dull quickly. It takes a long time to sharpen them (I spent four hours =
removing,
sharpening, reinstalling and adjusting them yesterday). Yesterday I =
noticed that
one edge was cutting deeper than the rest of the width. I found that one =
of the
knives had bent at one end.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It seems that running wood through the =
planer with
the grain parallel to the knives is hardest on the planer. Are =
there any
wisdom-type rules for such grain when planing with an electric
planer?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think this planer is just not =
heavy-duty enough
for running lots of wide hardwood through it. Do bigger planers have =
thicker,
more heavy-duty, knives? Are knives of higher-quality metals =
available
-harder (like for hand planes)? Anyone have a recommendation for a =
bigger
planer? How do others handle planer knife sharpening (I am sharpening =
mine on my
Tormek unit)?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Oh, and here is a picture of my latest =
pinblock.
Quarter-sawn hard-maple epoxy-bonded with a Delignit cap. Operators =
are
standing by......</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry =
Farrell</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>