Planers, often called thickness planers, are woodworking machines engineered to create a smooth and even surface on a variety of wooden boards or planks in various applications. These power tools are must-have devices for professionals to achieve the desired thickness of a given piece of wood. A planer typically comprises multiple components for shaving wood, including a cutter head, blades, dust collection systems, frame/base, power source, and handle. Electric planers or powered planers require electricity for flattening wood surfaces or other tasks and are more beneficial than cordless planers. These thicknessers are easy to operate, efficient, accurate, and durable, making them ideal hand tools for woodworking and carpentry shops.
Special Features and Benefits of Planers
Planers are handy tools that offer multiple benefits, including:
- Precision: Planers deliver precise cuts, ensuring uniform thickness across the workpiece.
- Efficiency: Planers can efficiently smooth and flatten materials, saving precious time.
- Repeatability: They offer consistent results across multiple pieces of wood.
- Dust Collection: Modern planer models come with dust collection systems, ensuring that the workplace is clean.
- Versatility: Planers are widely used for multiple tasks, making them versatile hand tools.
- Cost Savings: Thicknessers can save money over time.
Popular Types of Planers
Planers come in several types, each designed for specific tasks and applications. Some of the most standard planer types include:
- Corded Planers – Also called electric planers, these are heavy-duty power tools that get power from electricity–by plugging them into a wall outlet. They typically operate on standard household electricity, providing more consistent and higher power output compared to cordless ones. A corded planer is suitable for heavy-duty tasks and can handle thicker and harder wood materials.
- Cordless Planers – Cordless planers are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries–providing the necessary energy for the tool to function. These machines are highly portable and offer greater flexibility. A cordless power is not restricted by a power cord, making it suitable for projects or scenarios with no access to a power supply.
- Thickness Planers – Specifically designed to cut a workpiece to a desired thickness, these are commonly used in woodworking shops for producing uniform boards.
- Jointer Planers – Combining the functions of a jointer and a planer, these machines can both flatten a face and square an edge, making them versatile and space-saving power tools.
- Hand Planers – Also called manual planers, these hand tools are used for shaping and smoothing wood surfaces. They are typically operated by manually pushing the plane along the wood surface, with the blade shaving off thin layers of wood as it goes.
- Bench Planers – Bench planers, or benchtop planers, are stationary machines used for dimensioning and smoothing wood stock. They are designed to handle larger and thicker pieces of wood than hand planers.
Typical Applications and Environments of Planers
Wood planers are commonly used by carpenters, furniture makers, and woodworkers to prepare wood for various projects. The following are the typical applications and environments where the planers are used:
- Woodworking Workshops
- Carpentry
- Furniture Making
- Flooring Installation
- Joinery
- Millwork
- Home Woodworking Workshops
- Restoration and Refinishing
- Boat Building
- Timber Framing
- Woodturning
- Educational Institutions
