Maximum thickening depth

[Antfromwales]

I notice that from a desktop thickness planner up to a 12” Sedgwick the manual always makes the point not to remove more than 2 to 3mm in one pass.

Is this just a cautious approach from the manufacturers and can they remove more than this is reality?

I’d be interested to have your thoughts and experiences with this issue.

 

[Spectric]

To remove more you would need an industrial machine so with these home type P/Ts it is better to take smaller cuts which give a better finish. I remove 2mm at most and then finish with a much smaller cut which delivers a good outcome most of the time. If you work out how much material is being removed with a 2mm cut across say a 200mm board that is a lot of material removal as evidenced by the mess they make.

 

[Fitzroy]

My DeWalt DW1150 has a 1.5kW/2HP motor. The motor stalls if I take of more than 1mm across a 250mm wide oak board on the slow feed setting; It will take slightly more on a softer wood, say sycamore. On a narrow board it would happily take a heavier cut but is limited to 3mm by the height difference between blade and the anti kickback teeth.

My Wadkin surface planer also has a 2HP motor and I can wind the bed down for up to a 12mm cut. It will happily cut a 20mm rebate at this depth, and with freshly sharpened blades it will take 4-5mm off a 230mm wide oak board then the motor starts to bog down. The main difference is I am hand feeding so I can slow the feed-rate if the motor is struggling,

The other consideration is you don't want to take a heavy cut on one side of a board and a light cut on the other as you are asking for the board to move!

 

[MARK.B.]

I think it would depend on the machine that you are using and the sort of wood,bigger more powerful machines will be able to remove more in a single pass than a smaller less powerful one. You can take more off in a single pass on softwoods than you can with hard woods .Taking too much off in a single pass can affect the finish of the cut,lighter cuts will usually give a better finish. Consider your extraction system as well, as trying to remove too much in in a single pass can and will cause blockages or leave bits behind that can affect the finish if it is not powerful enough to provide enough suction to remove all the waste. Your blades will stay sharper for longer using a lighter cut and the correct speed of feed through the machine, the wear on your machine motor and feed rollers will also be reduced. It may take a little longer to take two or three cuts but all things considered i think the end result is worth the extra time taken.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I would stick with the manufactures recommendations, my Felder can take 4mm per cut but I rarely take more than 3. You may damage the machine, clog up the dust extractor and leave a poor finish. Smaller finer cuts will be better all round.

Cheers

Peter

 

[MikeK]

There are several factors that determine how much can safely and effectively be removed in one pass. These include, but are not limited to motor power, cutter configuration, cutter head rotation speed, number of knives in the cutter head, height of knives above the cutter head, width of the cut, feed rate, and the density of the material being cut. When you add in other variables like interlocking grain and silica, then the amount removed in each pass should be less.

I think in most cases, the height of the knives above the cutter block and the feed rate will be the primary factors in determining the maximum amount that can be removed in one pass. I can set the depth of cut on my P/T to about 4mm, but I can't cut that much off. The cutter block will become the bearing surface for the wood as the knives chip away at the material.

 

[Sachakins]

There are several factors that determine how much can safely and effectively be removed in one pass. These include, but are not limited to motor power, cutter configuration, cutter head rotation speed, number of knives in the cutter head, height of knives above the cutter head, width of the cut, feed rate, and the density of the material being cut. When you add in other variables like interlocking grain and silica, then the amount removed in each pass should be less.

I think in most cases, the height of the knives above the cutter block and the feed rate will be the primary factors in determining the maximum amount that can be removed in one pass. I can set the depth of cut on my P/T to about 4mm, but I can't cut that much off. The cutter block will become the bearing surface for the wood as the knives chip away at the material.

Never give a thought to that last point, but it's a good point to note, cheers

 

[peter-harrison]

And of course, there's the bleedin' obvious!
Your thicknesser will probably have a bar that will stop you putting anything more than Xmm from the cutterblock

 

[Matt@Nearfield]

As an aside, I don't like a too shallow cut on the final pass either.. I find it can cause problems.

 

[Sideways]

It's just about having some sensitivity to the machine.
I'd have no qualms taking 3mm cuts if it was necessary, saved me time, and didn't stress the machine. Typically on softwood and cutting less than a full width of the machine.
If the machine balked, I'd back off.
If you use your PT to the full, you typically can't skimp on the extraction or you'll find the thickness rollers mashing uncleared chips into the face of the board. HVLP with enough power is a must.

 

[Dave Moore]

I would stick with the manufactures recommendations, my Felder can take 4mm per cut but I rarely take more than 3. You may damage the machine, clog up the dust extractor and leave a poor finish. Smaller finer cuts will be better all round.

Cheers

Peter

I’d rather cut off less than break the machine and end up taking nothing off.