# How Long a Bed for Eliminating Snipe?



## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

So I have a 13" Cutech spiral head planner and end up often getting snipe in the ends of the boards. I built a rolling cart to mount my planner that has an extended drawer that pulls out like a drawer and has a roller for the wood to exit with. 

The 1st image shows the front and I could easily build a hinged wing at least the height of the cabinet to add to the planners infeed table. 

In the 2nd side view image you can see the outfeed table is above the table and again a framed platform the same height of the outfeed table could be made. 

The 3rd image shows the extension fully extended with the roller at the end. The extension can be adjusted in length from closed to fully open. 

The last picture shows the folding side tables that are on both sides for aiding in sliding the wood back and forth when being planned. 

The main objective is getting the least amount, or better yet none, of the snipe on the boards ends. Open to suggestions as always.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

My guess would be the roller has to be beyond the mid point of the board so that the weight of the board is closer to the planer than the outboard end.
Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Some planers come with column locks that are supposed to lock them in place and they can help but don't necessarily eliminate snipe. If you measure the length of the snipe and then check the distance from your front and rear feed rollers to the planing head I think you'll find that they are the same. What I think is happening is that when the board goes under the infeed roller it lifts that side up but the outfeed side stays the same which is lower than that. The the board gets to it and both sides are lifted evenly. Then the board passes the infeed roller but is still under the outfeed roller so the infeed side drops down and the outfeed side stays up. That's where the problem is and a longer bed won't necessarily help that.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Herb Stoops said:


> My guess would be the roller has to be beyond the mid point of the board so that the weight of the board is closer to the planer than the outboard end.
> Herb


That was my guess and I have used roller stands on much longer boards which seem to help very little. The longest boards I have run are about 10-12'. Depending on the project I may cut those shorter but usually only layout the board after planning and seeing the grain/features.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Some planers come with column locks that are supposed to lock them in place and they can help but don't necessarily eliminate snipe. If you measure the length of the snipe and then check the distance from your front and rear feed rollers to the planing head I think you'll find that they are the same. What I think is happening is that when the board goes under the infeed roller it lifts that side up but the outfeed side stays the same which is lower than that. The the board gets to it and both sides are lifted evenly. Then the board passes the infeed roller but is still under the outfeed roller so the infeed side drops down and the outfeed side stays up. That's where the problem is and a longer bed won't necessarily help that.


Thanks Chuck, but not what I wanted to hear. Shucks Chuck, there has to be a way to minimize it. What I have found is that the thickness setting on this planner works very well. I've tested at 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1". If set to the desired thickness on their preset control it will be as wanted. Now I just need to eliminate the snipe. I don't remember having that on my 15" planner back in the '80s, can't remember the make but took 4 stout guys to get into the basement shop.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

When I was on the farm in my younger days we had a 5hp. 12" wide Parks planer and it had a 8'long roller bed outfeed table like a Radial Arm saw. We were planing up to 20' long dimension lumber one piece at a time and rarely encountered snipe. Someone was always at the outfeed end supporting the board and stacking them as they came through.
Herb


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I had a 15"Delta planer that had spring loaded bottom rollers on the cast iron bed. As the board fed through the bottom rollers depressed 1/8",and as the board fed beyond the cutter head it had to pass over a spring loaded roller under the out feed roller. It was terrible for snipe. 
I think you will like your CuTech, I like mine.
Herb


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Steve...are you getting snipe on the front and the back end..?

If you are, I think Charles hit it on the head...

I assume you've installed the feed and out rollers so that they create a level path with the Cutech's tables...? And the Cutech's in and out table and the two sets of rollers are level to each other and the surface under the cutter head...?

...just thinkin' out loud...you may have done that already...


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

You can build a Planer Sled with a front and back block that holds the piece in place. Having the blocks/chucks with the same grain direction as the work piece helps. Securing the blocks especially the back can be a problem. People have used screws from the bottom, dowels, glue, double sided pin nails etc etc. When the blocks hold there is no snipe on the work piece, when they don't.... major kick back.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Steve here are some thoughts...
Herb


https://woodgears.ca/jointer/planer_snipe.html

https://www.bestplaners.com/truth-planer-snipe/

https://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/dealing-with-planer-snipe/


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

As @Marco pointed out.

Some members have made a board 6' long and attached a cleat on the bottom so the board extends 3' beyond the cutter head and 3' back from the cutter head. The board stays stationary and the material feeds thru supported on both ends. There is a loss of 3/4" height in cutting depth that has to be compensated for on the height gauge. 
HErb


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

The rollers have to be lower than the cutting head, or they wouldnt be able to push the board through.
The problem is caused by the head tilting as it climbs up onto the wood and slips back off at the ends. If the machine has a lock lever, that will help a lot by stopping the head tilting.

If you have a locking head and still get snipe the only other ways to deal with the snipe is to either just add that much to the board length and cut it off afterwards, or inserting sacrificial pieces of wood at the start and end so that they take the hit rather than your precious board.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Herb Stoops said:


> As @Marco pointed out.
> 
> Some members have made a board 6' long and attached a cleat on the bottom so the board extends 3' beyond the cutter head and 3' back from the cutter head. The board stays stationary and the material feeds thru supported on both ends. There is a loss of 3/4" height in cutting depth that has to be compensated for on the height gauge.
> HErb


That's what I use in a Dewalt 735. Even so, sometimes I'll lift the exiting end a bit as it gets close to the end. But, I rarely go deeper than a 16th...if that. The depth gauge isn't a problem. I don't rely on it anyway.
A laminate covered shelf from the big box makes a great sled.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Herb Stoops said:


> Steve here are some thoughts...
> Herb
> 
> 
> ...


I've been looking into the problem also. I've also seen the idea of making those spacers that would work for specific thicknesses, although it makes me a little nervous to think about how to securly attach them to the planer.

I've also seen an idea for hot glueing thin sacrificial strips on the sides of your board that are enough longer that they're holding the rollers up a couple of inches before the cut and after the cut. For example, 28" strips on each side of a 24" board.

I've usually been able to get around the problem by using a blank that is 4 or 5 inches longer than the finished piece needs to be, then sawing off the sniped ends. But sometimes you don't have that luxury if you don't have anything on hand that has that much excess.

I'll be glad to hear everyone's ideas on the subject, and maybe should bookmark this thread to check back periodically.


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## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

I gave up depending on the table and rollers to prevent snipe. I use a piece of MDF inside the planer bed to extend the overall working length by a foot on the outfeed end. A slow workpiece intro and shallow cuts gives me excellent results. The rest is operator error...


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Bstrom said:


> I gave up depending on the table and rollers to prevent snipe. I use a piece of MDF inside the planer bed to extend the overall working length by a foot on the outfeed end. A slow workpiece intro and shallow cuts gives me excellent results. The rest is operator error...


Could you post a picture? thanks.


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Besides death and taxes, the third thing that you can count on is snipe. You may not always get it but if you always cut your boards at the finished length before planing then you are tempting fate. It's better to square up your ends after you plane the wood. In the process of squaring the boards you are also cutting off the snipe. As an added bonus if you do as you mentioned and run the boards say 12 long then you are only dealing with a very little snipe on one board. For me, the only purpose of an outfeed table is to hold the weight of extra long boards.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

mgmine said:


> Besides death and taxes, the third thing that you can count on is snipe. You may not always get it but if you always cut your boards at the finished length before planing then you are tempting fate. It's better to square up your ends after you plane the wood. In the process of squaring the boards you are also cutting off the snipe. As an added bonus if you do as you mentioned and run the boards say 12 long then you are only dealing with a very little snipe on one board. For me, the only purpose of an outfeed table is to hold the weight of extra long boards.


Sound advice. Although, a longer outfeed table, such as the sled provides, supporting the weight is the purpose. Thus, eliminating the snipe.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Nickp said:


> Steve...are you getting snipe on the front and the back end..?
> 
> If you are, I think Charles hit it on the head...
> 
> ...


That was done when I 1st got it several years ago. I'm on my second set of cutters now, having replaced the HSS ones for the carbon cutters.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Bstrom said:


> I gave up depending on the table and rollers to prevent snipe. I use a piece of MDF inside the planer bed to extend the overall working length by a foot on the outfeed end. A slow workpiece intro and shallow cuts gives me excellent results. The rest is operator error...


My passes are no more than a 1/32" even though I could go deeper. That's a 1/2 turn of the depth handle. I have plenty of time right now.......>


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## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

sreilly said:


> My passes are no more than a 1/32" even though I could go deeper. That's a 1/2 turn of the depth handle. I have plenty of time right now.......>


Exactly. Deeper cuts just beg for a snipe. But I find it hard to use the Router’s attached tables without issues. The removable, slip in MDF ‘bed’ and those thin cuts work best.


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## J0seph (Dec 2, 2011)

sreilly said:


> So I have a 13" Cutech spiral head planner and end up often getting snipe in the ends of the boards. I built a rolling cart to mount my planner that has an extended drawer that pulls out like a drawer and has a roller for the wood to exit with.
> 
> The 1st image shows the front and I could easily build a hinged wing at least the height of the cabinet to add to the planners infeed table.
> 
> ...


Best way to avoid snipe on a "lunch box" planer is to feed the board in at a slight angle with the infeed end about an inch lower than the other end. As the board comes through the planer and gets near the end, put upward pressure on the long end of the outfeed. Snipe will be greatly reduced or gone. These planers are great for a small shop and fit and fill a great purpose, but they do not compare to a 1000 pound planer with serrated infeed roller. My two cents.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I think it might also have been mentioned that if you have several boards to plane feed them in succession before the last one passes the cutter head, and have an extra sacrificial board to feed last and that usually takes care of any snipe.
Herb


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## bentbrent123 (Oct 23, 2011)

I agree with Cherryville Chuck about the likely cause of the snipe. The best thing that I have found for eliminating snipe, is to run the boards through the planer, one directly behind the one before. Then use a sacrificial board for the last one, or else leave enough extra length on your last board to be able to cut those last few inches off. I am assuming that the snipe is on the trailing end of the board. 

Brent


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## bentbrent123 (Oct 23, 2011)

Oops Herb, I didn't see your post until after I made mine. I guess that it's true what they say, great minds do indeed think alike. 

Brent


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## Wobwoc (Jun 7, 2013)

*I don't think it the length ...*

I understand snipe is usually caused by the rollers within the machine. as the end of the wood passes the first roller the end is no linger supported.
I find the easiest way to stop snipe is to feed either the next pies of wood or a sacrificial piece through either overlapping the previous piece or butting it on the end and pushing quite firmly until the auto feeder grabs.
I hope this helps.
Cheers.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Well there's a good deal of info in this thread and after some searching I found something that might well assist with the snipe and a few other issues getting boards flat. Attached is a plan from an old Shop Notes issue, actually #137, with the plans for a planner sled. Their plan is for 4' sled but I don't know of any good reason not to go larger if needed.


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## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

sreilly said:


> Well there's a good deal of info in this thread and after some searching I found something that might well assist with the snipe and a few other issues getting boards flat. Attached is a plan from an old Shop Notes issue, actually #137, with the plans for a planner sled. Their plan is for 4' sled but I don't know of any good reason not to go larger if needed.


Holy Mole! That's a masterpiece of engineering!

My 'sled' is just a piece of 12" wide 3/4" MDF by about three feet long with a stop piece underneath on one end that goes up against the infeed table. It was initially made to accommodate planing thinner dimensions than the 3/4" thickness limit of the planer. I slide it in the planer cavity until the stop hits the infeed table and carefully slip the stock in. Allows a perfectly flat feed that if done right produces little or no snipe depending on the condition of the stock. For flat and modestly warped stock, it works well if I keep it waxed occasionally.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

sreilly said:


> Well there's a good deal of info in this thread and after some searching I found something that might well assist with the snipe and a few other issues getting boards flat. Attached is a plan from an old Shop Notes issue, actually #137, with the plans for a planner sled. Their plan is for 4' sled but I don't know of any good reason not to go larger if needed.


Steve, that is one heck of a sled. It could be adapted to plane warps and wedges and octogoogles.
thanks for posting.
Herb


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

sreilly said:


> Well there's a good deal of info in this thread and after some searching I found something that might well assist with the snipe and a few other issues getting boards flat. Attached is a plan from an old Shop Notes issue, actually #137, with the plans for a planner sled. Their plan is for 4' sled but I don't know of any good reason not to go larger if needed.


There's a show called "Modern Marvels"...this should be on it...quite the sled...! Thanks for posting...


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## bfblack (May 2, 2012)

It seems like the feed rollers are out of adjustment and no additional infeed/outfeed support is going to eliminate the problem. My guess is that if you put a 12" board through the planer it would have snipe. Hopefully the owner's manual gives you some guidance on how to make the proper adjustments. 

I have a 1990's vintage 15" Grizzly and it is tuned up and does not presently produce snipe. Over the years the Grizzly would produce snipe and I used all of the techniques discussed here to deal with it. During the most recent process of having the knives sharpened, I studied the owner's manual and spent a lot of time futzing around with trial and error adjustment until I eliminated snipe. It was not a particularly pleasant experience but in the end it is nice to not worry about snipe. Perish the thought of having the knives sharpened again.

I also own an unknown vintage 15" Makita and it does not produce snipe. I bought it used and the previous owner must have spent time tuning it up.

Try to address the source of the problem instead of band aid work arounds.


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## mbrun (Jan 12, 2020)

bentbrent123 said:


> I agree with Cherryville Chuck about the likely cause of the snipe. The best thing that I have found for eliminating snipe, is to run the boards through the planer, one directly behind the one before. Then use a sacrificial board for the last one, or else leave enough extra length on your last board to be able to cut those last few inches off. I am assuming that the snipe is on the trailing end of the board.
> 
> Brent



My experience also. I believe I have tried every technique published, and many times at that, and one after the other is the most reliable and consistent I have personally found.

I own both a 22-540 Delta and a 1948 vintage 12” Parks. The Parks produces less snipe but the Delta produces a better finish. So I use the Parks for hogging rough sawn and the Delta for finish work. I truly wish manufacturers could cost-effectively innovate a way out of this annoying issue for us.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Good advice and agree but that often leads to needing more hands to keep the flow going especially if longer boards are being done. More than 2 or 3 give a bit more time on most boards if there's enough room. One of the things I had thought about is if the infeed and out feed had twin feed rollers space say a few inches apart. Of course that would flatten the board with two contact points but increase the depth of the planner and of course increase costs which no manufacturer wants to do. My point being that two points of contact at the exact same height would press the board flat before any contact with the cutters and possibly eliminate any raising of the wood preventing and infeed snip and the same when the cut is finished as the two outfeed would still have it flat at those two points. The board shouldn't be able to raise at any point while in contact with the cutters.

So maybe have a tandem roller off each single infeed/outfeed assembly. Not sure that's making sense but like a bar with two sets of rollers spaces several inches apart parallel to each other. Just a thought............happens sometimes when I'm not even looking. 

Now maybe if Festool were to make a planner......Of course most of us couldn't afford it.


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