Surfacing and Sanding Equipment

General Information

The planer, jointer, and spindle sander are located in the Wood Shop. They are used to prepare board faces and edges, reduce boards to thickness, and sand curves and details. This page covers their orientation.

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Orientation and Access

Training is required to use this equipment. Complete the general space orientation before attending this orientation. Check the event calendar for upcoming training.

During orientation, you will demonstrate a test pass on the planer and jointer and demonstrate how to use the spindle sander.

Safety

Follow the Wood Shop safety requirements.

• Do not operate power equipment while impaired, rushed, tired, or unwell.
• Inspect the equipment before using it.
• Wear hearing protection when using the planer or jointer.
• Use dust collection when operating the planer.

Equipment

Planer

Planer in the Wood Shop.

The DeWalt DW735X planer mills boards to a desired thickness. A planer alone will not correct a warped board. A planer sled can help correct warp and twist as an alternative to using the jointer.

Preparation

• Check that the board contains no metal.
• Remove dirt and dust from the board before milling.
• Take small cuts over multiple passes.
• Support the ends of long boards to help avoid snipe, a deeper cut near the ends of a board.
• Wear hearing protection and use dust collection. The planer is loud and produces a lot of dust.
• Make sure there is enough outfeed space for the board.

Operation

1. Unlock the carriage and adjust the height so that the workpiece moves the rollers.
2. Lock the height.
3. Adjust the dust collection gates and turn on the dust collector.
4. Turn on the planer.
5. Feed the board into the planer with the grain at a slight angle. Keep it flat on the table.
6. Let the board pass through and slide free.
7. Turn off the planer and dust collector.

During orientation, demonstrate a test pass for the instructor.

Planer Sleds

The following video explains using a planer sled for twisted boards and other board-flattening issues.

Jointer

Jointer in the Wood Shop.

The Central Machinery 31849 jointer is used to square a board's face and edge.

• Wear hearing protection.
• Use push sticks for thin pieces.
• You should not need to adjust the table. Do not adjust it unless you know how to do so.
• Guide the board against the fence.
• Apply downward pressure on the outfeed table only. Do not apply it over the blade or on the infeed table.
• Do not leave a hand pushing on the back of the board.
• Learn how to correct the board's specific defects before starting.
• Once one corner is square, use the table saw and planer to produce a board with four square sides.

During orientation, demonstrate a test pass for the instructor.

Using the Jointer

Matching Board Edges

The following video covers jointing mating board edges so they fit together even when the fence is slightly out of square.

Spindle Sander

Spindle sander in the Wood Shop.

The Ridgid EB44243 spindle sander smooths curves and other details in wood.

• Apply pressure at the area of the workpiece you want to sand.
• Keep other parts of the workpiece clear of the spindle. Accidental contact can leave scratches that require hand sanding.

During orientation, demonstrate how to use the spindle sander for the instructor.