Hand held power planers

[TnAndy]

Anybody here ever use a hand held power planer ?

I need to buy one to face some timbers for a project and never even seen one.  Prices on the 6" versions run in the 600/FRN range, but the timbers I need to face are 8".....to go to the 9-12" wide planers is a GREAT BIG jump in price....like 2 grand, which I can't stand.....

My question is:  Can you make a double pass with a 6" wide model and clean up one face ? or does is leave a noticable "line" in the face where you make two passes ?

Like I said, never even seen one, so I'm hoping someone here can has used one and can advise me....

Thanks!

[Ianab]

I use my little Dewalt one for all sorts of things I shouldn't, but it's not what you would call a precision instrument  :
Because it's relatively small and hand held it will tend to follow any curve or lumps in the timber instead of planing them off like a bigger fixed machine. There is usually a noticable line between runs on a wide board as well.
Now if you were to mount one on rails you might get a better result. I've done that with my router bolted onto the sawmill frame, but it would work with a hand planer too.

This is my set-up, you might need to make a frame (some angle iron maybe) and run a carriage down it on rollers, but it will true up any sized beam. Mine does leave fine lines between the runs, but nothing a minute with belt sander wont tidy up. ;)

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=11464.0

Cheers

Ian

[TnAndy]

Ian,

That's a neat looking setup you have there !

But I don't need to surface to a uniform thickness like you're doing.....but that's a COOL setup for slab.....have to file that away in my little pea brain.

My 6x8s are fairly smooth to start with, as I sawed them on my Woodmizer.  I'm gonna use them to build a log cabin, and wanted the inside face to be reasonably smooth and was hoping to make a quick pass with a power planer until I saw the price on a 12" Makita.....ouch.........was trying to figure if a 6" would do it, but if I'm gonna have a line to belt sand out, may as well belt sand it all.......600 bucks spent on a 6" model will buy a lot of belts.  The timbers have dried a year now, and are white pine, so they shouldn't be TOO hard to belt sand.

If I was gonna do this for a living, I'd bite the bullet and buy the right tool, but this is a one time project.

[beenthere]

Can you 'hand-hold' one of the 'portable' planers (would take two) and walk it along to make a 'surface' cut on one face?  It would take some figuring for support, but it's the idea used to surface large laminated beams after glue-up.  Just a thought I would pursue until 'reality' would tell me different. That happens sometimes too.

[donbingham]

I bought a new Delta 13" portable planer and immediately took it apart to get the power head.  I got some 6061 aluminum and will make something similar to the Hunter planer using the power head from the Delta planer.  (Pretty much what they did.)  It will have a 3 foot long bed and will be half the cost of the Hunter machine.  I will post a picture when I get it finished.  It will still cost me $900 in materials ($340 for the planer and $560 for the aluminum).   It should be possible to do it using an angle iron frame for a lot less money.

[logman]

I went to a log building class in VA a few years ago and they planed
their logs with a small portable planer (3 1/2"?)  It did leave lines in
the logs though.  I used a random orbit sander (Bosch) on my timbers
for my timber frame and it works pretty well on all but the timbers that
were sawn with a dull band saw blade.  I used it to clean up my spiral
stair railing top cap and it cuts through the wood (sassafras) like a
plane.  I have a dewalt random orbit sander also but it doesn't sand
like my Bosch.  I used 40 grit discs. 

[Don P]

Another thought, we had a homeowner rent a floor sander to do beams with.

[SwampDonkey]

I'de think it would be more productive, providing you can man handle the timbers, to buy yerself a 12 inch one sided planer from Delta. Around $500-$600. You should have an in and an out feed roller and mount the planer on a sturdy table. Set'r up on a level spot like the barn floor. ;D I tried those hand power planers and they are too awkward to work with for me. I'de rather use a hand planer if I was made to choose between portable power plane and hand plane.


[edit]

I got to thinking, if your just interested in roughing out the timber with the power planer than that would be fine. Wouldn't be any worse than an axe I seen my mother's uncle use. ;D

[Ernie]

Like Ian, I use my Dewalt, I found that by holding it diagonally across the board so that the front plate which sets the depth is riding on the first cut surface, I avoid the line that you get from running straight, actually I run straight just hold the planer diagonally if you know what I mean. ;D

If I only take off up to 1.5 mm at a time, I usually get a good job unless the kids have run over a nail :'( :'(

[HARLEYRIDER]

If its wide enough plank, or you can put several side by side, I'd use a floor sander. Mainly because thats what I do, and I have the sanders.  A while back, I bought some am Cherry 10/4 inch thick to build a coffie table and kitchen table. It was rough sawn, so I put the planks side by side, and sanded smooth and flat with the 190 pound 220v floor sander.

I will be taking a log building course in the fall, and they use a chainsaw to skate or sweep the flats, them dress it with a 7" sander. I'm excited to take this 10 week course. I've been sanding floors for 15 years, and would like to expand my knowledge into log homes. :P

[Fla._Deadheader]

I read somewhere that you can set the Small Table top Planers over the beam, and let it ride down the beam. It cuts on the top and then turn the beam and let it ride again.  :

[dail_h]

   I agree with DH, saw it somewhere,guy took a portable planer,took some unneeded parts off,hung it on a beam,and let it walk itself along.
   Maybe here on the forum?

[Furby]

Yup, been mentioned here before!

[Tom]

Here's a thread that Jim posted pictures in of a timber planer.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=8392.msg113395#msg113395