# Safer Push Stick For Surface Planer



## pollys13 (7 Oct 2018)

I thought this was a good idea for handling pieces that are only a few inches tall. The guy in photo uses his left hand I would use an ordinary push stick there . From a YouTube wood working state training college in US, they have some really fancy, really expensive, posh looking machines.
That said, is that a wrist watch I can see? (hammer)


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## Sideways (7 Oct 2018)

If he is using his left hand like that, I think the push stick is an irrelevance.

Guards are well placed, the piece is large enough.

I personally wouldn't use a push stick at all, hands give better control to transfer the pressure from infeed to outfeed and i'd keep my fingers well enough clear in front of or behind the cutter.

Each to their own and I am pro-safety, but there are two approaches to it - 
Passive : "Armour up" for when it goes wrong
Active : Dexterity, focus and an appreciation of "behavioural safety" so you have better control of the workpiece but keep your body out of the line of fire if something does go wrong.

 hunkers down and prepares for the backlash


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## Jacob (7 Oct 2018)

Looks insane. It's not a push stick at all and his left hand is very close to the cutters. He's have to reach beyond the cutters to keep control as the workpiece passes
I'd use yer standard push stick one in each hand, left one holding down and in, right one pushing the back end.
I've been doing it for some time now and actually increases control and dexterity compared to hands only - you can get safely close to the cutters and/or increases your reach. Takes a few goes to get the knack but I wouldn't do anything else now, except for big pieces which you can hand hold safely without getting close to the cutter - still push stick the last bit though, where the blades become uncovered.
I don't really understand why people are always attempting and failing to improve on an already highly effective set up.
Safety is not so much keeping _your body out of the line of fire if something does go wrong_ but more keeping your fingers well away from the blades at all times. Everything else is secondary.


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## Mike Jordan (7 Oct 2018)

Correct use of the bridge guard make this gadget and push sticks redundant.


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## Jacob (7 Oct 2018)

Mike Jordan":3qoshgzx said:


> Correct use of the bridge guard make this gadget and push sticks redundant.


Redundant ish.  
Personally I'd still use push sticks with small pieces like that - you could still stick a finger end behind the guard.


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## pollys13 (7 Oct 2018)

I've read your posts about using pushing sticks I think I must have misunderstood. In your two stick method, I thought the left hand stick was there to exert holding pressure between the workpiece and the fence. 
" I'd use yer standard push stick one in each hand, left one holding down and in, right one pushing the back end."

I didn't realize the left stick was holding down, thanks for clarifying that. Your method is sound I'll work with it now. I'm quite happy feeding tall boards but narrow stuff I feel really quite uncomfortable. I'll junk the yank method.
Cheers Jacob


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## Inspector (7 Oct 2018)

My machine has a pork chop style blade cover and I added a knob to the top left corner. I can use it to apply side pressure to hold the stock against the fence. 

Pete


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## Jacob (7 Oct 2018)

pollys13":1k07acgk said:


> .....
> I didn't realize the left stick was holding down, thanks for clarifying that. .....


Down and/or in according to circumstances.
Yer standard push stick has a notch and can work both ways simultaneously. It resembles a clenched fist with a thumb sticking down and works the same except for being much further from the cutters.
It takes a bit of practice but you soon find that nearly ops benefit from having the two push sticks, just the odd one where it's easier to hand-hold if still safely away.
The sticks also give you a much longer reach - less need to change hand position and less need to lean over the machine - the opposite of the OP's example above - see how he's leaning in, over and past the cutters. You wouldn't do that with push sticks - both hands stay behind and away from the cutters even at the end of the pass, with less back strain!


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## pollys13 (7 Oct 2018)

" The sticks also give you a much longer reach - less need to lean over the machine and less need to change hand position. " good points, sound.


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## pollys13 (7 Oct 2018)

Inspector":riborwqn said:


> My machine has a pork chop style blade cover and I added a knob to the top left corner. I can use it to apply side pressure to hold the stock against the fence.
> 
> Pete


UUm, sounds ok if you have one of those guards.


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## pollys13 (7 Oct 2018)

pollys13":3b1tp0nj said:


> Inspector":3b1tp0nj said:
> 
> 
> > My machine has a pork chop style blade cover and I added a knob to the top left corner. I can use it to apply side pressure to hold the stock against the fence.
> ...


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## RogerS (7 Oct 2018)

I prefer using my power feeder


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## pollys13 (7 Oct 2018)

Interesting, what set up have you got there?


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## RogerS (7 Oct 2018)

pollys13":297hwq2b said:


> Interesting, what set up have you got there?



It's a 3-phase Hammer C3-31 and a Maggi power feeder. The C3 31 is a combination machine - table saw, spindle moulder and planer/thicknesser. Long story but if I'd known how events panned out, I'd have gone for separates. 

The power feeder is the obvious choice for use with the moulder but as the planer is so close, I decided to make sure that I had the reach to use it there as well and very glad that I did. I also chose one with along enough reach to be used on the table saw but that was actually a dumb idea.


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## pollys13 (9 Oct 2018)

OK cheers.


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## woodbloke66 (9 Oct 2018)

In the pics shown in the first post, it's all about where pressure is applied to plane the edge true and square. It's lateral or sideways pressure that needs to be applied against the fence and the best way IMO is with the hands. Yes, a push stick of sorts can be used but it doesn't quite give the same 'feel'. Provided the bridge guard is as close as possible to the cutter block AND the job, it's a safe enough and a pretty standard machining process, although I'd baulk at doing it this way for work that's any smaller. Hand pressure can also be applied to the work on the outfeed side of the planer, so hands never actually come too close to the cutter block - Rob


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## ColeyS1 (9 Oct 2018)

It's a solution looking for a problem 


Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


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## Jacob (9 Oct 2018)

woodbloke66":gs6lxtpr said:


> In the pics shown in the first post, it's all about where pressure is applied to plane the edge true and square. It's lateral or sideways pressure that needs to be applied against the fence and the best way IMO is with the hands. Yes, a push stick of sorts can be used but it doesn't quite give the same 'feel'. Provided the bridge guard is as close as possible to the cutter block AND the job, it's a safe enough and a pretty standard machining process, although I'd baulk at doing it this way for work that's any smaller. Hand pressure can also be applied to the work on the outfeed side of the planer, so hands never actually come too close to the cutter block - Rob


I would have agreed with you a few years back but since I've got into the two push stick habit I find you don't lose any dexterity or feel. And your work holding is actually improved by virtue of longer reach (past the cutters on the outfeed without leaning over) and closer reach (close to the cutters is OK). Can handle small pieces near impossible by hand etc. Plus the big bonus of safety.
It took some time to get it right but I wouldn't go back!
The peculiar device in the OP's pic is completely nonsensical, not least because his left hand is going very close to the cutters
It was someone from this forum who first pointed me to the 2 sticks holding some years ago - thanks for that, whoever it was!


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## woodbloke66 (9 Oct 2018)

Jacob":3unhj3pa said:


> I would have agreed with you a few years back but since I've got into the two push stick habit I find you don't lose any dexterity or feel. And your work holding is actually improved by virtue of longer reach (past the cutters on the outfeed without leaning over) and closer reach (close to the cutters is OK). Can handle small pieces near impossible by hand etc. Plus the big bonus of safety.
> It took some time to get it right but I wouldn't go back!
> The peculiar device in the OP's pic is completely nonsensical, not least because his left hand is going very close to the cutters
> It was someone from this forum who first pointed me to the 2 sticks holding some years ago - thanks for that, whoever it was!



Thanks Jacob, I might give that a go. I did try it a while back but it didn't feel quite 'right' so I'll have another shot - Rob


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