Improving a Portable Planer (minimize snipe)

[@jeffreydelong3747]

I made one of these for my Rigid 13 inch planer which I battled for years on the snipe issue. First use I was in shock and awe how smoothly the board 8 ft. long fed into the machine. 3 passes and clean up on the other side. ZERO SNIPE " ZERO " Thank you for the shared knowledge.Jeff's Quality Wood Shop is a happier place .. Well done Sir.

[@brianweekley5700]

Fantastic! I'm glad you found it useful.

[@christophermckinney984]

@Ralph Williams when you say that you need to replace the rubber rollers, where did you get what you replaced them with?

[@stevesiefken6432]

I have the same planer. How long is the jig you made?

[@starseeddeluxe]

WOW. Thanks Jeffery for sharing your story. This makes me wonder why manufactures can't sell a stupid piece of thick laminated particle board when you buy your machine. They could sell a million slabs of wood to go along with the machines, because the machines are trash without the sled. It's one of the only machines that is sold defective, after 100 years of being built, with no improvements. They shouldn't sell something that you can't use properly without building a whole custom assembly.

[@scottclark798]

As soon as I saw you ripping with the radial arm saw , I knew you were the real thing ! Nicely done sir . . Cheers

[@brianweekley5700]

LOL Thank you!

[@harley121]

Outstanding!!!! I just purchased a Ryobe 12.5 planer to replace my old Delta, I'm starting this build tomorrow! Thank you for posting!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Glad you found it useful. I find the continuous, long table very helpful for feeding boards.

[@Dennis-kj9qx]

Haven't used my thickness planer in years thanks to a drunk driver. Just getting back to my home wood shop [40 yrs].. I could not remember how I dealt wit this problem. Started with the stock fence then a ah hah moment I found you. I used to clamp a board running through the planer and used it as a skid. Thanx for your time. And I do see that you need a fixed table..D

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Hope it's useful.

[@jasonlong30]

I like your design. I did one step more and add 2 additional rollers that are spring loaded to hold the board flat to the table and now I have zero snipe and zero waste. thanks for the video. Video to come soon on how I did that.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks-glad it helped. Look forward to see your additional rollers.

[@Christeky]

I recently purchased a Makita 2012NB planer and have been thinking about improving the bed and in/out feed length. Discovered your video today and almost jumped for joy! You have created precisely what I need. It suits me to make the new bed a permanent fixture as you did. I have been procrastinating on this project, but now am motivated to get this done! Thank you, Brian.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. Glad you found the video helpful. Good luck!

[@allanh4803]

Excellent video Brian. I'm about to purchase my first planer. I don't intend to buy a high end machine at this stage but I will surely pay attention to the flaws from the pressed steel bed components. It's guys like you that pave the way for newcomers to woodworking like me and the things we can learn. Thank You!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Try to buy one that has a good locking cutter head. Even so, a longer, continuous table like this will still help because it provides a smoother transition and better support for the boards..

[@stevesoukup3273]

This is exactly what i did to mine with castor wheels on bottom, to run long boards to outside of shop. Very nice vid.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you!

[@eeronirk5325]

I’m waiting for my Dewalt to arrive, have been watching all the videos on preventing snipe, this looks like an amazing solution, I will be following your footsteps, thanks. By the way, great video, no music, no “um, ahh” voiceover, just information, others need to learn this technique.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much. Notice that I don’t claim it completely eliminates snipe, but it significantly reduced it on my machine. I believe the longer, continuous bed is an advantage. Good luck with your new planer.

[@brianweekley5700]

@Capt’n Crims Thank you!

[@imanutnur7]

I had some scrap 3/4" plywood and a foot wide x 8' strip of countertop Formica and watched your video and said why not. It is an old 12" Delta that has mostly been cursed at but I put a framework on the plywood along with the Formica raised it up and stuck it in the planner. It still did the same thing so I took the sides off of the delta planner and seen where there were 4 - 3/8" hole already drilled in the base from the factory so I put bolts in the holes clamped it down and it works great.

[@brianweekley5700]

Glad you figured something out to make it work better!

[@LabworksVapes]

This could turn just about any cheap planer into a serious workhorse - thank you for the design & ideas you have brought to the table

[@brianweekley5700]

A cheap planer is still a cheap planer. It doesn't completely eliminate snipe, but definitely helped on my machine--mainly because of the extreme flex in the table.

[@rustyrag]

Hello Brian, VERY cool! I got into the portable planer game in the very beginning. long before the recognized names got in the market, I bought a Taiwan 12" unit. I forget the name, but it was the only one on the market, and very expensive. I saw the same machine in various catalogs under different names. .Mechanically, it wasn't TOO bad, but it wasn't the best thought out overall. I solved my snipe problem with a piece of aluminum, 12x48x1/2. I got it from a friend who had a one man machine shop, and did lots of high end work. I told him what I needed, and he pointed me to a large plate, handed me a sawzall and told me to take what I needed. As I was cutting he let me know that this was a very special piece of metal, and told me what he paid for it. I was sweating the cost, until he told me that the job paid for it, and he gave it to me for a token. I discarded the in and outfeed tables, countersunk flathead bolts, and attached it to the machine with wingnuts.I finished off the top with Formica (using contact cement) and Johnson's paste wax.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. An aluminum one sounds very fancy. Did you find adding a longer, continuous bed helped yours too?

[@eddiemoreno2922]

I have this exact same planer and I'm glad I ran into this video, can't wait to make one for mine, thanks for the video.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. It works nice on mine!

[@brianweekley5700]

BTW, here's a great example using the longer table and extensions with my planer... kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXbcZYSFrM2qptE

[@drewjohnson4673]

You deserve the highest grade I have given for a DYI video. Well done, Sir.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much-kind of you to say.

[@simonflr]

Best design and build of this modification I've seen.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Much appreciated!

[@MONNIEHOLT]

That was the best detailed modification to the planner I have ever seen, congratulations it’s beautiful and will last a lifetime, it’s one of those items that will be handed down from generation to generation

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you!

[@dt2419]

Hopefully the planer doesn’t crap itself

[@Deecups510]

Great idea to reduce snipe and make a more professional tool out of your hobbyist planer. I like the metal bars to keep them straight and the adjustable feet. Good work. Next step: hook up a shop vac to that chipper outlet! I used to plane so much before and can't imagine why I wasn't collecting it. The planer makes by far the most mess of my tools and there is no reason for that.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. Absolutely, it needs dust collection! Unfortunately, there is no dust port or accessory available for that particular model planer. I do need to fabricate something for it.

[@zfotoguy71]

I have the exact same planer with the exact same problem. I see a bed improvement in my future. Thanks so much for the video!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. I found the longer, continuous table to be a definite improvement.

[@christophergolden4713]

i love little technique gems that can be found all across youtube. the manual installation of the threaded inserts using the press chuck is genius.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much. I can't take credit for the threaded insert trick--saw someone else do that.

[@whosaidthat5236]

Thread tapping works great in the drill press also

[@richardfowler3254]

This is how we all learn by watching someone else show everyone a "new" tip. I will be saving this for sure in my memory bank, Thank You !!

[@Tinker1950]

You obviously have a much reduced understanding of "genius". I think the word you struggle to apply is, "ingenious". Yes, I know, it's confusing to American hewers of wood.

[@christophergolden4713]

@@Tinker1950 "exceptional creative power" I used it correctly. You would have lost nothing by not posting your unwelcome and pretenious (not to mention wrong) opinion on a comment from years ago.

[@courageous-schools]

I have a Radial Arm Saw I purchased nearly 40 years - it’s still going. Great to see one on KZbin!! Love the rest of the video as well.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. The RAS is definitely one of my favorite tools.

[@tomt9543]

Definitely something you don’t see much of anymore! And the minute I saw you ripping with it, I was transported back in time when Black and Decker built great equipment! I had a Craftsman RAS in the early 80’s, and decided to try ripping on it one day. The result was a 30” piece of ripped 2x4 being shot out of the saw, through a window pane in the garage door, and landing in the driveway! And the kickback pawl was in place! Never attempted that again, and actually wound up selling the thing! Never could get the slide to stay running parallel with the table. Great project on the planer!

[@bnelson313braveheart]

I really like this. I have an 6 ft. long aquarium stand that I’ve wanted to use for my planer or jointer base. I think the planer is the best choice. Thanks for beating the dreaded snipe!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Sounds like an interesting base. Can't say I totally eliminated snipe, but significantly reduced it on my machine--probably because all of the flex I had with the factory bed. Good luck with yours.

[@jonwarren9979]

Awesome addition and solution for an addressed issue

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. Doesn't completely eliminate snipe, but definitely helps having the longer, continuous table.

[@tonykazulen2485]

I have got to do that to my planer.I have problems with the snipes off and on,happy that I watched how to do. thanks

[@brianweekley5700]

Not perfect and depends on the planer you have, but really helped on mine.

[@batimusmaximus2743]

Brilliant! I love your videos, Mr. Weekley. I learn so much from them!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@ferraridan4883]

I use a similar setup; use double faced however on the in-feed and out-feed tables. Like the adjustable feet!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks-the adjustable feet work great (you could also use bolts instead).

[@fritzanderson5408]

Learned at least three great ideas from this video. Laminating the steel into the plywood is genius. Thanks for posting. Great work!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Glad it was useful. I can’t take credit for the steel bar lamination. If you search for “Mr. Sawdust table”, it’s a method commonly used to make dead-flat tables for radial arm saws.

[@markd.621]

Nice video. I made a bed out of melamine mostly for planing thinner stock than allowed by the machine. Never thought about making one to replace the flimsy bed and out-feed tables. I just ordered a new planer and will make something similar to yours for it. I also noticed you discovered a trick I use to reduce snipe, angling the board through the planer. Works amazingly. Thanks also for the material contact information in the description as UHMW can be hard to search for.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. Glad it was useful.

[@TheScorcher541]

Brilliant, and great workmanship !

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. Much appreciated!

[@PPMOCRG]

I never thought of using mu drill press to install inserts! Great idea! 🤯

[@brianweekley5700]

I can’t take credit for the idea of using the drill press to install inserts, but thanks!

[@dovesdiyconstructionreview1742]

Thank you for sharing this. Even with long boards, with your original extension set up world work well as long as there was someone at the other end making sure the board was even with the surface and no upward pressure was being exerted on the planer upon exit. Of course adding those extensions just makes things much easier all around. Worry free work is the best!

[@brianweekley5700]

Mr. & Mrs. Dove. Thanks. It does work much better than the original setup!

[@dustinclark8946]

Wow, amazing. Woodworking is awesome.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much!

[@chuckroast5735]

Nice set up. I like it. Thanks for sharing.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you.

[@ronaldlight7578]

Well done. Your attention to detail is evident!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much!

[@barefootlyrooted]

Excellent design! I think I'll be copying this. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Glad it was useful.

[@paulgreene9997]

Very nice video. I did a smaller version myself this afternoon, but much less elaborate than yours/ I used a long piece of melamine, removed the outfeed/infeed tables altogether and provided support under the melamine with some plywood cut to the appropriate width so it wouldn't bend. The pieces of metal and the leveling feet on yours was a good touch - I"m sure it made it much stiffer. But even my less extensive improvements made a noticeable difference in the cut quality. I think maybe I'll do a 'version 2' and incorporate some of your details to make it even better. Btw, my planer is supposed to have a cut height of 6", but I think the thickest board I ever put through there was 2" thick, so the loss of 1-2" of cut height isn't really significant

[@brianweekley5700]

I rarely need to plane pieces thicker than 6”. If I do, the table can be easily removed when required. Glad to see you found it useful.

[@angelorodriguescoelho]

Excelent idea. Great job.. congratulations

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you!

[@stephenmann8972]

Top class. Thanks for taking the time to produce the video

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you-much appreciated!

[@paulrafter6715]

Nice work !! Very impressed with your solution, thanks for sharing 😊

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much!

[@ssteele1812]

I have the same planer and removed the rollers from each table long ago. I still have a small dip at the end from the tables not being flush with the actual bed. I may have to borrow this idea.

[@brianweekley5700]

I’ve been happy with it. Give it a try.

[@juleyfarley2877]

I never knew what it was called snipe, usually it gets called a more inappropriate name as soon as it happens. Thanks for the video, I also didn't realize it happens to more experienced wood workers as I thought it must be the way I was putting the board into the planer.

[@eltonroberts8817]

Good idea 💡..but really how often do.you plane a 7 or 8in thick piece of wood

[@brianweekley5700]

Exactly. The capacity with the table is adequate for 99% of my work and you can easily remove it, if necessary.

[@starseeddeluxe]

For anyone who is curious how a radial arm saw rips boards, take a look at 1:20; that dust collection is about 99.9% with the stock blade guard. The radial arm saw blade guard completely encloses the cutting portion of the blade during a rip cut, creating a basically perfect vacuum seal. The dust collection in a rip cut (not a crosscut) on a radial arm saw, is the single greatest thing about radial arm saws. It's more effective than any other factory dust system on any machine. I use a small M18 Milwaukee portable vacuum, connected to my Dewalt radial arm saw, and after a rip cut, all of the dust is inside the vacuum, and none of it escapes. Crosscuts on a radial arm saw, are a disaster, and are extremely dangerous--they violently spit dust behind the machine, covering your shop walls. During a crosscut on a radial arm saw, the blade guard is more for aesthetics; it provides neither adequate safety protection, nor any dust collection. And the accuracy of a crosscut on a radial arm saw is far less than the accuracy for a rip cut on the same saw. Really, radial arm saws are masters of ripping medium sized, medium length boards, because they have perfect accuracy and perfect dust collection during a rip cut. The misconception about them being only suitable for 90 degree crosscuts, is completely wrong.

[@brianweekley5700]

Dust collection is always a challenge on a RAS, but it does work reasonably well while ripping.

[@jankostal2998]

Super idea implemented. That's exactly what I will do. Very good work.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you.

[@wk7060]

Very nice planer bed, great idea.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. I can’t take credit for the idea, but I did make a very flat and robust table!

[@shofarsogood7504]

Is the level of the new table ( through planer front to back) critical? If it wasn’t for the rollers I would think it would be like a router and a little skew isn’t a big deal.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks for the question. I would think the most critical element is making sure the side-to-side is parallel so you get an even cut across the board. I don't think the front to back would be as big of deal (within reason).

[@cycledcnva]

Awesome idea! Great work! Thanks for sharing!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks!

[@azmike1956]

Pretty darn nice. If I can't adjust the snipe out a full bed will be next. Thanks!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you!

[@jimmascaro2456]

Wow thorough! Well done. I will replicate this. Thank you.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Note that my planer had a lot of flex in the planer bed which really added to the snipe. Therefore, this solution really helped reduce snipe on my planer. Your mileage may vary. Regardless, I find the longer, continuous bed provides better support when feeding boards through.

[@madzebra5491]

After watching numerous of your videos, I've concluded you've been misspelling your name. It is actually Brain. Seriously, you rock my friend. I've learned a lot from your videos.

[@brianweekley5700]

Yes, sometimes that was my nickname because it’s often misspelled. Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@stormbytes]

Simple and bulletproof. Outstanding!

[@brianweekley5700]

LOL Thanks!

[@nolandm48]

Where did you get the table adjustment feet that you are using. Couldn't find anything on Amazon that looked just like those.

[@brianweekley5700]

Try searching for “heavy duty leveling legs”. You can also just use bolts screwed into threaded inserts and that will work fine too.

[@neiltonge5459]

Really nice of you to post this. Appreciate it

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you!

[@ginoasci]

Well done !!! No worries about reducing the thickness, hoow often do we plane anything that thick any way. It's the width we want. Awesome job, well worth the time and energy. Don't you love it when a project works out and makes our woodworking life easy.....it's nice to just look at it :)

[@brianweekley5700]

Your comment is very much appreciated. It actually works very nicely too! You are correct--it is very rare folks need a capacity to plane something greater than 4 inches thick. If you're working with wood that big, you probably should be using a bigger planer anyway. Thank you.

[@kevinwood9993]

That's what she said last night ;p. Good video though.

[@mkbcoolman]

I had that exact same thought. I've never planed a board thicker that 4"...10/4 may be the largest I've ever worked with, and the VAST majority of the time I'm working with 6/4 or thinner. So 'sacrificing' 2" of clearance on my planer is really no sacrifice at all. But being able to easily handle 8' with a setup like this with make my 13" Ridgid planer much more functional.

[@coppulor6500]

sweet sled!!! also, the reach around while using a push stick on a radial arm saw is freaking me out.

[@brianweekley5700]

@@coppulor6500 Thanks. The “reach around” probably looks worse than it was, but certainly wasn’t necessary. Thanks for calling me out on it!

[@jasonvos3956]

Sure pays off to have well set up equipment. Great series of videos. For the RAS and all the table modifications including outfeed tables. Thanks for sharing

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much.

[@paulkelly1702]

Thanks to this vid, instead of not using my benchtop planer, I will make one of these. Makes perfectly good sense.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. It definitely works well for me.

[@KC-ls2pf]

Great idea and build!!! Would it be possible to completely replace the factory bed using this? Therefore retaining full thickness capacity.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Depends on your planer, but I doubt it. The bed is probably integral with the base. If you routinely need to plane wood thicker than 4”, you probably could use a larger planer.

[@KC-ls2pf]

@@brianweekley5700 That’s true! Thanks for the great build and quick response!

[@1980JPA]

amazed that this fixes the snipe issue. I would have thought that there would still be some from the distance in between the rollers and cutting heads. I've though about doing this before but didnt think it would fully solve the issue without addressing the roller/cutting head space. got to try it now

[@brianweekley5700]

Note that I didn’t claim it completely eliminates snipe, but can significantly reduce it. It reduces snipe in two ways: eliminates the unevenness of the table transition and provides a longer table to help keep the board level. If your planer doesn’t have a good locking cutter head or the head suffers suffers from significant flex, it can’t address that component. However, on my planer, it works tremendously well and was definitely worth doing.

[@billc6087]

Great stuff! Look forward to the mobile cart build. Thanks!

[@brianweekley5700]

Unfortunately, I don’t currently have a shop until my new house is built. However, I have another video showing a cart build for my RAS and the one for my planer will probably be made in a similar fashion: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4nSe3RtZcpjgKMsi=uC-1iZhKio6ADLUF

[@angelaprater2679]

Very good stops the snipes in the wood and tears alot smoother

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you.

[@mkbcoolman]

Absolutely beautiful. Now I just need to find space in my garage shop for another mobile cart :). Right now I have my planer mounted in a mobile cart that also has my job-site table saw and a router lift. It works ok, but planing can be a real pain in the butt when I have a lot of lumber to dimension for a project...and it's really a pain when dealing with boards longer than 4'. I think this will be the perfect solution.

[@jimmascaro2456]

Very very nice. I may have to copy your well thought out plan. Thx.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. Hope it's helpful.

[@billytopa]

Nice work pops

[@joequillun7790]

Nice solid looking table, but I don't see how it prevents snipe. I thought snipe was from the cutter head knives pulling up the beginning part of the board, (and end) until the outfeed roller pushes it back down.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks for the comment. Note that I do not claim it completely eliminates snipe, but significantly reduced it on my machine. There are three causes of snipe and this addresses two of them: poor alignment of infeed/outfeed tables, tilting the board when entering/exiting the planer, and movement due to the pressure rollers. My continuous, extra long table addresses the first two reasons mentioned above. As shown in my video, my original table had considerable flex which caused significant snipe on my machine. My tension rollers do seem to lock very well (many lunchbox planers don’t even have a locking roller head). Regardless, a new long table really helps with feeding longer boards.

[@stevefaragher6711]

when cutting groves for the steel, how wide, or is it snug? any weep holes for the epoxy to escape so it doesn't add something between the two planes? I love the idea of steel inside the two pieces of plywood to maintain straightness.

[@brianweekley5700]

steve faragher Thanks for the question. I use 1/8 x 3/4 steel bar that you can buy at big box or hardware stores (only about $6 each). I cut the groove width just wide enough they can be easily inserted without forcing. I add about 3/32 in depth to give some extra room for the epoxy to go. It doesn’t take a whole lot of epoxy-I use a toothpick to wet the side walls before I insert the steel bars. Use 30 min epoxy to give enough working time. Then I use a disposable brush to evenly spread wood glue in between the bars. Repeat on the other half. It’s imperative to do the glue up on a flat surface under heavy weight. The table will only be as flat as the glue up surface.

[@brianweekley5700]

steve faragher We often use this type of table construction to make precision tables for our radial arm saws (I show many other examples in some of my other videos). However, this video from Tommy Tompkins shows a very good example of the table glue up process: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIWwc4dqasySp8k

[@faragher63]

@@brianweekley5700 Thanks so very much!

[@1pcfred]

I made a far less involved auxiliary table for my lunchbox thickness planer. I did it because the minimum thickness on my planer is 3/4s of an inch. I often want to plane wood thinner than that too. So I just glued some sheet metal onto a 3/4 inch sheet of plywood and attached a hook made out of a couple scrap blocks of wood to the bottom of the table that catches onto the wing. I'm sure this table here is better than mine is, but mine works for me. I can slide mine out and put my planer away easily too. I don't have room to keep my planer setup all of the time. I wish I did, but I don't.

[@brianweekley5700]

Great! There are multiple variations out there-just need to make the best solution for you. Did you find it helped?

[@1pcfred]

@@brianweekley5700 I would not use my planer without my auxiliary table. So I find it not only helped but I would consider it essential. One of those must do things.

[@danialholt4174]

Too bad planer companies don't offer an accessory to do the same thing. Bolt up directly. Various lengths perhaps.

[@alwatts9713]

Cool idea...kinda adapting the Mr. Sawdust table idea for radial saws to the planer. Just curious though...did you do anything to make sure the new table was parallel to the cutter blades?

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Yes, the “Mr Sawdust table” design comes in handy for many uses! If you run wood through the planer, use calipers to measure the thickness on both ends. You can always shim or adjust the same as you would for the factory table.

[@ffjsb]

That's an awesome jig, but I would use MDF as it's got a flatter surface and less likely to have any minute differences in thickness. Since this jig is so rigid, you could also use your planer as a jointer as well, or make boards with a slight angle using the legs to create an angle as the board goes through. This is definitely on my to-do list now.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. I'm happy with how flat the UHMW is and chose it because I thought it would be slicker than MDF, but I'm sure that would work just as good. This was a worthwhile improvement to my planer.

[@canniballectus2560]

Great video. Finally youtube suggested a video worth watching. I foresee a new project in the near future.

[@brianweekley5700]

Cannibal Lectus Thank you!

[@ericapelz260]

Nicely done. I have been thinking of making infeed and outfeed tables for our planner but hadn't considered going full length or UHMW surface.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Just the other day I was planing 16 foot long boards. The outfeed tables really came in handy!

[@jefff6167]

Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. Glad it was helpful!

[@solococo6071]

Nicely planer bed build Brian,im trying to build one for me.i have a curious question? What is the purpose of the steel bar fit in the slot ? Thanks

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. A single piece of plywood may often warp or bow. Sometimes called a “Mr. Sawdust Table” the build with steel epoxied in slots between two layers is a technique to create a very flat and stable table. When the lamination is performed under heavy weight on a flat surface, the steel bars helps keep the table flat.

[@solococo6071]

@@brianweekley5700 very appreciate your feedback

[@503dcccccccccccc]

That’s a great idea. As a Union Ironworker with a closet wood working hobby you gave me the idea to remove the stock out feed pull apart the plainer to add in a 100% new table at 7.6 feet with stainless steel and composite or that plastic panel . Do you see any pitfall with that?

[@brianweekley5700]

That’s a really long table, but I think any continuous table is better than what’s there.

[@emostorm7]

Closetted woodworker there s no shame

[@503dcccccccccccc]

Doug Butler well, there shouldn’t be but as a Union Ironworker we are pretty hard on sliver pickers(commercial carpenter builders) . But I am a changed man. There is room for both, I see the light now. I am garaged instead of closeted now.

[@TomHorsmanAmateurBBQ]

Awesome modification to help take away snipe! I’m going to do my own version, Thank you!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you!

[@dinotom1]

Nice job Brian, Always love to see the DeWalt in action on a build

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. I love my radial arm saws.

[@badbenny8949]

I am looking to add a planer to my collection and just came across you video. Nice job. I will be doing the same to mine when i get it. Thanks for sharing.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks.. It has worked very well for me.

[@bfsnrider]

I have used this same Delta planer for over 20 years with no snipe at all. It's a matter of adjustment of the in-feed and out-feed surfaces plus having an appropriate out-feed table with correct tilt. I have found that slightly lifting the back end of the stock on in-feeding and having the extra out-feed table tilted very slightly "up" prevents any snipe. Have never had snipe and used up a few dozen blades over the years.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks for the comment. I agree this is a pretty good planer model and the locking cutter head seems to do a reasonable job. However, as shown at 0:45 in this video, the stainless steel covering over the planer bed acts like a spring. Therefore, even if I level the tables (under load), this extra movement was contributing to snipe because it tends to lift the board into the blades at the beginning and end of the cut. By making my continuous table, this problem was eliminated. Although this may not be the same for all planers, it was a noticeable improvement on mine.

[@bfsnrider]

@@brianweekley5700 I agree with your conclusions. I've never verified spring action in the floor of my planar but I agree with your observations. That theory agrees with my observation that is is desirable to lift the back end on in feed and have some upward tilt on the outfeed. Both actions tend to press the floor down at both ends of the work piece.

[@tschmath]

How do you guarantee that the new bed is parallel to the blades of the planer?

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks for the question. The same as I would for the factory table. Plane a piece of wood and use calipers to verify the thickness on each side. Adjust or shim the table if needed.

[@tschmath]

@@brianweekley5700 thanks for the reply. The answer was ridiculously obvious, but thanks for answering.

[@handsfree1000]

Think I’ll have a go at doing this, have been ignoring this problem for too long. Thanks for this video,

[@brianweekley5700]

It was a noticeable improvement with my planer.

[@williambranham6249]

Any wood run through a planer or jointer will have mill marks from the cutter blades which have to be removed or will show through most finishes. Eliminate snipe and mill marks at same time with a sharp hand plane. Little to no sanding after hand plane. For those who don't hand plane yours is a helpful technique. Thanks.

[@brianweekley5700]

Agree, but if you can reduce snipe, it reduces the amount of material you need to hand plane. Deep snipe requires a lot of material to be removed (unless you're able to just cut it off).

[@Badkitty24]

Great, i have to build a sled to flatten my boards (don't have jointer) now i have to build one of these to eliminate sniping. My capacity will end up being 2 inches lol. Anything else i need to make one expensive tool work correctly???? ;)

[@brianweekley5700]

LOL. This nice, long flat table also makes it easier to run your flattening sled on! Note that my longer table should reduce snipe, but may not totally eliminate it depending on your planer model. It drastically helped on mine!

[@lorenzoalmendarez8506]

Thanks for the video! Really helpful!👍👍

[@brianweekley5700]

Great. Glad it was useful.

[@phantomcreamer]

Ehat's the benefit of having a table sae that cuts from above? Wouldn this cause more tear out by not having a zero clearance table?

[@brianweekley5700]

On a RAS, the blade turns down towards the table during cross-cutting (where tear-out commonly occurs), but the table itself acts as a natural zero-clearance surface. During ripping, the blade on a RAS does turn up from the table, but tear-out is far less of an issue when ripping with the grain. It's really no different than ripping on a table saw (without a zero-clearance insert). However, the RAS has a big advantage when it comes to cutting dados on the top because it's much more convenient to see what you're doing.

[@phantomcreamer]

@@brianweekley5700 What are the negatives with an RAS?

[@brianweekley5700]

@@phantomcreamer I love using a RAS for many operations (as shown in many of my videos). A few disadvantages: there are more moving parts that need to be properly setup/calibrated for accuracy. As a result, users who are unfamiliar on how to properly setup and use their saw often face disappointing results. Some RAS brands/models are not very robust or hold their adjustments well (it's important to use a quality machine). It is essential that a correct blade is used on a RAS or they can be dangerous (e.g., a climb cut or kickback may occur). If you're interested in radial arm saws, I highly recommend joining the DeWalt Radial Arm Saw Forum where you can find very good information on setup, use, and safety of RAS's.

[@tedd1091]

Also, I checked the link for the UHMW but need the spec's of your sheet.

[@brianweekley5700]

I ordered a piece 1/4” thick x 12” wide x 48” long.

[@mdcraig62]

Using a RAS and not chatting the whole video?! Subscribed!!! And while I'm using a much smaller portable planer, I think I can scale this down. Thanks for the video.

[@brianweekley5700]

LOL. Thanks! Best of luck with your planer.

[@dawsie]

Thank you for a great idea 🤗🤗 I have already placed my planer onto,its own mobile table so I can move it into place when I need it and I have used those mobile rollers for feeding longer lengths into the planer but your planer bed is even a better idea as well as the extension. Looks like I am making an addition to my mobile planer table and as it has storage under the planer I can place the extensions underneath on the bottom shelf for when they are not needed but with the new improved table feed this will solve the biggest snipe problem I have found with the planer. The second problem I have found is the wood shavings out put is set up incorrectly I had to pull mine apart and drill a hole at the back of the unit and place a out feed at the back of it so,the vacuum could be attached there and this allowed the wood shavings to flow out smother and faster this way. The original wood shaving out feed was off to the side this would only clear one side of the shaving out feed and I would have to stop working and using a stick while the machine was turned off to dislodge the shavings built up on the opposite side of the out feed I go fed up with doing this and once the warranty period was over I made the modification 😹😹 works like a dream now in that part. So once I have built the new feed table I think I should have a pretty good planer setup as I have never planned anything thicker than 250 losing that part of the planers depth is not a problem for me as I have never felt happy at feeding anything that thick and more through it as it was just way too heavy for me to handle.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you! Glad you like it. I find my longer planer bed and solid extension tables work much better than trying to align mobile roller stands. Good alignment is important when feeding long boards through a planer or they tilt too easily. I designed my outfeed extension tables to use with multiple tools: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqDEZHWkqthoqJo. Unfortunately, my planer does not even have a dust port, so you are already in better shape and looks like you made a good improvement to improve yours. I agree--it's very rare that I ever need to plane something thicker than about 500 mm.

[@dawsie]

Brian Weekley 😹I did wonder why the sawdust was spilling out the way it was 🤔 I tried to plane a lump of wood that was 400x400 but it was just too heavy to use safely with the unit even with a longer table feed in I don’t think I will battle something that large it’s just as easy to sand it down when it’s that big than trying to load it into the machine.

[@sergiopereira]

I hope you meant 50mm :)

[@dawsie]

sergiopereira sorry you lost me, the hight of the machine allows me to put through wood that is as thick as 350mm as I can not lift wood that heavy the most I have done is 250mm it is the thickest I have put through my machine so was not worried about losing a few mm in the setup required to make the machine run smoother 🤗

[@btrswt35]

That's old school, ripping on a radial arm saw. I have never, ever seen that on KZbin until now.

[@brianweekley5700]

LOL. Check out my other videos--I frequently rip on a RAS! If it's properly aligned and you know what you're doing, it can be done safely.

[@chrisgrubisa3819]

omg right tho lol exactly what i thot.

[@whosaidthat5236]

My dad just gave me that exact RAS it needs a clean up and a base, I’m planning on getting it set up this summer when it’s warmer in my garage lol , it will be my dedicated daddo...er

[@SW-zu7ve]

I have time life home improvement series from 1979. There is a book dedicated to the home shop and one also for wood working. Both have operation of radial arm saws both show how to rip. Sad they have the reputation they do. I love my radial arm saw. I haven't been in any situation where I've felt the thing was any more dangerous then any other tool. I've seen a few others ripping with them on youtube but you are right its rare.

[@maxfedor1]

Brian Weekley before I was a carpenter by trade, I worked for a company in my early 20’s ( no previous power tool experience) and used 5hp 3phase ras to rip plywood for building wood tables with collapsible legs with pvc edging. Just basic common sense was enough for me to rip ( probably ripped more then cross cut on saw) safely for a couple years. So it wasn’t later until I became a carpenter that I heard about bad rap ras have. Never quite understood it. Every tool can be dangerous when not used properly. I now have 2 ras like u and also 1959 dewalt mbf, like u said proper set up and mr sawdust table and no problems ripping. Great retrofit by the way, definitely going make me one

[@misterritter9854]

Awesome idea! I had been trying to think of a similar solution and was toying with creating an inset that would level the planer with handmade feed/out feed tables. This is much better though, and way less headaches trying to level and square it.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. The single, continuous bed does make it easy and works well.

[@thomastieffenbacherdocsava1549]

Liked the use of the drill chuck to do inserts. Metal will keep the plywood stable.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you.

[@tedd1091]

I'm going to build one for my Cutech thickness planer. Where did you source those jig feet?

[@brianweekley5700]

I found those appliance feet on eBay. However, you can just use bolts as leveling studs-they would work fine for that purpose too,

[@richcooke9241]

Love the video, brilliant! Thank you! I have a RAS that I got at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $60, you've inspired me to get it set up. It needs a new table & fence. Thanks, again!

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you. I also have two videos about making tables for a radial arm saw you may be interested in.

[@eegaugh]

Good to see the radial arm saw at work. As shown, you are not using any chip extraction on the planer?

[@brianweekley5700]

Yes, love my radial arm saws! My planer model did not come with a shroud to connect a dust collection hose to. Therefore, I usually just wheel it into the driveway when planing, but have been meaning to fabricate a shroud for it. I agree that would definitely be better than nothing!

[@vieuxacadian9455]

simple and effective , well done . thanks

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks!

[@fredastaire6156]

Hey Brian, would you by chance have any plans for this? Great video, btw, I think I can tackle this in a few hours and see if it makes a difference in my Ridgid planer

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Sorry, no plans, but I’d be happy to answer any specific questions you have.

[@brianweekley5700]

I have a few videos where I use the same technique to make the table. You might find more detail in this video… kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6POhWp5ntB5pcU Just decide what size you want to make for your planer. The only difference is that I applied an optional UHMW top for the planer (details are provided in the video description).

[@fredastaire6156]

@@brianweekley5700 this is awesome!! You responding after 3 years is more than enough. Thank you, kind Sir! :)

[@jacknick429]

EXCELLENT VIDEO !!! Excellent idea !!!

[@brianweekley5700]

I can't take credit for the idea, but thanks!

[@joeherz5506]

Solid effort and great execution Brian. Enjoyed the video.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thank you very much. BTW, I see some MGB vids on your channel. My very first car was a 71 MGB that I restored as a teenager (engine, body, and paint). Later, I had a 76 (with the rubber baby buggy bumpers) and finally a 65 that I started, but never finished and eventually sold to a friend. I really miss having one now.

[@dannyboy9817]

Fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing this 🙌

[@ickelly]

I have a Porter Cable benchtop planet and can’t seem to adjust it to avoid snipe. Great video! Thanks for posting. Do you have any specs? I’m thinking 6’, but the only flat steel bars I can find are 48”. I’m guessing you used 1” bars, what thickness? Thanks.

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks for the question. My table is 12 inches wide and 48 inches long. As shown, I also have extensions I can attach to make them longer, if necessary. The steel bars are 1/8 inch thick x 3/4 inch wide (this size works well to sandwich two layers of 3/4 inch plywood). The big box stores typically stock 36 and 48 inch long bars, but you can find 60 inch long ones if you shop around.

[@quinnolsen8081]

making one of these at the moment and was wondering what screws you used? thanks and this is a great bed

[@brianweekley5700]

Thanks. Screws for what (the leveling feet or screws to hold the UHMW top to the table)? If you’re talking about the leveling feet, they are heavy duty appliance feet, but you could simply use bolts screwed into a threaded insert in the table.

[@quinnolsen8081]

oops sorry, should have been more specific. the screws that drive into the UHVM.

[@brianweekley5700]

@@quinnolsen8081 Just flathead wood screws countersunk into the UHMW. I used #10 x 1”.

[@quinnolsen8081]

thanks, much appreciated!