Thread: Setting electric planer blades

Originally Posted by Burnsy

Would really appreciate that as i do have a strange shaped piece of cast alloy that I thought was a blade setting jig but I can not for the life of me work out how it works, pretty strange shaped contraption. Will PM you my email address so you can send it through. the manual i downloaded does not mention or show the use of a jig.

The alloy bit is the sharpening jig. Place two blades in it under the screws and use an oil stone to hone the blades.

There should the a pressed metal jig with a couple of fiber washers in it as well - the setting jig.

I'll look for my manual and scan it for you - probably on the weekend.

Chris

Originally Posted by chrisp

The alloy bit is the sharpening jig. Place two blades in it under the screws and use an oil stone to hone the blades.

There should the a pressed metal jig with a couple of fiber washers in it as well - the setting jig.

I'll look for my manual and scan it for you - probably on the weekend.

Chris

Thanks Chris, I think the one I downloaded today is the right one so no need to worry, I can see in the manual how the sharpening jig works - I tell you I have rotated that thing around so many times looking at it wondering what it was and how it works, now I look at it and think how could I have not seen it .

I also get the drongo award as I grabbed the old blades out of the ute and found they still had the backing plates with adjusting screws attached to them - real glad I asked the question and did not try and use it yesterday as I had set it up . Fitted the backing plates to the new kit and whalla, easy as Billbee said .

I only just got a hand planer, a Maktec (cheapo makita). Echoing one of the above replies, I found it vital to get the Set Plate on the blades configured evenly and correctly. The Set Plate Gauge which comes with the Maktec is useful but care must still be taken and once the blades are set you should check the width of the Set Plate/Blade assembly with a vernier gauge.

If you get one side of a blade more than a fraction of a mil out, when taking light cuts, a tram line will be left on one side of the cut. Multiple cuts will compound the error in setting up of the plane.

To ease using the Set Plate Gauge, I press steel rule against blade which helps avoid pressing the blade in too far. Then tilting the rule over against the gauge, pressing down on the blade's bevel to finish setting the blade and Set Plate.

I don't know what tools other manufactures provide to help set up their planes. I like the look of the Bosh system with only one blade. I understand more blades should give you a finer finish but the initial setup seems the most obvious weakness with them and one blade must be easier than two or three!