: Just received my rough wood for strips. It is 1.125" to 1.24"
: thick. I don't have a planer. Would it work out to cut them the 1/4"
: thickness then run them through the table saw again (actually twice, once
: for each rough side) for the 3/4" width? Or should I buy a planer or
: pay to have them run through one? I am not actually doing it now because
: my table saw went out on me this week and I won't get a new one for
: another week.

: Thanks
: Kim

Hi Kim

For a couple of hundred bucks you can get a small portable planer like the one pictured.
Keep the blades sharp and they are perfect for planing woods like cedar. If you use them only for soft woods you will almost never need to sharpen the blades. Also the blades are usually bevelled on both edges, so you can turn them around for a new edge. Also they usually have rubberized feed rollers, so soft wood will not be dented by the feed.

I have a massive heavy duty planer that needs a forklift to move. Since I stopped building roofs, sheds and furniture I use it very rarely.

When I am building kayaks I use my small delta a lot. It is light enough to move around and leaves an almost perfect surface.

You may find, depending on the model, that you can only thickness down to a quarter inch or so, but if you want to take a strip down to an eighth of an inch or even less (For laminating a curve for instance) you can always clamp a breadboard onto the feed surface and go really thin.

If you are working from rough boards it is really worth the purchase.

One word of caution though. DON'T LET OTHER PEOPLE USE YOUR PLANERS, (HAND OR MACHINE).

They will not respect your blades, they will abuse them and you will have nail nicks, blunted blades and worn rollers, and you will fall out with your friends when you refuse to let them near your tools a second time. Train them right from the start. Let them borrow your a sledge hammer or a ladder, but not you bladed tools.

I don't even let my dad go near my tools. My son does, but what can you do? He uses my climbing boots too.

Et