planer speed control question

[eddy merckx]

Hi everybody. I was just wondering if anyone has tried slowing down a single speed planer by using a router speed control. I'm working off of the theory that a slower speed will cause less tear out on difficult wood.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks, Eddy

[LCHIEN]

let me ask this question - if the feed rollers are slowed as well as the cutterhead, you get the same number of cuts per inch and all that will happen is slower planing???

Do two speed planers have control over the feed rate and the cutter RPMs separately so as to increase the cuts per inch for smoother cuts at the cost of slower planing?

[eddy merckx]

Yeah Loring, I can see how the rollers would slow down as well as the cutters. What I was imagining is the blades hitting the wood with less percussion than at full speed and maybe causing less tear out. Heck, maybe it would do the opposite.

Eddy

[rlah]

new member here... I use a router speed control but I don't think it helps tearout, just makes my Ryobi AP1300 quieter. If I've got figured wood, I usually dampen the wood with a sponge, wait about 15 seconds, then plane small increments... seems to help the tearout some, especially some curly maple recently.

rlah

[Thom2]

Do two speed planers have control over the feed rate and the cutter RPMs separately so as to increase the cuts per inch for smoother cuts at the cost of slower planing?

AFAIK, two speed planers have a transmission for the feed rollers only, the idea is feed the rollers slower/faster for more/less cuts per inch. The cutterhead maintains the same speed regardless of feed speed.

IMO, I don't think a speed control is going to improve the cut any, if anything, I would think it would be worse.

'course I've been wrong before

[LarryG]

Do two speed planers have control over the feed rate and the cutter RPMs separately so as to increase the cuts per inch for smoother cuts at the cost of slower planing?

On my Delta 22-580, which has speed choices of 60 and 90 cpi, the material feeds slower on the 90 cpi setting but I don't hear any change in the sound of the motor. I think the feed rollers are running slower but the cutterhead runs at the same speed, which effectively increases the cpi.

[LCHIEN]

Thanks, Larry, That's what I was thinking - so slowing the motor would
effectively slow down the whole planing operation but not increase cpi nor make the cuts smoother.

[LarryG]

so slowing the motor would effectively slow down the whole planing operation but not increase cpi nor make the cuts smoother.

I'm not going to comment on that as it sounds suspiciously like a physics question, and you know my track record with those.

Besides the obvious clues of the slower feed rate and the motor sound not changing, the owner's manual says to change the speed from 60 to 90 cpi only while the planer is running. This suggests to me there's some sort of gear change going on involving the rollers, whereas changing the motor speed only would be done electrically and wouldn't require the planer to be running.

[gjat]

I bought a used planer, though haven't used it yet. I would think that if you are getting tear-out, you would want to do the following if you can't change the feed rate.

1- take shallower cuts.
2- make sure your blades are sharp.
3- dampen with mineral spirits, not water.

I'm asking, not suggesting since I have no real experience.

[eddy merckx]

Gjat--why mineral spirits instead of water?

Eddy

[Bruce Cohen]

Eddy,

Mineral Spirits won;t raise the grain as plain water would do.

Bruce