Setting up Planer /Thicknesser

[RogerS]

Not sure I get the advantage of those, is it just that they are cheap and disposable?

Si.

No. The advantage is speed and simplicity of getting back up and running. If you go down down the 'normal' route, you have to faff about getting your planer blades sharpened (equally otherwise there will be an imbalance). You do it yourself...which takes time or send them to a saw doctor...whatever..there is a time element involved . Then more time involved in resetting the blades back into your machine.

With these turnblades (don't forget that each blade has two edges and so has two 'lives'), you only ever set up their holder once. Thereafter, you simply take out the old blades and either turn them over to the new edge or put in a new set. Tighten up and carry on planing.

Let's face it, anything we do in this life involves a combination of time, money and emotion....each of us makes our own value choice as to how we play this equation. Me? I like to be up and running asap.

 

[hawkeyefxr]

Ok so i am way way late on this post....but another trick is to use an old engineering trick that is so simple. use the old Rizzla cigarette papers, they are in red and blue packets. Can remember which is which bit the thickest one is 0.0015 in thick. Have that under ali, rotate the the block, when the paper is scraped away your that far away from the blade.
This can be used on router setups as well.

 

[MikeJhn]

I just use a sheet of plate glass on the outfeed table, let the springs set the blades level with the underside of the glass and nip up the setting bolts at either end take the glass away and nip up the others then sequently tighten them all, works for me.

Mike