Planing, do you use pushbocks?

[Jacob]

Don't think it's been mentioned, but I wonder if timber length may have anything to do with people using push stick/blocks ? I personally don't use them, but it's very rare i plane stuff shorter than 600mm. Bits this length or shorter, I get ultra cautious with topping and tailing- so perhaps an aid may be useful in that instance ?
Any thing over 600mm ish, I've never found any reason to need additional help (other than rollers on really long stuff) Hands are always out the way. Probably more controversial is I choose to wear sticky gloves. I really struggle gripping things. Before wearing gloves, I had a few close calls with my hands slipping on the wood surface and going towards the cutters. Even with correct guarding, it was still concerning. Judging by the wear and tear the gloves get (mainly fingers wear out first) I personally think I'm safer wearing them- I guess time will tell if I made the right decision.
Coley

It's the end of the workpiece passing and uncovering the cutter or blade, where push sticks are most essential, however large the workpiece.
Gloves are good - not for protection obviously, but for better grip, which is a safety measure in itself.

PS also you can (if you must) plane ridiculously short pieces of wood with the aid of push sticks. Kickback becomes an issue but with small pieces this isn't much of a hazard.

 

[ColeyS1]

Thanks Jacob, I'll keep wearing my gloves then. I think the push stick discussion is crying out for a quick video of them being used to help demonstrate.
Goes without saying, good to see you back posting again.
Coley

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[sploo]

Thanks Jacob, I'll keep wearing my gloves then. I think the push stick discussion is crying out for a quick video of them being used to help demonstrate.
Goes without saying, good to see you back posting again.
Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Having seen someone get a sleeve caught in a planer (fortunately no serious injury occurred) I'm very nervous about any sort of material near machinery. I wear thin surgical rubber gloves when using some finishing chemicals on the lathe, as they tear as soon as you look at them, but I'd personally be wary of "proper" gloves near a planer blade.

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

OP your outfeed table is out of alignment...rarely ever they come from factory as they should.

I rarely ever use a pushstick ( only if the piece is very small)
Full long boards - it would be a hazard to use a pushstick!
Just use common sense and a full face shield when planing + no long sleeves,
Use pushsticks only if the piece is small or not very long.

 

[Jacob]

....
I rarely ever use a pushstick ( only if the piece is very small)
Full long boards - it would be a hazard to use a pushstick!........

I'd hold the board in and down with the left hand push stick and use the right hand stick as the end approaches the cutters/blade so that my hands are always well away from the cutters. No hazard whatsoever - quite the opposite, and a good level of control.

 

[jimmy rivers]

I use a hand made push block, shaped a bit like a hand plane with a long notch, only for small skinny bits up against the fence with JUST the necessary amount of knife exposed

...tho 98% of the time I use those £1 orange grippy gloves...available from most sheds and pound shops.

Jim

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

....
I rarely ever use a pushstick ( only if the piece is very small)
Full long boards - it would be a hazard to use a pushstick!........

I'd hold the board in and down with the left hand push stick and use the right hand stick as the end approaches the cutters/blade so that my hands are always well away from the cutters. No hazard whatsoever - quite the opposite, and a good level of control.

Even if the board is 3-4m long? heck even a 2m... you can't hold that kinda of size down with a pushstick...

 

[Jacob]

....
I rarely ever use a pushstick ( only if the piece is very small)
Full long boards - it would be a hazard to use a pushstick!........

I'd hold the board in and down with the left hand push stick and use the right hand stick as the end approaches the cutters/blade so that my hands are always well away from the cutters. No hazard whatsoever - quite the opposite, and a good level of control.

Even if the board is 3-4m long? heck even a 2m... you can't hold that kinda of size down with a pushstick...

Why not?
In reality if you are planing much over 2.1m lengths on a typical planer with a shorter bed, then you are going to have problems anyway. But where you hand comes into contact it might as well be through a push stick. The birds-mouth shape works just like a hand with the fingers curled and thumb vertically - put your knuckles on the table edge with your thumb pushing against the edge and you'll see what I mean.

 

[ColeyS1]

Any chance you could do a really quick video please Jacob ?
Coley

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[Jacob]

Any chance you could do a really quick video please Jacob ?
Coley

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I'll do some snaps sometime.
But if anybody wants to know how to use them just buy a couple of the Axminster pattern and start using them. You'd soon get the idea and you'd soon not want to be without them.

 

[sploo]

Any chance you could do a really quick video please Jacob ?
Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I'll do some snaps sometime.
But if anybody wants to know how to use them just buy a couple of the Axminster pattern and start using them. You'd soon get the idea and you'd soon not want to be without them.

Being serious - planer techniques would be useful. I have a tiny hobby sized planer and I'm aware my technique with it isn't great. I'm sure with a large bed life would be much easier, as anything over about 1m length becomes quite hard to control smoothly.

 

[LBCarpentry]

Interesting one about using push sticks on a P/T. I think it's down to personal preference. I feel I only have full control if using my bare hands. If planing wide boards I'm more than happy to run my hands over the cutter block with the board between. As others have said - a well waxed surface and sharp blades are key.

 

[sploo]

Interesting one about using push sticks on a P/T. I think it's down to personal preference. I feel I only have full control if using my bare hands. If planing wide boards I'm more than happy to run my hands over the cutter block with the board between. As others have said - a well waxed surface and sharp blades are key.

I'd never do that with a planer or table saw... but then I'm sure I've done it a few times with a router table. Familiarity breeds contempt I guess. The likelihood of an injury whilst pushing a wide board over a planer is probably vanishingly small, but it would make me very uneasy.

 

[Jacob]

Interesting one about using push sticks on a P/T. I think it's down to personal preference. I feel I only have full control if using my bare hands. If planing wide boards I'm more than happy to run my hands over the cutter block with the board between. As others have said - a well waxed surface and sharp blades are key.

I'd never do that with a planer or table saw... but then I'm sure I've done it a few times with a router table. Familiarity breeds contempt I guess. The likelihood of an injury whilst pushing a wide board over a planer is probably vanishingly small, but it would make me very uneasy.

it's the edges.
Push a board in towards the fence and part of your hand at the board edge drops towards the cutter level. Push a board past the cutter at the end of a cut and ditto.
Push-stick in each hand and almost no risk - and better control, not least because you don't have to worry about cutting yourself, also a longer reach, also you can flip the board or offcuts away from the cutters before you bring your hands down onto them.

 

[ColeyS1]

Any chance you could do a really quick video please Jacob ?
Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I'll do some snaps sometime.
But if anybody wants to know how to use them just buy a couple of the Axminster pattern and start using them. You'd soon get the idea and you'd soon not want to be without them.

Thanks Jacob. I've got two of those push sticks on the table saw, for smaller bits.
It's using them on the planer that slightly baffles me.
Say I've got an 8ft length. Right hand is under the end holding it up, so should the push stick be in the left hand pushing down ? Once it balances, do you then change to both push sticks ? I'm not doubting you, just can't quite picture the process of using them. In a month or so, I've probably got 2-3 days of planer thicknessing. It'd be a good opportunity to try the push stick method.
Thanks
Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[ColeyS1]

Interesting one about using push sticks on a P/T. I think it's down to personal preference. I feel I only have full control if using my bare hands. If planing wide boards I'm more than happy to run my hands over the cutter block with the board between. As others have said - a well waxed surface and sharp blades are key.

I'd never do that with a planer or table saw... but then I'm sure I've done it a few times with a router table. Familiarity breeds contempt I guess. The likelihood of an injury whilst pushing a wide board over a planer is probably vanishingly small, but it would make me very uneasy.

Wait till you have a loose knot in the middle of a board [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH] -That was a butt clenching day !

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[LBCarpentry]

Interesting one about using push sticks on a P/T. I think it's down to personal preference. I feel I only have full control if using my bare hands. If planing wide boards I'm more than happy to run my hands over the cutter block with the board between. As others have said - a well waxed surface and sharp blades are key.

I'd never do that with a planer or table saw... but then I'm sure I've done it a few times with a router table. Familiarity breeds contempt I guess. The likelihood of an injury whilst pushing a wide board over a planer is probably vanishingly small, but it would make me very uneasy.

Wait till you have a loose knot in the middle of a board [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH] -That was a butt clenching day !

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:lol: that i am very aware of! you only need witness it once. That and having knots at the end of a board - like they're loaded with dynamite!

 

[Jacob]

Any chance you could do a really quick video please Jacob ?
Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I'll do some snaps sometime.
But if anybody wants to know how to use them just buy a couple of the Axminster pattern and start using them. You'd soon get the idea and you'd soon not want to be without them.
......

Thanks Jacob. I've got two of those push sticks on the table saw, for smaller bits.
It's using them on the planer that slightly baffles me.
Say I've got an 8ft length. Right hand is under the end holding it up, so should the push stick be in the left hand pushing down ? Once it balances, do you then change to both push sticks ? I'm not doubting you, just can't quite picture the process of using them. In a month or so, I've probably got 2-3 days of planer thicknessing. It'd be a good opportunity to try the push stick method.
Thanks
Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I can't really choreograph moves to cover every eventuality but basically I'd have push sticks always in reach and often in hand, changing as necessary, using one or both when there's the slightest risk of getting too close to the cutters. Or rather - only not using them when it is completely unnecessary.
8 ft length is relatively unusual for planing unless you do a lot of doors - most stuff is shorter, so I'd look at it on a piece by piece basis!
But once you get into the habit it starts making sense.

 

[memzey]

It does make sense for edge jointing the way Jacob now described it. I'll give it a go next time I have some edges to true. Seems a bit unnecessary for face jointing though, when the bridge guard completely covers the cutter block anyway?

 

[Jacob]

It does make sense for edge jointing the way Jacob now described it. I'll give it a go next time I have some edges to true. Seems a bit unnecessary for face jointing though, when the bridge guard completely covers the cutter block anyway?

It'll cause ructions to say this - but face planing with push sticks you set the face guard just to the side to cover the unused part of the blade. This means (for shorter pieces at least) you can do a pass in one easy sweep without having to change hands or stop at the guard, but your fingers are well out of harms way for the whole process.