jointer planer advice requested

[jow104]

Please see attached advert of an european planer/thicknesser, but the plane blade guard only covers the blade portion of the table, not going over the top of the timber.
My understanding of using this type of machinery is that the guard just hovers above the timber being jointed.
Which is the correct proceedure for operating this machinery?

[Mike T]

The picture is certainly the way I use mine. The guard (by my understanding) is only supposed to cover the unused portion of the blade to prevent your hands coming in contact with the cutters. If the machine is being used correctly your hands should finish over the outfeed table by the time the board is through which should mean there is little chance of contact with the cutters.

[ozwinner]

On these machines you can raise the cutter gaurd so the timber passes underneath the gaurd.
Al :)

[Alix]

On my planer/thicknesser (Timbecon PT260) the end of the blade guard has a spring plastic end and is lockable so that it can be used to keep the wood hard up against the fence. This is of most use when you are trying to square up the edge of a wide piece of timber after flattening the first wide face.

I prefer to keep the guard completely over the board when flattening the first wide face as I have had a couple of near misses with my hand as the end of the board passes over the cutters.

Allan

[AlexS]

I have the same guard on my jointer and use it with the guard completely over the board, to prevent the adrenaline moments that Alix (no relation) refers to above.

[journeyman Mick]

The trouble with setting these guards up to sit over the stock is that it then makes it very hard to push the stock through with push blocks. Personally I prefer to set the guard to cover the unused cutter block and use push blocks as a safety measure. In the end though, whatever you are most comfortable with is best (as long as it doesn't expose you to too much risk).

Mick (the ten fingered chippie :) )

[jow104]

There is obviously two ways of looking at this operation and both have their merits.
I think my plan will be to bring the timber being planed right up to the front side of the planer and set the fence so the rear side of the cutters are beyond touch.( there is also a steel plate behind my fence which covers the blades.)
Anyone got any comments against this idea?

[Bob Willson]

I think that I would never se... Sorry, got carried away there. I think that I would use a combination of methods with a guard like that. You really MUST use a push stick of some sort if you hope to be able to count to ten when you are a little bit older. I would set the guard about 50mm away from the fence and as high as necessary and then just use the push stick as per normal, utilising the gap twixt fence and guard to ensure continuity of push.

[jow104]

To Mike T
I had occassion to use the planer again and found if the guard is only placed upto the timber as per original photo, the time arrives when work has passed over cutters there is a large area of exposed blades whizzing around . Very nasty if you then trip retrieving the timber from the end of the planer. I am going back to my normal proceedure the cutter guard extends upto the fence.