# Why would I need a Thickness Planer?



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I’m trying to justify paying $600 for a DeWalt DW735 including Tax.

I’m just a guy who likes to build stuff in my garage on weekends. There have only been a few times that I can remember where it would have been nice to have. It’s not that I can’t afford it, but it just seems a little extravagant for how much I do although I do want one. I don’t build fine furniture although there is cabinet that I want to build for the living room, but so far I plan to use plywood for the most of it.

I read some reviews on the cheaper Harbor Freight planer and they weren’t favorable. Some recommended the Ryobi AP1301 which the price sounded good to me, but then I read the reviews and it sounds like if I buy a planer at all, it will have to be the DeWalt DW735.

Maybe if I heard some uses for a planer something might click. :icon_cool:


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

I like to buy rough saw lumber and finish it myself. Buying lumber s4s can be more expensive IMO there a great addition to any shop


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Dominick said:


> I like to buy rough saw lumber and finish it myself. Buying lumber s4s can be more expensive IMO there a great addition to any shop


 AW, that’s interesting. I have some rough sawn hardwood that I salvaged from some pallets that are really nice. They are too wide for my joiner/planer, but I read that the boards have to straighten before running through the thickness planer. They are pretty straight but not flat. The thickness varies so I’m not sure if I can use it.


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## bob sacamano (Jan 24, 2012)

@sleeper - im in southern calif also. youre welcome to come by and use my planer. like dominic i only buy wood in the rough.


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## kaajonman (Jul 31, 2011)

Have you looked at the dw734? It's a great planer for about $200 less. Like the 735 it has 3 blades but only 1 speed. I just finished a project using about 130bf of walnut. With the money I saved buying rough lumber the planer has almost paid for itself.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Sleeper said:


> I’m trying to justify paying $600 for a DeWalt DW735 including Tax.
> 
> I’m just a guy who likes to build stuff in my garage on weekends. There have only been a few times that I can remember where it would have been nice to have. It’s not that I can’t afford it, but it just seems a little extravagant for how much I do although I do want one. I don’t build fine furniture although there is cabinet that I want to build for the living room, but so far I plan to use plywood for the most of it.
> 
> ...


Like you, I rarely do anything where I would use a planer.. In a pinch I do have a friend who would let me use his but I have yet to ask. I did get some rough lumber awhile back and I just built a planning jig for my router. Takes a little longer than a planner but for a one of... not a big deal and, you can make the jig accomodate almost any size piece you want. I've got a stack of old solid wood doors to plane down when I get time but they are 18 to 22" wide so a planer that size is out of the question, not to mention the budget.:icon_smile:


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## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I have the Steel City 40200H. It dosnt get used alot because I mainly am into turning now but when I need it, it sure is nice to have. The money I have saved buying rough lumber instead of S4S has nearly paid for the planer anyhow. Its also nice not to be limeted to 3/4" stock and red oak, poplar and pine is all I can get around here that is S4S.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Nov 25, 2008)

When I am working in the shop, there is not one day I don't use my 24" planer.

It is the work horse of my shop, next in line is the 16" jointer.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Well I’ve been thinking of the rough lumber savings and I have to admit that I was shocked at how much the milled stuff is going for at Lowes and Home Depot. The more I think about it that alone might justify a planer. I haven’t really looked for any rough sawn lumber around here and don’t even know where to buy it, I think I’m going to do a little looking around.



kaajonman said:


> Have you looked at the dw734? It's a great planer for about $200 less. Like the 735 it has 3 blades but only 1 speed. I just finished a project using about 130bf of walnut. With the money I saved buying rough lumber the planer has almost paid for itself.


 Yes I did think about the dw734. They sell them at HD and I also saw some used ones on Craigslist for around $300. That is another option.



jschaben said:


> .... I did get some rough lumber awhile back and I just built a planning jig for my router. ..


 I never heard of a router planning jig. I’ll have to check that out.



WarnerConstInc. said:


> When I am working in the shop, there is not one day I don't use my 24" planer.
> 
> It is the work horse of my shop, next in line is the 16" jointer.


 When I was younger I had full access to my uncle’s stair and door shop. They had an employee that spent most of his time on their big planer and I believe it also was their most important tool. I don’t remember what brand or size it was, but it used to scare me. :smile:Unfortunately they all retired and sold the business. The new owner went bankrupt and sold off all the equipment.


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## tt1106 (Apr 10, 2009)

I buy lumber from the sawmill. without a thickness planer, I would have to spend a lot of time hand planing. I have the 734. So far about 200 BF of oak through it.


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Reading the OP post reminds me of my first big project, linky below. I did not have a planer, no jointer, no bandsaw. The only machines I had was a table saw, lathe and a scroll saw. The legs were glued up laminations all done with a hand plane.

http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/knots-gallery/formal-dining-set

Reading what he does and build, I would suggest he does not purchase either, until he needs a proper big machine one day when his activity grows.


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## tt1106 (Apr 10, 2009)

Ooooooohh, you have to read the posts.  
My first kitchen table, changing table, and diaper pail were made on a shopsmith abandoned in the basement of the house I was renting. That was 12 years ago. I bought the planer last year.  You can certainly make a lot of beautiful stuff without a thickness planer and there are other tools, I'd consider first. When I bought my first house, I had a Protech (stop laughing) table saw that would dance around the garage if the sandbag shifted. Having a real Tablesaw (Hitachi CFL10) opened up tons of possibilities, much more so than the planer. I am a hobbyist as well.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

WillemJM said:


> Reading the OP post reminds me of my first big project, linky below. I did not have a planer, no jointer, no bandsaw. The only machines I had was a table saw, lathe and a scroll saw. The legs were glued up laminations all done with a hand plane.
> 
> http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/knots-gallery/formal-dining-set
> 
> Reading what he does and build, I would suggest he does not purchase either, until he needs a proper big machine one day when his activity grows.


OMG, that absolutely beautiful. I can't hardly believe it. That's really a great piece of work. :thumbsup:

Well 20 years ago I built a desk with just a circular saw, a Craftsman Portable planer and Sander. I wasn’t expecting much because I had to use plywood for all the wide pieces and a lot of wood was wasted when I used the portable planer because I had to have enough to clamp and then cut off the excess. I used oak molding to cover the plywood edges. It came out fairly well and surly a lot better the cheap particle board furniture. My only real regret was that I thought I had to use ½” plywood for the drawer sides and it really took up too much space and looked horrible when opened. I always figured I would rebuild the drawers when I ever got a chance, but it actually ended up as my work bench for a while until it got to be too big for the shop as I purchased more equipment. 

Well I could have used a planer today as I was building a new TS sled. I had bought a ¾” piece of oak for my miter rails and it’s a little too wide to fit in the slots. I may have to go back to Lowes to buy a wider piece that I can rip to the proper size. I don’t foresee building another sled anytime soon but if I do, I’ll buy an aluminum one. :yes:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Sleeper*

You can't just go off and buy a planer. :no: Here's why. The proper term is "thickness planer" and that's kinda what it does, make boards a uniform thickness. Even wavy or curved boards...they come out pretty much like they went in, except they are uniform in thickness. Boards must be flat as in won't wobble when placed on a flat surface like your table saw or granite countertop before you can run them through a thickness planer.

You need a "board flatenizer" also known as a jointer. Cupped board in...flat board out. Curved board in.... flat board out.... eventually, making *one* surface flat. THEN that flat side down goes onto the planer beds where the cutter rotating above removes anything that sticks up beyond a certain dimension and that ain't flat. 

So now what? You need a jointer also. Yes, you can flatten boards with a router sled, and a planer sled, and a Stanley no 4. hand plane...whatever you want. It gets a little more complicated than you first thought. :yes: bill


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> You can't just go off and buy a planer. :no: Here's why. The proper term is "thickness planer" and that's kinda what it does, make boards a uniform thickness. Even wavy or curved boards...they come out pretty much like they went in, except they are uniform in thickness. Boards must be flat as in won't wobble when placed on a flat surface like your table saw or granite countertop before you can run them through a thickness planer.
> 
> You need a "board flatenizer" also known as a jointer. Cupped board in...flat board out. Curved board in.... flat board out.... eventually, making *one* surface flat. THEN that flat side down goes onto the planer beds where the cutter rotating above removes anything that sticks up beyond a certain dimension and that ain't flat.
> 
> So now what? You need a jointer also. Yes, you can flatten boards with a router sled, and a planer sled, and a Stanley no 4. hand plane...whatever you want. It gets a little more complicated than you first thought. :yes: bill


I guess you’re right. I have a 6in Jointer/Planer and I’ve managed to get by without the thickness planer so far.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Here's a video on a commercial planning sled.. you can flatten and thickness with it


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Since you already have a jointer, a thickness planer is a natural next choice. Especially since money isn't the issue. Just go ahead and get it. (but give serious consideration to the Dewalt 734 or the Ridgid r4331) Worst case scenario, you have a quality machine that you don't use very often, but is incredibly handy when you need it. Best case scenario, you end up using it all the time because you discover how darn handy it is. Plus, you've already got rough cut lumber just begging to be finished. 
--MATT


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Ahah! you have a jointer!*



Sleeper said:


> I guess you’re right. I have a 6in Jointer/Planer and I’ve managed to get by without the thickness planer so far.


Well then, the advice above is good. go ahead and get a planer. I wish who ever came up with the term Jointer/Planer would have just left off the "Planer" part, it's too confusing when trying to answer a question on one or the other. Jointers surface one side, planers make a board a uniform thickness.  bill


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

I use my planer a lot, for planing recycled wood, as well as rough cut. A few years ago, I bought 500+ lf. of 1x6 t&g, SYP, for $20. I'm still making things from it. Bath vanity, and trim was one project. 
I, much prefer, a stationary planer. Mines only 12", but it eats wood great.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I’m starting to get confused by all the posts about rough sawn and recycled wood. Are you all flattening it first as Bill mentioned? I have a few rough saw boards and I also have some recycled wood as I mentioned before and it’s not flat or straight just as Bill mentioned. 

My joiner is only 6” wide and I don’t know how to flatten anything wider with it. The one thing that started my interest in the planer was that it was 13” wide. Would a longer table or maybe a flat board mounted underneath the piece work to flatten it?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*6" is about the widest using your jointer*

There are techniques for wider boards using a narrow jointer, but they are more sophisticated.

So yes, any rough sawn or recycled board should be flattened first. Here's why. A wobbly board placed on the table saw can twist or rock during the cut and bind the blade or kickback causing an injury. The safest way is to have a very flat surfaced board down against the table.
Next, you want a very straight edge against the fence. Here's why. A curved board will drop off the fence and follow the curve of the board if it's concave. A convex curve against the fence is virtually uncontrollable and very apt to kick back causing an injury.
So, if you want to use rough sawn or recyled boards the first step is to flatten one surface and straighten them using a jointer or other method (router or straightening jig) for the edge.
Hope this clears it up. I have milled, that is flattened and straightened 1000's of feet of rough sawn lumber over the years to make great looking projects from wood that was sawn on the property or purchased from a saw mill. It's a great way to save money and enjoyable as well. You never know what wonderful grain and colors are hidden in the wood. :no: bill


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Well after trying to straighten a twisted board on my jointer and realizing the thickness was changing throughout the board, I decided to buy the DW735X. It was $10 more than Lowes but it comes with extra blades and in/out feed tables. :smile:


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Awesome. Hope you enjoy it. Let us know what you think after you've had a chance to play around with it.
--Matt


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

haugerm said:


> Awesome. Hope you enjoy it. Let us know what you think after you've had a chance to play around with it.
> --Matt


Thanks, I guess there were so many sold that I have to wait till the end of March to use, but I'm pretty excited about it and I've been thinking of all sorts of stuff that I'm going to use it on. :yes:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Too bad you aren't near central Florida. I could have made you a great deal on a DeWalt DW734 I got last Friday. Brand new, still sealed in the box.

I hope you like your new toy. I don't use my Ridgid too often (yet) but when I do there's nothing like it.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Too bad you aren't near central Florida. I could have made you a great deal on a DeWalt DW734 I got last Friday. Brand new, still sealed in the box.
> 
> I hope you like your new toy. I don't use my Ridgid too often (yet) but when I do there's nothing like it.


Ya, the shipping would have been huge. I had to pay an extra $50 for sales tax which completely takes away my rebate. If I knew of a way to pick it up from my sisters house in PA, I would have had it sent there just to save the tax.

Anyway, why are you getting rid of it?


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## busterswoodshop (Mar 5, 2012)

I harvest the wood for almost all of my projects and couldn't do without a planer.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

busterswoodshop said:


> I harvest the wood for almost all of my projects and couldn't do without a planer.


 Really! I’ve thought about that. I live in the desert and wood is so expensive here, especially oak. A friend of mine had to cut down an oak tree in his back yard and I took a couple of pieces to make something out of it, but I’ve never been able to cut it into workable pieces.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

*great surprise*

I came home from work today to find a great surprise. My DW735 Planer came and I wasn’t expecting it till the end of the month. I bought a stand from Harbor Freight for $26 and it fits perfectly. I do need to make a set of wheels for it though.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Nice machine there. It will serve you well. Wait until you feel that sense of newfound ability and joy. Don't worry, you won't have too wait long. As soon as you feed that first board through you'll know what I mean. That planer will broaden your woodworking horizon that much more.

Make sure to thoroughly inspect wood for staples, screws, nails and any other metals before feeding them through. And brush any dirt and sand off of the boards as well.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Nice machine there. It will serve you well. Wait until you feel that sense of newfound ability and joy. Don't worry, you won't have too wait long. As soon as you feed that first board through you'll know what I mean. That planer will broaden your woodworking horizon that much more.
> 
> Make sure to thoroughly inspect wood for staples, screws, nails and any other metals before feeding them through. And brush any dirt and sand off of the boards as well.


 Thanks I’m getting real excited about it and I’m starting to feel pretty good about my shop. I’ve got almost everything tuned up with new blades on my band saw and table saw. I also got a new sled and in the process of getting my jointer up to spec. Now I have this new planer so things are looking good. 

I design a specialized cabinet a few years ago that I want to look more like a piece of furniture to go into my Living room and I even bought all the materials at the time. They have been in storage for years because I just wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off with a limited shop. I was afraid that it might come out looking bad, but now I’m thinking about giving it another go.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Sleeper said:


> Well after trying to straighten a twisted board on my jointer and realizing the thickness was changing throughout the board, I decided to buy the DW735X. It was $10 more than Lowes but it comes with extra blades and in/out feed tables. :smile:


Congrats on the new machine. I am curious, what help the planer will be with a twisted board? A board needs to have 1 flat, surface to go thru the planer, or be supported on a sled. Best solution I've had with a twisted board, is to rip it into narrower pieces, run thru jointer, then planer, and glue back together if needed. Trying to flatten a wide, twisted board, can result in a nice flat piece of veneer! 

If you don't have one, think about buying a metal detector. Don't ask how I know!


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

That is an excellent planer. It should give you many years of use. Sounds like you are pretty well set up and ready to go with your shop. Look forward to those build threads! :thumbsup:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Sounds like you're well on your way. A lot can be done with the tools you have now.



Sleeper said:


> ...
> 
> They have been in storage for years because I just wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off with a limited shop. I was afraid that it might come out looking bad, but now I’m thinking about giving it another go.


Watch your step: Sap on floor!

Your sentiments really strike a chord with me. When I first started wanting to become more serious about woodworking (as distinguished from the wood_carving_ and whittling I'd already been doing for 20 years) I would look at projects in magazines and books - and here on this website - and think to myself " I don't even have what it takes, tool-wise (well, skill-wise too. But that's besides the point. Skill comes with practice.) , to do the most basic tasks. At least it seemed that way. Sure, one can accomplish a LOT with old fashioned hand tools and lots of elbow grease. But there are easier ways.

That was about a year and a half ago. Then I started acquiring more woodworking tools and, with each new acquisition, I felt more and more liberated and empowered. It's not so intimidating to try new kinds of projects and techniques when you have the comfort that comes with having access to the right tools. 

And it really is a liberation. For me at least. I know I [still] lack the experience and skill sets needed to pull off many kinds of projects without a little hand holding. But I also know that I can confidently enter into just about any project (regardless of my comfort zone), cradled by the empowerment of owning the machinery "basics" to transform raw materials into a satisfactory end product, and that the required skills and experience will 'bootstrap' themselves into the process by virtue of having the courage to try. When the only obstacle standing between yourself and what you want to accomplish is your own current abilities you are truly in a sweet spot. Your skills and abilities are molded and strengthened simply by trying. Trying is as good as doing when your heart is in it.

Sorry for the philosophical waxing. I'm stirred emotionally by the things that fuel my passions. And sometimes I'm motivated and inspired by my own musings and the thought trains they lead me to indulge in. Hopefully others feel and share my inspiration from time to time :thumbsup:

I love this place.

EDIT: I hope I didn't kill your thread.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

*Added wheels for mobility*

I finally got around to adding wheels to my planer stand. I found a piece of angle iron in my metal pile and picked up some casters at Harbor Freight, they were on sale for $1.99 each. 

I was just going to weld the wheels on, but I wanted a couple of wheels with brakes and HF was sold out. I used bolts so that I could replace them when the other wheels come in. Then I decided to offset them a little for stability. I didn’t have any flat steel, but I found a short piece of 2” Angle and cut flat pieces out of it.











Well I can't think of anything else to do for it, so I guess I'm done fooling with it. 

There was one thing that bothers me and its where the cord comes out. Its not a real problem, but it interferes with my fold up extension table. The dust collection adapter also prevents the table from folding up, so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. :smile:


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