Use and Care Manual

-25-
W1812 Owner's Manual (Mfd. Since 02/11)
OPERATIONS
Planing Operation
The maximum cutting depth for soft wood at full
cutterhead width is no more than
1
⁄8" deep; however,
keep in mind that the harder the wood, the shallower the
cutting depth and the slower the feed rate should be. A
series of light passes typically results in a smoother finish
with less snipe.
The basic steps for operating the machine as a planer
are as follows:
1. DISCONNECT MACHINE FROM POWER!
2. Review the Workpiece Inspection list on Page 23
and the AVOIDING KICKBACK warning on this page.
3. Review Planing Do's & Don'ts on Page 24, and take
the appropriate safety measures.
4. If you have not already done so, adjust the feed
rollers and spring tension as outlined in the Feed
Roller Height & Spring Tension section on Page 21.
5. Measure the workpiece thickness, loosen the
headstock lock lever, and use the handwheel (see
Figure 37) to adjust the headstock for a light pass.
6. Wearing gloves, manually rotate the cutterhead to
make sure that the knives do not contact the table
or guide rails if used.
7. PUT ON SAFETY GLASSES, EAR PROTECTION, AND A
RESPIRATOR.
8. Tighten the headstock lock lever, start the machine,
and turn the feed speed control dial to a medium
speed.
9. Stand clear of the workpiece path, place the flat
side of the board down on the table, and slowly feed
the workpiece into the machine until the feed roller
begins to pull the workpiece.
10. For subsequent passes, adjust the headstock
height and feed rate as necessary until the desired
thickness and finish is achieved.
Note: To reduce snipe, use roller tables and feed
multiple pieces of stock butted up end-to-end, or
experiment with a lighter feed roller spring tension.
You can also try to raise one or both feed rollers up
slightly.
Figure 37. Depth controls and scales.
Headstock
Height Scale
Handwheel
Scale
Headstock
Height Handwheel
• Always stand to one side of the
machine—rather than behind the
workpiece.
• DO NOT plane more than one piece
at a time.
• Always plane WITH the grain
direction of the wood. Never plain
cross-grain or end-grain.
• DO NOT remove more than
1
⁄8'' of
material on each pass.
• Support the workpiece on both
ends. Get assistance if you are
planing long lumber, or use roller
stands to support the workpiece.
• Carefully inspect all stock to make
sure it is free of large knots or
foreign objects that may damage
your knives.
AVOIDING KICKBACK!