Ridgid planer issue

[Dale Allen]

This is more of a concern for those who also make furniture.
I'm an amateur at this but really enjoy it. I don't make many pens anymore. Got enough for now.
Anyway, I have never been overly impressed with my 13" planer and have bought 5 or 6 sets of knives over the years.
So, I saw a video of someone who made a sharpening fixture for them.
I know, I know, they are disposable and cannot be sharpened...............but I did.
Anyway, I lapped the back to make the back edges smooth and the fixture lets me use a 350/1200 diamond stone to renew the angled edge.

Interestingly, after installing the sharpened blades, it no longer leaves any snipe and the surface is much smoother.
Also, the shavings are a lot smaller and lighter.
The issue is of course a 'good thing' in that the surface is much better.
Question is, am I asking for trouble? Also, in what way would this have eliminated the snipe?
I never take deep cuts with it but prefer to make more passes with light cuts.
I've been using some figured maple and curly cherry lately for builds and had a lot of tearout.
I ran multiple pieces of the curly cherry through it and it is finish ready. I would not even consider sanding it.

I would appreciate your comments, just don't be too harsh!
Thanks
Dale

 

[KMCloonan]

It sounds like you may have put a sharper edge on the blades than they originally came with. My only concern would be keeping them that sharp. It sounds like the finish you get from the planing is awesome. As for the snipe, I have found that usually to be more of the outfeed table being a little lower (or higher?) than the infeed table. I don't know if you had to move/adjust either infeed or outfeed table when you removed the cutters.

 

[Dale Allen]

Kevin, thanks for your reply. I had adjusted the table several times lately trying to get rid of the snipe. Nothing seemed to help a lot but it was a little better. I use a melamine board clamped at both ends that helps too.
Lately I have been discovering the world of hand planes, chisels and cabinet scrapers to cut down on the sanding. This has led me to new discoveries in sharpening, which is what got me looking at these blades.

 

[duncsuss]

I don't claim to be knowledgeable when it comes to sharpening, but I have read that step one (whether it's a hand plane iron or a chisel) is to lap the back surface. You mention doing this to the planer blades - did you notice "how badly unlapped" they were?

My limited understanding of it is that if the back of the blade needs to be lapped, the cutting edge will be jagged to a greater or lesser extent. Lapping gives you the possibility of a straight cutting edge. I do know that a razor blade with a nick in the edge cuts me as well as my beard when I shave, maybe this was the source of tearout?

 

[leehljp]

In my opinion, most manufacturers and technical writers or woodworking magazines would discourage this because most people don't know what to do correctly and will probably have an accident. The fact is - just like you said and did - it works for those who are diligent, skilled and careful. I occasionally get a criticism for my promotion of my HSS sharpening method to razor sharp. "No Need for this" I get told (for different reasons) but I find it really helps and the tool's feedback as it cuts tells me how sharp it is.

Because it is working - shows you know what you are doing. Keep at it!

 

[jttheclockman]

Well I can give you some of my thoughts and insights. lets start with blades. Yes a blade will as will all cutting tools be sharper when honed. because it takes off those ragged edges you get with sharpening wheels. You get less if using diamond stones. The reason they say planer blades can not be sharpened is the way they lock into the cutter head. They are keyed. Now I am not familiar with Ridgid but most are. They are not like most jointers where the jib screws are adjustable and you can lower and raise a blade and the blades are slotted. Anyway what happens if you sharpen the blades and you do it by hand and not a machine you need to take off the exact same amount of material on each blade. Or else when you install one or more blade can be either doing more or less cutting than the other. This maybe what you are seeing. One blade is doing the main cutting.

Now to address the snipe. You do not say where you are getting snipe. Beginning, end or throughout the middle. If in the middle then the cutter head is not locking properly and it is bouncing. This is why they went to the 4 post cutter heads over the years because the cutter head needs to ride up and down equally. With just 2 posts it had a tendency to tilt especially with really hard woods. Again not familar with the Rigid but do know they use the 4 post. How they lock I am not sure. Now the snipe on the ends can be tough to solve on those bench top units because they are not built like the floor heavy duty models. Again not sure how many rollers you have. 2 or 4. if 2 (most bench planers) then one at each end. The rollers need to be kept clean and free from resin build up. They need to be secure and level and that is something you need to have the manuals for. But what happens when you feed the board in it has a tendency to lift and causes the snipe on both entry and exit. Old timers tell you to lift the back end of the board just slightly as you enter and when exiting to lift the front of the board slightly. That is a feel thing I guess. The other theory is instead of having the infeed table and outfeed table even with the planer table , set both the infeed and outfeed tables about the thickness of a penny higher on both. Maybe something to try. Can not hurt. Finally you need to have good dust collection to get those chips out right away. If the board keeps running over them then the board will not be even.

Take small cuts. It is just like a drum sander you get better results with more small passes than to hog out more at once.

I should have also added if you really want to get rid of snipe is to use sacrificial boards before and after the main board or to use runners along side the board that hit the rollers first and last when exiting. No more snipe.

 

[PreacherJon]

This is more of a concern for those who also make furniture.
I'm an amateur at this but really enjoy it. I don't make many pens anymore. Got enough for now.
Anyway, I have never been overly impressed with my 13" planer and have bought 5 or 6 sets of knives over the years.
So, I saw a video of someone who made a sharpening fixture for them.
I know, I know, they are disposable and cannot be sharpened...............but I did.
Anyway, I lapped the back to make the back edges smooth and the fixture lets me use a 350/1200 diamond stone to renew the angled edge.

Interestingly, after installing the sharpened blades, it no longer leaves any snipe and the surface is much smoother.
Also, the shavings are a lot smaller and lighter.
The issue is of course a 'good thing' in that the surface is much better.
Question is, am I asking for trouble? Also, in what way would this have eliminated the snipe?
I never take deep cuts with it but prefer to make more passes with light cuts.
I've been using some figured maple and curly cherry lately for builds and had a lot of tearout.
I ran multiple pieces of the curly cherry through it and it is finish ready. I would not even consider sanding it.

I would appreciate your comments, just don't be too harsh!
Thanks
Dale

I think... what ever works. My question is... where do you by your blades? I have a hard time finding them.

 

[Lew]

I think John hit the nail on the head with his analysis. The trouble with sharpening the blades yourself is that they must be identical. If not, they will not be cutting together. That said, lapping might be the reason your blades are cutting better. You can do that along with honing and keep the blades at the same height. His thoughts on snipe are right on.

 

[Dale Allen]

PreacherJon, I buy blades made by PowerTec. The box stores typically don't carry them.

Hank, thank you for your kind words. I agree about the sharpening. I have got my hand planes cutting shavings at .005" thick so I'm comfortable sharpening the planer blades.

Duncan, the tearout persisted even after putting in a new set of blades(not sharpened by me). Taking extremely light passes reduced the tearout but it took a loooooong time.

Here is how I check for snipe. After the boards are planed to thickness I stack them and clamp them together. The snipe shows up clearly as a gap between the boards, always at the same distance from the end. These 4 boards were run end to end but the last one did not have a followup so the last one would get the snipe. I always got snipe at the end but not at the front of the boards. Also, I previously could easily see and feel the snipe on the surface. If there is snipe on these boards, I cannot detect it.

 

[darrin1200]

The other problem with sharpening the Rigid blades, (i get mine sharpened), is that there is no adjustment. So the accuracy of your scale, indicating how much you are taking of will be out by as much as you removed from the blades.
Personally, I only use that scale to get me close, so doesn't matter.

 

[jttheclockman]

PreacherJon, I buy blades made by PowerTec. The box stores typically don't carry them.

Hank, thank you for your kind words. I agree about the sharpening. I have got my hand planes cutting shavings at .005" thick so I'm comfortable sharpening the planer blades.

Duncan, the tearout persisted even after putting in a new set of blades(not sharpened by me). Taking extremely light passes reduced the tearout but it took a loooooong time.

Here is how I check for snipe. After the boards are planed to thickness I stack them and clamp them together. The snipe shows up clearly as a gap between the boards, always at the same distance from the end. These 4 boards were run end to end but the last one did not have a followup so the last one would get the snipe. I always got snipe at the end but not at the front of the boards. Also, I previously could easily see and feel the snipe on the surface. If there is snipe on these boards, I cannot detect it.

If you really want to know if you have snipe, use a long straight ruler and lay on edge across the board. You can also get wavy boards and not see it too. yes taking less off will help in tearout but again if you want to eliminate tearout switch to a spiral carbide cutter head. The small cutters will slice through the board as opposed to chopping through as with normal planer blades. I use a planer to get me close but always finish with my drum sander to take it home. Never has failed me. Good luck.

 

[Dale Allen]

The other problem with sharpening the Rigid blades, (i get mine sharpened), is that there is no adjustment. So the accuracy of your scale, indicating how much you are taking of will be out by as much as you removed from the blades.
Personally, I only use that scale to get me close, so doesn't matter.

Darrin, you actually found someplace that would sharpen them? Interesting! Do they lap the back as well?
I just opened the new set I got and all of them have one or more 'dents' that were pressed in from the top.
This caused high spots on the back that I my not be able to flatten. They are made in Taiwan so it figures.

 

[darrin1200]

I can't remember. It's been a few years.

 

[GaryMGg]

…
So, I saw a video of someone who made a sharpening fixture for them.
I know, I know, they are disposable and cannot be sharpened...............but I did.
Anyway, I lapped the back to make the back edges smooth and the fixture lets me use a 350/1200 diamond stone to renew the angled edge….

Hi Dale
Can you post any info about your sharpening and lapping process.
Gary