How to Use a Planer for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide

A planer is one of the most essential tools for any woodworking project, especially if you’re looking to smooth out rough boards or create uniform thickness. Whether you’re tackling a DIY furniture project or refining reclaimed wood, a planer can be your best friend. However, if you’re new to using this tool, it can seem a bit intimidating. The good news is that once you understand the basics, a planer becomes an easy and effective tool for your home projects.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through how to use a planer, from setting up the tool to safely and efficiently planing your wood. By the end, you’ll feel confident using this tool for all of your DIY woodworking needs.

What Is a Planer?

Before diving into the steps, let’s quickly cover what a planer does. A planer is a woodworking tool that shaves off thin layers of wood from a board, helping to:

• Smooth the surface: Removes imperfections, rough spots, or splinters.
• Make boards uniform: Ensures consistent thickness across the entire board.
• Prepare wood for finishing: Provides a smooth, even surface for painting, staining, or varnishing.

There are two common types of planers:

• Handheld Planers: Portable, smaller, and great for quick tasks and smaller boards.
• Benchtop Planers: Larger, stationary tools designed for planing thicker and longer boards.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials and Safety Gear

Before you start using your planer, make sure you have everything ready:

• Wood to plane: Whether it’s rough-sawn lumber or an old, reclaimed board, choose the wood you want to smooth or level.
• Planer: Either a handheld or benchtop planer.
• Pencil: To mark high spots or areas that need extra planing.
• Push blocks or push sticks: To help safely feed the wood through the planer (for benchtop planers).
• Safety gear: Always wear safety glasses, ear protection, and dust protection like a mask, as planers produce a lot of wood shavings and noise.

Step 2: Set Up the Planer

For Handheld Planers:

1. Adjust the cutting depth: Set your handheld planer’s depth according to how much wood you want to remove. Start with a small depth setting, like 1/64″ or 1/32″, and increase as needed.
2. Check the blade: Make sure the blade is sharp and properly aligned for an even cut.
3. Secure your board: Use clamps or a workbench to hold your board in place before planing.

For Benchtop Planers:

1. Set the height: Adjust the planer’s infeed roller to match the thickness of your board. Similar to handheld planers, it’s best to start with a shallow cut and gradually increase depth.
2. Clear the area: Ensure you have enough space in front and behind the planer to feed the wood through smoothly.
3. Check for blade sharpness: Blunt blades will tear or gouge the wood, so make sure the blades are sharp and ready to go.

Step 3: Mark the High Points on the Wood

To ensure you’re planing the wood evenly, use a pencil to mark the high points or uneven spots on the surface of the board. As you run the board through the planer, these pencil marks will be shaved off, showing you how much wood is being removed and where you might need to focus additional planing.

Step 4: Planing the Wood

Using a Handheld Planer:

1. Start on the edge: If you’re smoothing the edge of a board, place the planer at the beginning of the board and hold it firmly with both hands.
2. Push forward evenly: Turn on the planer and push it forward slowly and evenly along the surface of the wood. Apply gentle pressure, but don’t press down too hard as this can lead to an uneven surface.
3. Overlap passes: For wide boards, make multiple passes across the surface, slightly overlapping each pass to cover the entire width.
4. Check progress: After a few passes, check the board for smoothness and whether the pencil marks are gone. Continue planing until the surface is even.

Using a Benchtop Planer:

1. Feed the board: Turn on the planer and carefully feed the board into the infeed roller. Make sure the board enters smoothly and stays flat as it passes through.
2. Guide with push sticks: Use push sticks or push blocks to keep your hands clear of the blades as you guide the board through the planer.
3. Repeat as needed: After the first pass, check the thickness and smoothness of the board. If needed, lower the planer height slightly and repeat the process until you reach the desired thickness.
4. Check for snipe: Sometimes, planers can leave deeper cuts (called snipe) at the beginning and end of the board. To avoid this, lift the board slightly as it enters and exits the planer.

Step 5: Inspect the Finished Surface

Once you’ve planed the wood to the desired thickness and smoothness, carefully inspect the board. Look for:

• Evenness: Check if the entire surface is level and free from high or low spots.
• Smoothness: Feel the board to ensure it’s smooth and ready for finishing. If necessary, sand down any remaining rough patches.

Step 6: Clean and Maintain Your Planer

After using your planer, it’s essential to clean the tool to maintain its performance:

• Clean out wood shavings: Remove any dust and debris from the planer to prevent buildup. For benchtop planers, check and empty the dust collection bag or system.
• Check the blades: Inspect the blades for wear and sharpen or replace them as needed.
• Store safely: Store your planer in a dry, secure location to protect it from damage.

Additional Tips for Using a Planer

• Take your time: Planing too much wood at once can strain the tool and lead to uneven cuts. Always take thin layers off, especially if you’re new to using a planer.
• Alternate sides: To prevent warping, plane both sides of the board evenly. Alternate between the top and bottom to maintain balance.
• Practice on scrap wood: If you’re new to planing, practice on scrap wood before working on your actual project to get a feel for the tool.