# Drill Press Planer



## woodworm

MHO is this drill press planer is for light duty. I am talking about the "drill press" not the planer, in this contex.
The drill press's bearings are designed for axial force (load). Putting extra "side force" (load) ie when we push the work-piece to feed (wether using DP drum/spindle sanding or DP planer) may cause quill wear out.

I think if we maintain slow and light force feeding, the possible quill damage is minimal.

What others think?


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## Dominic

This seems like a tool that would be a bit dangerious. I can see me feeding the material too fast and a lot of kick pack. And I can't see it giving you a good finish. But $600.00 verse $30.00 It may be worth a try. 
Thanks for the review.


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## wooddon

I hace had one for 15 years. Works good for it was planned for. Not A PLANNER BUT FOR SMALL jobs.


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## brianinpa

Very good review. I have been looking at planners for a while now and still don't want to spend the money for one. I recent bought a 4" joiner at an auction for $10.00. It works for surfacing small projects, but I can see where this drillpress planner could be useful.


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## FJPetruso

I'm glad that you bought the good rotary surface planer! Yours is designed much better with cutters that have a totally different design. Years ago I bought the rotary planer that Sears used to market. The old Craftsman model that I tried on my radial saw is the absolutely most dangerous tool that I ever used! Your new planer has a step/ridge around the edge that prevents the cutting edges of the cutters from projecting to far & only allows the cutters to take out a small amount. The old Craftsman model doesn't have this step & the cutters can take a HUGE BITE that causes a severe kick-back problem. I have a scar on the heel of my hand as proof. Never buy an old Sears Craftsman model. I actually deliberately ruined mine with a hammer so it couldn't be used again.


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## marcb

The bearing issue mainly depends on the Drill Press you're using. My drill press talks about using it for routing in the manual. Uses a Deep Groove Bearing which takes axial forces in stride.


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## scottb

my (wicked cheap) drill press probably couldn't handle this, but I bet it would work pretty well on the shopsmith - certainly cheaper, easier and/or faster than (finally breaking down and building) a router sled.


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## wooddon

I also only use mine only in my shopsmioth


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## douglas2cats

Like others have mentioned, it's for small stuff only but that's where it really shines anyway. Stuff that's just too small tends to get shredded in a standard planer even riding on carriage boards. It CAN kick some if the work is fed from the wrong direction but after you get the feel for it, it's pretty easy to control. You can find a number of Inet posts from luthiers using it for thicknessing small instrument parts. I've used it to thickness 1/16" inlay stock prior to getting a drum sander and it worked well.


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## KRAIG

WHEN BUILDING OUR NEW HOUSE. I ONLY HAD THE RADIAL SAW, ROUTER, JIGSAW AND ASSORTED HAND TOOLS. PURCHASED THIS FOR MY RADIAL SAW. STUCK ON A 1/2" CHUCK WITH A SPEED CONTROL. IT WORKED GREAT FOR ME. YOU MUST MAKE A SAFETY COVER OR FENCE. AS I DID. DURING THIS TIME. I MADE NORM'S BLANKET CHEST AND A MATCHING MIRROR.


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## dawgwalker

I am interested in purchasing one of these if you have one and want to get rid of it please let me know.

Thanks Mike


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## jman95

I own one and love it .I don't use it every day and that saids if you don't leave it set up i does take a little time to make sure the table is swept in true. As for saftey as long as you keep fingers back like any other tool its is a pretty safe as well. Mine is a wood tek made in tulsa ok they have been their for ever as my dad bout yes in the 70s and I i last year. I can not speek for oyher brands as I think 2 or 3 people make them. The reason they are called a saftey planer is because the tip of the 3 cutting edges only stick down .005in lower than the bottom of the plate. This makes it hard for it to get in a bind throw the piece out if it has to come off the table. they are made to remove 1/16th at a time as kong as you do that no problem easy to control if not taking full cut jut feed into the cutters not to climb cut. The wood tek comes with the tool a allen an a sharpen wheel for the drill press and ca be spun safely up to 8000rpm I use mine about 7000rpm as it cuts smother than down around 3000rpm. the othe brand I know of is a Stew Mac I never used it can't vouch for. They work about the same as far can I tell except the stew mac does not come with the grindind wheel and has a top speed of about 3000rpm. As for what drill presses can and can not run them not for shure but with the super sharp knives in theese I can't imagine it would hurt the bearings cutting wood at 1/16th deep. the only reason it might be a issue is if your chuck is only held on or in by a morris taper as A side pressue could make it loosen fall out. I too have a shop smith it has 4 bearings that run the quill. Two in the quill and two holding the drive shaft for the quill as it was made to be a over and now under table shaper/router designed for side load. Many guitar makers use theese some even over a conventional planer because you can take your stock to almost veneer thickness unlike a conventinal planer. Hope this helps some of you and the price is between $40 and $50.

You fellows keep making saw dust!!


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