# wood planer



## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

I have been given a large amount wood at no cost. This is rough cut lumber. To be used, it Will need to be planed. My question is, does anyone have a preference of one planer over another? I have located a near new Dewalt model 734 for less than $300. I have priced theses and they are selling at about $399. The reviews are very good for this model. The wood is a variety of lengths, widths, and thickness. With that said, none of the wood sizes are greater than what this size planer will handle Any help or thoughts will be appreciated. The only draw back is i have to haul and have it all moved by the end of this month iT will require a semi-truck and trailer to haul it all, plus a good sized loader. I located all the necessary equipment and will trade some of the wood for the use of the equipment. 
I have never used planer so this all going to be a new experience. I can use any and all good advice for this project. I would like to have this all finished by the end of March.

Thanks :nhl_checking:


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

That is open ended and subjective. People here are going to tell you their personal preference. That is all good and what you asked, but you are going to have to weed through it.

There are the big 3-- Dewalt Rigid and Delta... then others. The you have to decide on a width. It really depends on the dimensional's you have and what you want to end up with.

What I looked at when I got mine was what I was going to do with mine and the cost of blades. For me. I can cut down my rough cut on my table saw to sizes that make i through my planner without putting too much stress on it. If you go with a Dewalt, the blades are thicker. This makes them more expensive, but they can also be resharpened, last longer and can take a little more wear and abuse. Rigds have less expensive blades, can be honed, but are not as durable. Other fall in line along somewhere in there. 

I settled on a Rigid and it has done me well with mot much cost to keep it going.

A good DC will help out a lot. Although the new dewalt has it's own blower to help extract the chips and dust.

That's my summarized version of that. Hope that helps.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Frank; nice score!
Don't plane it until you're ready to use it. 
The rough sawn exterior is actually protective to the inner wood.


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## BRAVOGOLFTANGO (Oct 11, 2012)

Tried the rigid & it was okay, upgraded to the Dewalt 735 & it met my requirements better. There are plenty of reviews available on most of them through the big box stores, amazon, Google, etc.


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## jimdouglas (Feb 24, 2014)

Sounds like a lot of lumber if you need a semi to haul it. I have an 18" woodmaster & my brother has a table top dewalt. There is no comparison, The woodmaster can take 1/8" in a single pass. The dewalt is less than 1/16". If you're planing a lot of lumber I would look for a larger used one. If it's quality lumber you may be able to sell some to off set the cost of a planer. Woodmaster also has a pro-pak that includes attachments for making molding.
Good Luck


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I have the DeWalt 735 and I am very pleased with it. Snipe is almost non-existent with this planer and it leaves a very smooth finish in the lower feed speed, but it's a very heavy planer at 85+ lbs to be considered "portable" even though it has handles.

The built-in chip blower works very well to remove the chips without the need for a dust collector, but I recommend that you buy the vacuum hose and drum cover that they offer as an accessory if you do not connect it to a shop dust collector. A shop vac is way too small for collecting the chips from this planer.

I have a small shop and do all of my planing outside, so I needed a way to easily move the planer in and out of the shop, but also be able to store it inside my small shop in as little space as possible. I decided to mount my 735 on a Delta Miter Saw/Planer Stand and this solved the moving, storage and setup problems very well for me. The 735 planer is wider than the T track mounting rails on the stand, so a piece of 3/4 birch plywood was used to adapt the planer mounting to these T tracks. This stand is much like a hand truck when folded, so I can easily wheel it in and out of the shop. It stores upright in the corner of my shop, needing only about 2 X 2' of floor space with the planer still mounted on it. To set it up I wheel it out of the shop like you would a hand truck, lay the handle end down on the ground, grip the lift handle and push a thumb release lock, then lift the planer up to to it's working position. The table and mounted planer automatically locks in position and the planer is ready to use. I have the planer in and out feed tables, but the stand also has pull-out rollers at each end that can be set up for long stock. When finished planning It's easy to collapse the stand and then wheel the planer and stand back into my shop. 

I've also added a Wixey DRO to my 735 planer. The planer includes stops to allow you to plane to standard thicknesses, but the DRO lets me plane to any thickness that I want, to an accuracy of only a few thousandths of an inch. I now have a complete planing system that works very well for me.

Charley


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## Olde Bloke (Feb 14, 2014)

Wow Frank, with a timber supply like that, I wish I lived next door! I have a Delta 12", but have used the DeWalt, and would be quite happy with either machine.
Allowing for the fact that you will save a fortune on timber, make sure to put some of the savings into a quality machine... You have A LOT of planing to do!


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## kywoodchopper (Jul 18, 2013)

Hi Frank, several considerations...have you checked this wood for bores? Sometimes older wood is full of insects and you would want to stay away from it even if it is free. I had an offer for 20,000 board feet of lumber, but it was infested. If the lumber is free of bugs and nails I wouldn't plane it until ready to use, but I would make a pass through the planer to see the grain or cut the end off to get an idea what you have. It would make it easier to sell or to decide whether to build something with. Have you checked to see if someone has a large commercial planer that you could contract to plane it? Malcolm / Kentucky USA


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## 64 ford (Apr 21, 2013)

Hi Frank
My train of thought runs a little different -as always! I cut all my own logs and saw the lumber so I plane quite a bit of lumber. I would not even consider any bench top planer as I can't believe they will hold up to planing large amounts of rough lumber. Rough lumber takes a lot more planing than simply resurfacing a board that has already been planed.
In my home shop I have an older 20 inch RBI that has done a lot of work and is still like new. In our business shop we have a 15 inch Grizzly that works very well.I'm not promoting grizzly but I have several different tools and they all provide a good value for the dollar.
Also, stationary planers will hold their value well and you can probably resell for not much loss.
Dennis


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## rwbaker (Feb 25, 2010)

You may be placing the planing in the wrong order of things, such as is the wood "dry", is it straight or warped? Worms can be taken care of if you see them early (sevin liquid and plastic tarp for 30 days) but leveling out a piece of wood requires another tool or special time consuming handling. (see YouTube on leveling with a planner) I agree with Malcolm trade some commercial time for 1/3 to 1/2 the wood, you will still have more than you can use and use the home planner for its intended purpose.

Good Luck - Baker

ps: as a final note ask yourself the question as to why you, and you alone are the recipient of this magnanimous gesture. If you cannot find a realistic answer then you should consider getting your next project wood from Lowes or HD.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Like with any tool only you can decide which will be the right choice for your needs. I use a 12" Delta thickness planer and it has always done right by me. A large dust collection unit is essential with any planer.


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## John Bradshaw (Sep 12, 2010)

Get good gloves, protective glasses, and ear plugs. Your going to make a lot of noise.

John Bradshaw


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

With that amount of lumber you really need to consider a much larger planer. Home models will end up costing you more in time and blades.


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## curly1 (May 7, 2010)

There's a lot of unanswered questions here, what kind of wood is it,do you have any specific plans for such a large quantity, what condition is it in, will it rot or you die before you use it all,were you used by someone to get rid of basically firewood at the expense of tractor trailer and loader(big expense).Hope things are all right for you and it's an incredible lucky deal and careful storage to protect your haul is in order,good luck. As for a planer hobbyists or professional is the main question to answer in your considerations.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

mgmine said:


> With that amount of lumber you really need to consider a much larger planer. Home models will end up costing you more in time and blades.


I would agree with this if his plan is to mill it all at once. However, if he is going to mill it as he needs for various projects, the lunch box planer will be fine, if that is all his budget will allow for.


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## 64 ford (Apr 21, 2013)

Mike & others
Frank said he wants to have it done by the end of March. IMHO that is a lot of work for a bench top that May or may not be up to the task. If he fries a motor or something he is not going to make it. Benchtops may be fine for small amounts at a time but for large amounts of rough sawn they are not going to cut it. If the lumber was sawn by a circular mill instead of a band mill it will be even worse. Been there- done that.
Dennis


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Dennis; I took it that he meant that he had to have it all _moved_ by then, not necessarily planed.(?).
I agree with Mike (NiceG316) re doing it only as needed.


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## BRAVOGOLFTANGO (Oct 11, 2012)

Would make sense as stated he'd only plane what was needed for a project while storing the rest, suppose I presumed that was his plan, which a desktop planer would do fine in that case. 

Would love to come across a deal like that around here, albeit no place to store it.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

64 ford said:


> Mike & others
> Frank said he wants to have it done by the end of March. IMHO that is a lot of work for a bench top that May or may not be up to the task. If he fries a motor or something he is not going to make it. Benchtops may be fine for small amounts at a time but for large amounts of rough sawn they are not going to cut it. If the lumber was sawn by a circular mill instead of a band mill it will be even worse. Been there- done that.
> Dennis


My oversight. I saw that _after_ I posted.

The questions he still needs to ask himself (as other's pointed out) is if he will continue to get more loads like this. Is he going to do this all himself in a short period of time or trade some off to have it done?

I'm thinking if it is a heavy truck sized load of rough sawn that he got for free, it's most likely softwood, such as pine, fir, etc... Soft, but may be full of knots.

Depending on _what_ he is doing with it... decides whether it really needs to be planed or not. If just to be construction quality dimensional , it could be trimmed to be dimensional. But if for furniture or cabinets, then a lot more finishing.

If it is just one load and that is only going to be just that one load (limited lifespan), then investing in an industrial quality HD planer that may sit there collecting dust or just be used for a piece here and there is going to turn out taking space up in a shop and be overkill for the long run. 

But if he is getting more, the finishing needs to be there for all of that, he is doing that all himself and he is looking to use a heavy duty planer for other things down the road... then this is a good opportunity. Then I'd be looking for a big standalone long-bed jointer/planer (a combo machine).


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Frank; you got a LOT of great advice in this thread. If you read the responses, you'll see that they're all pretty much in agreement, with minor differences depending on how the members see you tackling this huge job! 
The comments re insect/fungal damage are sort of pivotal. 
There's going to potentially be water damage...from the members drooling.


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## Ray Y (Jan 10, 2012)

You'll have to run it over a jointer before planing or it will be next to worthless. A hobby shop planer is unlikely to last through that quantity of lumber and with a 1/16th cut it will take forever. Others have advised planing it as you need it. They are right.


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

Some of these boards will doubtless be bowed, cupped and generally not very straight. I'm surprised no one has mentioned a jointer yet. Unlikely this wood will all be good enough to go thru the planer without hitting a jointer first. After all,a planer doesn't take the warp out of the wood. To make best use of the wood a jointer with the width to handle the majority of the boards will be essential in my view. Possibly a used 8 inch will do but that depends on the width of the boards.
A table saw is also necessary to get the boards ready to process. A chop saw would be handy for cutting to length. There will be longer boards that have flaws such that they will need to be cut shorter to process. A simple jig for the table saw that allows a straight edge to be cut will save a lot of jointer time.
Dust collection was covered and it will be essential as a planer creates a lot of sawdust. There are numerous videos on the net that provide useful information on processing rough lumber. It's not hard but there is a definite sequence of steps to follow if one wants a good result.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

I guess what he needs to ask himself is why does he need it all milled by the end of March? If it is just for his own personal use, this would be a bad way to do it. Wood likes to move, and a board that is flattened, planed, and straightened will not stay that way. Sometimes even a day or two can make a difference. I don't even mill all my stock for an entire project in most cases. I mill what I need to work with right then and there and try to get a glue-up within the same day as milling.

About the only reason I can think of needing to mill all the material by the end of March is if he is planning on selling it all. If he can work the price of a high end planer and jointer and still be profitable, that would be the way to go.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

rwbaker said:


> ps: as a final note ask yourself the question as to why you, and you alone are the recipient of this magnanimous gesture. If you cannot find a realistic answer then you should consider getting your next project wood from Lowes or HD.


Very good question indeed. Why you? Loads of details left out, all around.


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

First let me say thank you for taking time out to answer my questions. Yes we have checked this wood out. It is prime lumber. It had to moved to make room for other construction going on in the area. I have already had several offers since we have moved it.


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

Thanks also to you for asking. There is no problem with the wood. I have worked with the individual who is willing to give the wood away. One his health is not good and two he must make room for new construction that is going to place and will start ASP. He has already sold the property to the construction company. 
The only want to use the products they build with every day.


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

*Thanks to all*

I appreciate all who have replied to my questions. We have moved the wood and will get started soon on a couple of projects. The wood for the most part is in sixteen foot lengths. 
it is very good wood. We will cut it into workable sizes and then have it planed as need. We have some friends who operate a large wood working company. We are going to do some horse trading with them to size and straighten the wood as needed. He, the owner, has told me, he is always willing to trade and barter work for extra wood. He came and looked at the wood. He said it is prime material. 

So to say thanks you folks is hardly enough, but I do wish to thank all who have responded. I am just an old man trying to work with wood a bit. I have always turned nuts and bolts or welded material together to create anything. So this is still very new to me. I have acquired a few tools of late, Ridged 12in Miter Saw and a Ridged R4512 Table Saw. along with several other tools. So now after spending the money, I need to get to work and see what happens. 
Thanks to each of you
:dance3:


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## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Frank, I just have to ask, maybe I missed it, but what kind of wood is it, and do you have a fireplace in your home?

I'm an advocate of the Dewalt 735 too, but while I do buy rough cut lumber it is pretty consistant in thickness. I have to flatten one face on the jointer and then plane it, but compared to what you are talking about, I have to wonder if the 735 is made for your purpose. 

At first blush, I suspect that it would do the job for you. I doubt if you would need to plane any more lumber at one time than you would need for a project. If the thickness does vary a lot, you can go slow unless time is of much value, making shallow cuts until you get where you want to be. Also, can't imagine getting good results with out a jointer, I know that there are two schools of thought on that can of worms, but for me, like the jointer and the planer concept the best. Just my two cents worth.

Jerry


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

Yes, I only had to have it moved by March. That part of the project is completed. We have divide the load. I was given the wood by an individual who I known for a long time. On and Off I have worked for him or done him small favors. He is at an age now that he no longer wanted to work that hard. The timber was cut July of 2012. He cut it up to rough lumber in August of 2013.


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

Again, I want to thank all of those who have given input. I am not sure what I am going to do with all of this wood. First we are going to build a lot larger workshop, work benches and various projects to go into the shop. I am not a woodworker by trade and still learning. I am sure I will make mistakes, but I do have a wood burning stove. This wood came to me as a surprise. It will provide me a great hobby at my age, I no longer work full time. I have already told a couple of my neighbors who do work with word, they can have some, but they have to teach the old dog here some new tricks. So all in all I am looking forward to getting into it very soon. We have it all located in my Quonset. It is spread out as much as we can to help dry and ventilate it. I have to get after it as this is my machinery shed. Thanks again to all who have quipped in. I appreciate and respect your input and thoughts.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Is this kiln dried or being air dried? The rule of thumb is about 1 year of air drying for each year of thickness. For a log that was cut in July 2012 and planked out a year later, that wood was likely still mostly green. So, while it would be good to check with a moisture meter about once a month, I would bet you still have a few months to go before 4/4 would be dry enough to start working with.


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## 64 ford (Apr 21, 2013)

Re: jointer
I only have a 8 inch long bed jointer. When I have wider boards that need flattened I use a carrier board. I find a" happy medium" of the warp or cup and use door wedges hot glued to hold the the board where I want it on the carrier board and run it through my 20 inch planer. This will work for any size board.
Dennis


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

@OP - Here is my suggestion for getting started whenever you do.
To obtain one straight edge on the rough material, make a sled (like a taper jig) or use a track saw to cut a straight line along one edge. Then you can run it across the jointer to get a flat side.

I have had to do exactly what was mentioned above because my jointer has a 6 inch capacity so I flattened what I could and then used the sled to run the boards through the planer to get the opposite side flat. Then remove the sled, flip the board and plane off the original part that the jointer couldn't reach.

Having one straight side makes it easy to run the boards across the jointer to get a straight edge before ripping the stock on the table saw.

It is a lot of work but the lumber was free so get-after-it! 
Good luck
Mike

Note: Here are some pics of what I did with some hard maple bough rough 4/4. It has been a lot of work, but the results are looking pretty good right now.


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## 64 ford (Apr 21, 2013)

Hi Frank- again
With wood this green I would think you might want to put it in piles and sticker it every 16 inches or so. This will help a lot to keep the boards flay while after they are dried.
I always start with a very level base outside and make my piles about 4 feet wide. I use 3/4
Inch stickers about every 16 inches and lay some old corrugated tin over for a cover. The idea is to keep the sun off.
Dennis


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

Thanks for your advice and information. I have gone ahead and purchased a Dewalt 734. the lumber that I need to use now I have cut to size with my table saw. The new wood is ready to be planed. I have not yet received the new planer, but expect it to arrive shortly. I will test drive it first and go from there.


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