Where do you keep your planer

[Rhodemont]

I have the LT35HD and an edger and now would like to get a planer to bring my lumber to the next level from rough sawn.  Have my mill in a shed with walls on the two prevailing wind/storm sides with a hard pack gravel floor.  I am afraid a planer will be ruined without being in a weather tight building.  Have considered putting one in the garage for storage but would have to move the lumber and set up to use which adds a lot of effort.  What does everybody who planes their lumber do?

[Kbeitz]

You could make a small trailer for just big enough to put two wheels under it. Saw dust and a gravel floor wont mix to well.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Kbeitz, my sawdust and gravel seem to mix very well.   ;D

Rhodemont,   Probably the next step after a mill and edger would be your drying facilities, or kiln.  You need dry lumber to plane.  As far as location, you are correct that setting your planer up in a humid environment will lead to increased maintenance, those cast iron tables rust very easily.  I try to keep the surface of mine sealed, and the planer is covered with a tarp when not in use.  It is in my enclosed metal barn, which is unheated but now has a condensation barrier installed under the metal roofing.  Make sure the wood is dry before you plane it (and it would be a waste of time if it is still shrinking.)

[Southside]

Basically Tom said everything that needs to be said.  We do custom planing for a customer who brings us his reclaimed wood, as soon as our other customers saw the planer they wanted our rough sawn wood planed - now I am putting in a kiln. 

[Den-Den]

My planer is in a closed shop.  I live in a humid area and rust would be a problem under a roof without walls.  If you are going to buy a planer, get a dust/chip collection system also.  Planers produce a huge amount of shavings and they do a better job if those shavings are sucked up instead of going through again.

[Don P]

Chip marks, yup, if the chip goes around again and beats on the board it leaves a chip mark. If it is for finish work those are a problem.
My 15" planer is mostly for rough dimensioning, it often travels to the job. It's about as big as you can move. It is under a barn shed roof right now, where we planed lumber for the loft floor and a sliding door this past week.  The bed rusts between uses in a day or two. When here it lives under no better conditions. I ordered a new cutterhead outboard bearing yesterday, the inboard is obsolete so I'll need to dig it out and find one elsewhere. That is the second set since the ~mid '90's. For the footage that's been through it not bad but I'm sure accelerated from being in the elements. The jack screws and columns are tougher to operate. But its one of those run what ya brung situations. It has performed well and doesn't owe me a thing so you have to weigh the cost/benefit equation for your situation.

[Kbeitz]

My wood shop is in the barn with no heat. I always had rust problems until I started using SlipIt Sliding Compound. Everything works better and no more rust. I use it on all my wood working tools and slides.

[xlogger]

I too wanted to move my planer and jointer out under an top cover with no sides and floor cover with screening, Maybe a concrete small pad for it to set on . I was thinking if I did I would get a good cover for them and keep table waxed good. Maybe take a look at what Kbeitz said about slipIt.

[YellowHammer]

My planer is in a closed barn and concrete floor.  Condensation is a problem.  Two days ago was a good example.  Cold night followed by a wet warm day.  Within hours all my metalworking equipment, except the ones I use heat lamps on, had water beading up on them much like a cold glass of iced tea, or beer, in the summer. 

I use heat lamps under my planer, jointer, and SLR to keep the metal slightly warm and never any rust. 

I learned my lesson the hard way, several years ago.  I bought a relativly expensive planer with sealed main bearings.  It worked great until spring time, when condensation stated happening.  I wiped off the tables, figured no harm done.  Wrong.  Within a very short time one of the mains failed and my cutterhead set down and on the carbide cutters, basically shattering them like a hand grenade.  Tore up some the sheet metal and chip defector.  The repair guy came out and replaced everything under warranty.  Then he swapped the permanently sealed bearings with some that have oil passages and drip tubes that I fill with oil.  Never had a problem since.  As far as we could tell, even though the bearing were basically sealed, they were not air tight and some condensation formed on the internal races which led to corrosion and failure.
So now, I use Bosheild on the tables, and gentle heat in the machines.  No more condensation, rust, or corrosion.
 

[Chuck White]

If you cover it with a tarp, don't let the tarp go all the way to the floor/ground!

If you do, the planer would get rusty from the moisture being sucked from the ground while covered!

[Quebecnewf]

I keep my planers in an enclosed shed next to my sawmill shed . No choice on being undercover . Lots of salt in the air here and unprotected is not an option . They would just be a ball of rust in a year. The planer shed on the right ,sawmill
Shed on the left
Quebecnewf

[Rhodemont]

The process gravel from around here holds moisture even when under a roof but "hard pack" I got in Vermont gets like pavement and works well as the floor in the shed.  I have a lean to coming off the saw shed and one off the barn for drying but yes, takes so long in air  a kiln would be nice.  Most of what I have sawn has been used for my own use as pasture fencing and run in sheds for the horses so have not worried about it being dry. The really nice boards go in the sheds and now I am getting some dry lumber worth planing.  Need to clear it out to make room for more hence need a planer.  An exhaust is a must as I would like to use the chips for stall bedding.  Sounds like a small shed big enough work around the planer and exhaust system with a poured concrete floor is a good idea.  I should be able to put one up pretty quick.  Maybe have doors on both ends so can open them to  pull out feed and run out table and get going without a major set up time.

[kelLOGg]

My planer is in an unheated barn, too, and I get rust on the rollers and cutter head. I keep an oily rag on the feed tables and that keeps the rust at bay.

YellowH, are your heaters on 24-7 or actuated by temp or RH? Your heat system is certainly the cheapest/best way to preserve a sealed bearing. That was a very sobering story.
Bob

[Brad_bb]

What Tom the sawyer said.  I'll only keep a planer in a heated building to prevent condensation and rust.  A kiln is the next step from sawing.

[YellowHammer]

YellowH, are your heaters on 24-7 or actuated by temp or RH? Your heat system is certainly the cheapest/best way to preserve a sealed bearing. That was a very sobering story.
Bob

Nothing that fancy.  I've used several techniques, with equal success and simplicity. I've used heat lamps from Tractor Supply (used to keep chicks warm) and also thermostatically controlled radiant space heaters.  Lately, I've been experimenting with simply mounting cheap halogen shop lights over the tools which throws enough radiant heat to keep things warm and provides the benefit of spotlighting the tools and work areas.  In the Spring or anytime there is chance on condensation I just leave the lights on when I walk out for night.

[TKehl]

Where you keep it doesn't have to be where you use it. 

I get more mileage out of my shop floor space with caster wheels, though I think i'm going to switch to a pallet jack.

[petefrom bearswamp]

My planer, jointer, table saw and shaper are in my shop which gets to 90 percent humidity in the summer.
I use Johnon's paste wax on the tables and if I mind my ps and qs dont have a problem
the main problem is if i forget to close the blast gate on the planer and even moister are comes in it rusts the table.
I dont use my machinery much anymore the shaper has been idle for 3 yrs or so.
the others for small projects.

[Kbeitz]

Where you keep it doesn't have to be where you use it. 

I get more mileage out of my shop floor space with caster wheels, though I think i'm going to switch to a pallet jack.

Grizzly sells something called a mobile base. You might want to check it out...

[TKehl]

I have a few of them from Grizzly and like them.  Just getting enough equipment now that the pallet jack is looking more cost effective.  Especially for the big old 'arn.   ;) 

Plan to build a bigger (insulated) shop once the house is done though...  :

[Kbeitz]

A pallet jack is a little tough getting under some machines. You might want to look into the small electric pull around forklifts.