Safe-t / rotary planer

[richardrouse]

I had never heard of these before, but I came across them while watching some you tube videos of luthiers.

Has anyone used these? Seems like it would work in drill press mode with a router chuck on the arbor.

Do they really not catch or kick back?

[jsburger]

Yes, I forget the manufacturer but I think the name is Safe-T-Planer. I see them fairly regularly on eBay searching Shopsmith. I believe as you said they are used in drill press mode. I have not actually seen or used one.

[BuckeyeDennis]

Check out this blog for a good overview.

I bought the red Shopsmith-branded version on eBay. The cutters were dull, but ginning up a sharpening jig (using a Dremel chainsaw sharpening stone chucked into my Shopsmith) was easy enough. As a test, I tried flattening the face of a good-sized half-log. I hot-glued the log to a piece of sheet goods to make an impromptu sled, and simply slid the thing around under the rotary planer in drill-press mode. It worked just fine, with no drama. It does make a whole lot of chips, though, and they fly every which way.

My crude setup did not generate a super-smooth surface finish, but then that was not my objective. Bottom line, I found it to work as advertised. I think it is a useful tool when your workpiece geometry is not amenable to a conventional planer.

[richardrouse]

Thanks for the input guys! I figured if I used it, I'd use some sort of sled to push the work piece under it. looks like I'll have to bid on one of these.

[sehast]

I have found this to be a better option if you have a PowerPro or Speed Increaser.

http://www.infinitytools.com/1_2-Shank- ... fo/52-506/

[reible]

I have one from way back when and they do work, my cutters got dull and I misplaced the stone to sharpen and that was a while back. I have since located the stone but have now lost the planner head.... at some point I might get them back together and make use of it again.

They also made a version that fit on a sears radial arm saw, my brother had one......

The company that was making them stopped but this is a similar model, no personal experience with this one.

http://woodworker.com/fullpres.asp?PART ... RGEVIEW=ON


Ed

[drashop]

When I Attended the shop-smith academy in 1990 we used one to put flats on the post for the legs for a small 3 leg table. We used a 3 sided wood triangle on each end

[BuckeyeDennis]

I'm pretty sure the guy who sold me my red Shopsmith rotary planer on eBay didn't think it worked very well.

When I got it, someone had tried to sharpen it by grinding material off of the cutting edge on the outside diameter of the little round cutters.

Fortunately, I didn't have to remove a lot of material to get the cutting edge back to the OD, where it belonged. And I got a really good deal on it.

[ChrisNeilan]

You mean one of these? I purchased this on eBay when it was announced that Wagner was stopping production. I needed it for a banjo project I've yet to start (3 years now!) if anyone needs the printed directions, drop me a line.

[richardrouse]

That's the one! I'm going to have to pick one up. Too interesting to pass up.