What is an electric planer

Woodworking professionals are well aware of the importance of an electric planer in their work. This tool, which is powered by an electric motor, has become a crucial part of their arsenal. The use of an electric planer greatly enhances productivity, particularly when it comes to planing boards or beams. Its ease of use is another advantage, as it only requires the user to set the desired direction while the electric motor takes care of the rest.

Purpose of the tool

An electric planer is a tool designed primarily for leveling wood surfaces after initial rough processing. It effectively smooths lumber by eliminating defects and irregularities.

The first electric planers were manufactured by Makita in 1958, with the intention of replacing manual planers.

• Makita;
• Bosch;
• Rebir;
• Skil;
• Interskol;
• DeWalt;
• Mafell;
• Hitachi.

For home use, people also buy electric tools from Hammer, Fiolent, Energomash, Baikal. Apart from these well-known brands, there are also other companies that offer electric planers, like Diold, though these products are not as common.

Scope of use and functionality

There are various ways you can utilize electric planers aside from just planing, depending on their technical specifications and additional features. If the design of the particular power tool model allows for it, you can also perform the following tasks:

• Trimming chamfers;
• Creating grooves in workpieces;
• Processing lumber and adjusting it to the desired size;
• Quartering;
• Creating protrusions on the edges of bars or boards (tongue and groove) for connecting them together.

These are not the only uses for an electric planer. Its capabilities extend beyond this list of operations. However, they are primarily in demand among professionals, as most DIY enthusiasts mainly use the devices for planing boards or beams.

When using an electric planer to plane wooden surfaces, you can easily regulate the depth of the cut. This can be done by adjusting the height of the front part of the sole plate both diagonally and vertically. There is a special handle or button with divisions that allows for precise adjustment, ensuring accuracy up to 1/10th of a millimeter.

The electric planer offers another valuable feature, allowing users to choose between using a rebate or a quarter. This is facilitated with the assistance of an angle stop or ruler that ensures a consistent 90-degree angle between the power tool and the wood being planed. This feature also helps to limit the planing area. Additionally, by positioning the depth stop on the right side of the device, it is possible to plane lumber without removing any excess wood.

When using straight knives, the outcome is not entirely satisfactory: the processed wooden surface ends up with a slight waviness. However, this issue can be eliminated by utilizing "spiral" cutting attachments during the processing.

For the finishing of boards, beams, and other wooden materials, a specialized planer designed for sanding is often employed. This tool features blades with a small and precise motion, ensuring a high-quality result. As a result, separate sanding of wooden surfaces becomes unnecessary.

By incorporating a lock button, the equipment is equipped with a function that protects against accidental activation. Additionally, the device’s operation includes a safer soft start option.

The electric planer’s basic functionality can be expanded with the use of various knives and special attachments. By incorporating a spigot, it becomes possible to attach a dust bag or vacuum cleaner, facilitating the efficient removal of chips and dust from the work area. This feature greatly enhances the speed and effectiveness of debris removal.

The device of the electric planer

Having a knowledge about the construction and operation principle of electric planers is essential for anyone who uses or plans to use this device. This knowledge not only helps in using the tool correctly, but also enables one to perform repairs if necessary.

The design of electric planers has not undergone significant changes since its initial production. Some additional functions and electronic controls have been added over time. The electric motors used in these planers have been improved, becoming lighter and more powerful. However, there have been no fundamental innovations in their design.

Electric planers are composed of the following structural components:

• Housing;
• Motor unit;
• Chip collection bag;
• Supportive handle;
• Rubber lining;
• The sole plate, also known as the plate, serves as a sturdy base and is comprised of two sections, namely an adjustable front part and a fixed rear part.

• A spout-like device that eliminates the shavings that are produced while the tool is in operation;
• A switch that can be pressed to turn the device on or off;
• A lining made of rubber material;
• A button that can be locked (when pressed, the equipment will not be able to turn on or off);
• A controller that sets the thickness of the planing;
• A cylindrical piece with blades attached (the number of blades can vary from 1 to 3);
• A barrier on the side;
• A mechanism for transferring power.

The aforementioned components of the tool’s design can be seen in the provided photo.

The stability of the tool during work depends on the size of the soleplate area, which ranges from 30 to 40 cm in different models.

For domestic purposes, a tool with a single knife on the drum is sufficient. More expensive models may also feature an electronic unit that controls the number of working revolutions, adjusting the motor shaft’s rotation speed based on the workload size.

Features of cordless electric planers

The power tool market is seeing a notable shift towards cordless options, including electric planers. Battery-powered equipment has seen a significant increase in power and has nearly matched the capabilities of corded models. This trend allows for safe operation in high humidity environments and is particularly useful in areas without access to power sources.

Introducing the AEG BHO18-0 Cordless Planer

One drawback of cordless planers is that corded tools are generally more affordable.

The good news is that most manufacturers of corded planers also offer wireless versions. These wireless models are essentially the same as their corded counterparts, with the only difference being that they are powered by rechargeable batteries. The battery packs provide either 18 or 14.4 volts of power.

Designs of non-standard models

To address the multitude of tasks faced by lumber specialists, manufacturers of electric planers are continuously enhancing and expanding their functionality. As a result, there is a growing demand in the market for power tools with unique designs.

Among the various models available, there are some that feature a stationary installation version, where the workpiece moves instead of the planer. These products incorporate structural elements specifically designed to securely hold them in an inverted position, resembling a miniature planer.

The design of the sole of the tool was modified in order to create a V-shaped cutout, allowing for a chamfer up to 2.5 cm deep. This innovation led to the production of rebate models for the products.

Through modifying the knife design, we have achieved the creation of products that enable the processing of workpieces resulting in exceptionally polished surfaces.

In order to operate on surfaces that are not flat, the planer’s metal sole was curved, altering its shape. As a result, it became capable of handling curved surfaces with a radius of curvature greater than 400 mm and concave areas with a parameter surpassing 450 mm.

In today’s market, there are other highly specialized versions of products available. However, these versions are limited to performing specific operations. It can be quite challenging to review the entire range of models, considering the constant introduction of new products.

Principle of operation

The functioning of equipment from various manufacturers follows the same principles. The operation of an electric planer relies on the rotation of the electric motor’s rotor once the stator windings are supplied with voltage. Through the transmission mechanism (drive belt), the torque is transferred to the drum, which is equipped with steel blades on its surface (the number of blades may vary across different models, but typically there are two).

When the power is turned on or off, the electric motor responds accordingly by gradually starting or stopping. To prevent overloads during operation, smooth regulation of rpm is implemented with the aid of electronic systems.

Differences between the electric planer and its manual counterpart

Although manual and electric planers share the same main structural elements, there are several key differences in the electric version:

• It is a more technologically complex device.
• You can only use it if you have a power source (such as a battery or access to a 220V network), thanks to its electric motor and electronics.
• Working with it requires less physical effort compared to using a manual planer.
• It offers higher productivity.
• It has a different knife design.

Shaped knives designed for electric planers

• Can serve as both planers and jointers;
• Allows for the selection of quarters;
• Results in higher final quality and precision of finished projects;
• Planing is achieved through the rotary motion of the drum knives, as opposed to the reciprocating motion of the planer;
• Unable to process angular or end parts of workpieces, level surfaces, or scrape floors;
• Due to the high speed of the drum, there is an increased risk of injury with this tool;
• Chips generated during operation are not discharged through the top slot, but rather through the spout into a designated bag;
• Width of the planed strip can be adjusted using a side stop.

It appears that electric planers differ from manual tools not only in their increased practical efficiency and more complex design, but also in a range of functional capabilities and safety features. Electric planers offer high performance when it comes to processing wooden surfaces compared to their manual counterparts, while also handling them more delicately. They are widely used both at the household and professional levels.

The practical use of electric planers allows for significant savings on lumber: one can purchase cheaper untreated wood and then plane it independently. When purchasing these products, it is important to consider not only their technical specifications but also the manufacturer and price. It is advisable to choose tools from reputable companies and buy them from specialized retail chains where certificates can be viewed.