Wagner Safe-T-Planer

artfuldodger · Post by **artfuldodger** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:19 pm

I have one of these little planers that came with my Shopsmith. Was this tool sold with Shopsmiths? I see that guitar makers use them alot. I just wondered how useful it would be on a larger board vs using a router and sled for planing. I used it just to test it and it works really good. Stew-Mac sells them.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Plane ... laner.html

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:11 am

At the urging of a friend, I bought one about 25 years ago. It's a neat little tool and very easy to use. Somewhere along the way, I've lost it, though. I can see where instrument makers would find it very useful. With the SS tilting table, it can be very versatile. My friend made some interesting "molding" with it for jewelry box sides.
Shortly after buying it, I acquired a jointer and planer and never used it again.
There have been instances lately where it would have been handy....a lot handier than a router sled.

dickg1 · Post by **dickg1** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 1:31 pm

I picked one up shortly after buying my Goldie (new, ca. 1962-3). I have used it for many years dimensioning rough cut walnut, cherry, etc and still use it on occasion these days. I have since picked up a SS planer.
It is particularly useful to clean up one side of split wood (mostly cherry and ash from my property) to prep it for the planer. I have repurposed what would have been fireplace fodder in this way. The method I use is to steady the target split by putting a screw or screws on one side, placing it on a sliding platform and continually adjusting the table upward for each pass removing the upper side until I am satisfied that it is level enough to pass through the planer (removing the screws before I do

) with the now level side down. Without the planer, just put the level side down and repeat the process until you are satisfied with the result.
Dick

wgander · Post by **wgander** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:29 pm

It was sold by SS but not with a SS.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:38 pm

I put my Safe-T-Planer through its first workout since I got it with my Mark V a few years ago. I'm making a set of dominoes from maple stock 3/4" thick, 12" long, and various widths. I resawed the strips using the bandsaw, but needed to plane them down smooth and to 3/8" thick. They were just too short to run through my lunchbox planer. I remembered the Safe-T-Planer so pulled it out of the drawer and used it on my ER drill press. It worked great. Granted, it does leave a face only a sander would love, but all the strips were consistent in their thickness and mostly smooth. I just had to sand out the milling marks. It took a few minutes of experimenting to get the hang of it, but once I did, it worked great.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:59 pm

According to this page it is no longer available:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/318193-alternative-wagner-safe-t-planer-thickness-planing-headstocks.html
I have 2 or 3 planers of similar type but not sure if any are Wagner.

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hdoilcan · Post by **hdoilcan** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:44 pm

I have one that came with a sawsmith ras I purchased but havent used it yet (still putting the shop together)