Thread: Do you bother to correct snipe

When I used to do flat work, I used to joint and thickness all timbers slightly longer then the final dimensions needed first of to allow for any snipe and then cut to final sizes. Used a tad more timber but saved any hassles with snipe.


Peter.

I cut my boards longer than needed and dock off the snipe. Easier than always knowing that the snipe is on a finished project.

Originally Posted by I_wanna_Shed

I cut my boards longer than needed and dock off the snipe. Easier than always knowing that the snipe is on a finished project.

In an over simplified method that out woodwork teacher drummed into us all those years ago the word
"FEWTEL" was used....F ace, E dge, W idth, T hickness, E nd, L ength.
That is the sequence of operations to convert rough sawn timber into a component of a job.
That information gave me an understanding as to how to prepare timber for what ever I had to make
In essence, you would leave your timber over length until you have finished all the other stages.
I personally have found that sometimes snipe is worse some times more others. You just allow for it and continue on with the job.
I don't consider it a "fault" with a machine but more of a characteristic of machining timber

G'Day Mr Big:

It is an interesting question, which, I think, can be taken two different ways.

1. If by "correct snipe" you mean eliminating the snipe on the machined stock, then perhaps as others have suggested, it is easiest to leave stock overlength and simply cut off any snipe affected parts. However, often this is impossible due to the stock length on hand and the requirements of a particular piece. In other words, sometimes you don't have the extra length to spare! In the past I have been caught out failing to remove the snipe sufficiently, such that it appears at the finishing stage.

Now I account for snipe as follows: After face planing and thicknessing, I always prepare the stock for final thickness before proceeding to any joint work. Pick your poison - belt sander or smoothing plane - I find the random orbit sander less effective. Only then do I move on to joints, whether dovetails, rebates, box joints, etc. There is nothing worse than making fine joints, and then sanding/planing to remove snipe in preparation for finishing, only to find the joints are now ill-fitting.

2. But if by "correct snipe" you mean adjusting your thicknesser and/or machine process, then yes I would bother with this too! I have found snipe is much worse when I have failed to face plane stock properly. I find that nearly all types of warpage - whether cupping, bowing, or twist (but especially twist), contribute to snipe sometimes on the entry end of a thicknessed board, but especially on the exit end of a thicknessed board. Said warpage means that the board is not as flat as it should be against the thicknesser table when only one infeed roller is engaged. Or that is how I understand it.

A secondary consideration is that pesky roller that is often found in the thicknesser table of our thicknessers. My understanding is that the roller is supposed to aid in stock moving through the machine by reducing friction between the underside of the stock and the thicknesser table. Problem is, that roller is often the biggest reason for unacceptable snipe. On previous machines I have adjusted the roller (or rollers) so they are fully below the table and out of the way. On my current machine (Format-4 made by Felder), there are no rollers and I do not miss them!

For about a decade, I have been using a Felder product, called "SuperGleit" which is a water-like liquid which smells like horn-oil from my high school band days (boy that was a while ago)! I don't know what it is, but it has never stained any of my timber, and does not seem to affect any kind of finish I have used (shellac, water based, oil based, etc.). It is not cheap but a bottle lasts forever. I just spray it on the thicknesser bed every time I go to use it.

Hope this helps!
David

I have just come in for lunch after getting some White Cedar trued up and thicknessed ready to make a picture frame. The White Cedar has some spectacular figure with the grain which produced chunks being pulled out of the faces on some boards. The thicknesser handled it well and to get over the chunk making I reduced the amount coming off to just a whisker and got to a reasonable finish and....NO snipe at all. The pieces were 500mm and 650mm long. Last week I ran 14 pieces of radiata 100 X 25mm about 3mts long now the snipe was evident on them but was not a problem for what I have in mind for them.
As has been said monitor the situation and work around it