The gods of the walnut tree are not working with me today..........Help

Some time you’re the windshield. Some time you’re the bug.
Looks like you might need to use hand planes. The power planer has no mercy when it comes to grain tearout.
Have ya tried to reverse the direction of feed? Feeding on an angle? What kinda grind on the planer blades?
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us

Handplaning in on my short list of things to learn, this may push it up. I’ve tied end for end, angle to the left, angle to the right, take less bite, more bite. Honestly dont know the angle on the blades. I sent them to the sharpening shop and honestly diddnt know anything abut different angles. After this weeks learn to do ( sharpen chisels by the scary sharp method) I now am questioning the angle but not sure what angles to even consider. I really only use the planer for hardwoods, maple, walnut, cherry, and oak.
The Bug

-- The basis for optimism is shear terror

Check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl8Tj1lUha4 This jack plane is on my short list of tools to get. Another thing to try with the power planer is wetting the board with some mineral spirts before you send it through the cutters. Other then that you could send me that figured walnut ;)

Did you get tear out on the jointer too? I have some of this same walnut and haven’t done anything other than cut it to rough width yet.

-- - Dave ; Austin, TX

The jointer had some minor (very minor) tear out on one or two pieces. All in all not bad at all. I just watched the grain direction and it seemed fine until I ran it through the planer, even then if I could feed it half way through and stop then feed half way through the other way It’d be fine. To the positive the grain is absolutly incredible and you got the best of the lot. Come to think of it that may be the problem you two left me with the left overs…. Just kidding, but it does have some really crazy grain that switches back and forth. I’ll keep you up to speed on the solution I come up with.

The tooth plane looks interesting but dont know yet

-- The basis for optimism is shear terror

good to know, If I have a chance I’ll bring a piece to my class and ask my instructor (furniture maker) what he suggests.

-- - Dave ; Austin, TX

Since I’m free the next couple of days, I think I’ll try the wetting method first. Depending on how that goes I may need to start convincing the wife a new hand plane isnt that expensive….....

-- The basis for optimism is shear terror

A drum sander is not cheap but it is the answer for those highly figured woods. Maybe a local cabinet shop would run these through their wide belt or drum sander for an hourly fee.

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm