Thread: Power planer for removing paint?

Depends on a few things. Make sure the timber is fully denailed. If the beams are wider than 82mm or therabouts then it is likely you'll end up with grooves from the planer edge - this is okay but be prepared for some belt sanding. Paint will blunt the planer blades but they dont cost that much to replace. A thicknesser would probably be cleaner but same again the blades are dearer to resharpen - and you definitely dont want to run a nail through it.

I reckon it's about the only thing a power hand planer would be any good for!

Get to Bunnings and buy one of those cheap planers (Ozito or IXU) but make sure you can get a spare set of blades as well. I've used mine getting layers of paint off old oregon beams and it was easy. Then run them through a thicknesser to tidy it up (but definitely NOT before you've got the old paint off) and as has been said, watch the nails.

Yep...power plane...get a cheapie and have fun!@

P

What sort of dimensions are the beams. I've worked with thousands of feet of recycled Douglas Fir. I the shop we would rip them on a table saw to remove the dirty wood and paint. Using a 8 or 10 tooth ripping blade with a negative rake held up well. Thats been about the best approach I've found

They're about 300mm by 50mm. I've 3, 4m beams. It's a fair bit of wood and horribly expensive to buy that much WA hardwood new.

I dont have a table saw, so that option is a no go. The XU1 planer is only 29 fazhoos so I might just go for that with some replacement blades.

That's the same size as the oregon I mentioned. I did about 6 beams but initially I tried paint remover (takes ages and expensive and messy), sanding with a belt sander (stuffs up the belts in no time and too much dust) then the planer (that's the way to go) . Just set it to take a thin slice off so it doesn't need to work too hard. paint will dull the blades but at about $8 a set, who cares?

Happy planing.

Sold.

I see you lurking in here SilentC. Nothing to say?

depending on which power planer you have or are getting you can get carbide blades which should stand up better.