Oops!

[polishthunder]

Hello, I have recently inherited my shopsmith and in my haste to clean it up and try everything out, I inadvertently hooked up the planer on the wrong side of the headstock and mad a couple of light passes with a oak plank. My question is do you think I've damaged the blades? I know this all could have been avoided by thoroughly going over the manual!

[dusty]

You might have but if they were truly "light passes", I doubt that much damage was done. The best way to tell, now, is to make a couple of "light passes" with it all hooked up properly.

Keep in mind that when planeing or jointing - there will be some shavings. No shavings - something ain't right.

Welcome to the forum.

[garys]

I don't think running things backwards would be hard on the blades. They just don't cut as cleanly running at the wrong angle.

[dusty]

I don't think running things backwards would be hard on the blades. They just don't cut as cleanly running at the wrong angle.

I doubt that they cut at all! They might scrap just like a chisel would if you were to drag it backwards across a piece of wood but not cut.