Power planer - It's not what you're thinking!

New one on me too. Hate to think what would happen with knotty alder or the like. Looks like a motorized spill plane, get one for your fireplace today.

Never seen that one. I always love seeing unique tools.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

The title to the post made me think – hand held, unti I saw the video. Never seen one before, and I have to wonder what a knot will do that blade. Something tells me that it would have to be sharpened alot to keep those shavings coming off so nice and curly.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.

I think it makes more sense to have the blade on the bottom. I was wondering how you would adjust the makita to take such a thin shaving. With the blade and bed on the bottom, the top (feeder) can float on a spring. Pretty slick tool. I guess I can throw away my #7 now.

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

Ditto, Brian and Grumpy. That thing has to be a constant sharpening project. You know when the blades get dull, that thing makes some serious tearout, as fast as the wood goes through. You also wouldn’t want to get caught up in the piece you sticking in there. It would suck your hand in there before you knew what happened.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

I don’t know about yours but knots put a big hurt on my rotating planer blades. That was my first lesson after I bought the tool. I wouldn’t think it would get dull any faster than a planer plade travelling at supersonic speed.

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

Scott,
I was thinking more of the infeed issue than blade wear. As to planing knots as you well know it is often a necessity given the proclivities of the client.

What’s it for Gary?
I don’t see what step is improved or deleted from the short clip?
Interesting though.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Wow! That’s a first for me too. That second one is impressive.

-- Tony, Ohio

These are surfacing planers made in Japan. The best are made by Marunaka. I don’t know if Makita is still making them? They start at around $15,000 . They have been made for many years. Some were sold here in th USA, but they never caught on on a large scale.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

I’ve never seen one. I’ve seen advertising of a planer that spins on a circular disk Like of like a spiral blade, but it looks like a dinner plate. The blade starts at one side and goes to the other side. The advertising said it will plane thru glue and knots.

The RotaryPlaner

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

That’s cool. You had better be wearing at catcher’s mitt if you are standing at the out-feed.

-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

Ah John, you saved my #7. I better go get it before the trash man comes. 15K will buy a lot of nice boards.

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

thats amazing! i have never heard of much less seen one of those before. thanks for the post Gary.

GaryK, Saw one of these about twenty years ago when the big tool show was in Los Angeles at the convention center. Before Anaheim and now Las Vegas. I asked the guy about the planer and he told me that in Japan they use a lot of large exposed beams in their construction. Like vertical grain Douglas Fir and the like. Used mainly to put a fresh surface on the beam that is smooth and flat. And you can see why it didn’t catch on. Was very cool to watch though.

-- bobdurnell, Santa Ana California.

Very Cool tool Gary.

Looks pretty effective too!

Nice shavings.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

That’s pretty cool. I am surprised at the power that the belt must have under the blade. looks very efficient. Probably leaves a very nice surface too.

-- Tyler, Illinois

That’s pretty impressive …

Something tells me the sharpening issue is kinda like the maintenance issue with a Porsche … if I could justify dropping $15K … or even $1450 … on a planer … I’d probably be able to afford having my blades sharpened more often … personally … if it significantly cut back on the amount of dust … it might actually be worth the extra effort it takes to keep that blade sharp …

-- Lip's Dysfuncational Firewood Farm, South Bend, IN

My profoundly uneducated guess is that is that it has to do with the lack of chatter vs. the slicing action. All the hand jobbers have to agree. A plane leaves a much better finish on the wood and a thickness planer leaves chatter marks like were all used to seeing, due the rapid short blade strokes that they leave. I would think all anti-electronites would crow quietly through their rolled up newspaper megaphones at this “advance”. It’s a slicer, not a dicer. Still want to see it work with “difficult” wood. Also didn’t know I even “needed” one till now . . . wanna get it, wanna get it . . .(not)

Hey Lip, how cool would it be if this could slice veneers? Justa thot.,

That is neat.
Also go to youtube and check out maranuka like John Ormsby mentions.

Lee

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

I wonder if it peels potatos?

-- Even the best of men relish a little spice every now and then... HG Somers, circa 1905

Or it will julienne fries, though it will not make fries for Julianne by itself.

All I can say is “wow” That is really neat.

-- Growing older but not up!

That’s cool! I went a little further in YouTube and found this too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR9k4ISdghs&feature=related

Makes you wonder how oldtime woodworkers ever sired children huh?

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Do you think that’s a steam engine chugging in the background?

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

wow dadoo- all those moving belts… that looks like a serious shop accident waiting to happen…

GaryK- That is cool… but $1450?... wow.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

What a machine, I can see it being realy good for difficult grain woods, with the “skew” action of the blade, no sanding afterwards to remove machine marks. Just a shame it did not take off.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Now if I could just shave as quickly.

-- Happy Ripping!!!

And it’s a wonder that the kids of today want to get into woodworking, after being Dad’s helper. The look on that kid’s face says, “Yeah, Dad, this is more fun than fallin’ off the house. You’re on the business end doing somethin’, and I’m just sittin’ back here with a nose full of saw dust handing you the boards. I’d rather be playin’ Nintindo.”

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

Woah! That is insane! I love how fast it goes, and those 6” wide, paper thin curls look sa-weet!
That first guy needs a longer outfeed table though :P

I pass.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

I like it! (But I also like my DW 735.)

I like Dadoo’s planer too. Where can I get one of those?

-- Dust collectors suck.

That’s a Pig Skinner I think Blake!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

AS fast as the boards feed through and the idea of running a beam through, you would need a lot of room and maybe a queen size mattress as a back stop. What would happen if there isn’t enough room on the outfeed side, where does the planer go?

It is pretty cool.

Dalec

Gary

I saw one of these in the mid 80’s. Does a super smooth job on the surface. Makita was just starting out and their tools were unbeatable. I purchased a jointer/ planer (12”) combination machine and it has worked very nicely over the years. I have other Makita power tools that are still running; but they were the origional models.

Unfortunately they don’t make it any more and the rubber feed drive rollers are shot. I found a place way down in Portland, Oregon that can get me a set, but that’s a long haul from an hour north of Seattle, Washington. So before you pick it up, check out available replacement parts. I don’t know what the feed rollers are on theis particular.

These are real nice machines ~ too bad they quit making both and started making the disposable stuff they sell at the box stores.

The price is about what I paid for the J/P combination machine.

David

Sweet Links to some sweet machines!

-- Jerry, Measure 10 times cut once. Set in the foothills of the Smokey's

seen a variation before, wondered about the cost. bet you would cry if the blade got nicked

-- ..... smalll army of cast iron wingnuts !! cool photo in FORUM