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How do you use a beam planer? #13378 11/28/07 08:04 PM
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brad_bb Offline OP
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Being relatively new to timberframeing, I've never used a beam planer like the Makita is see offered in the post below. Can someone explain how you go about flattening and squaring two faces of a beam to allow you to use square rule? How do you set up the planer? Is there some sort of jig involved? How do you make sure the second face is square to the first? I have acquired some rough sawn beams and some that have some twist and some that are not perfectly square. I might be in the market for a beam planer if I really understood how to use it. Thank you for any help you can offer.

Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: brad_bb] #13380 11/29/07 01:56 AM
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It really comes down to technique. The planer stays static, but to get the wood off that you want off is mostly in where you put pressure (right/left, front/back/center) and how you adjust the blade as you go along the timber.

For square rule, you can use a 12" to bring the timber to within 3-1/32 of your lines, depending on how familiar you are with the machine. If you're not fully comfortable with the 12" you can use a 6" or smaller to get it down closer to your lines, or hand plane if needed, leveling it up as you go along. Once satisfied, run that 12" sucker to the lines, a few light passes are best, and with even weight so as not to lose your level face.

Really though, it comes down to your line and your square more than your planer experience. Snap lines are a good thing, and a square that is square is even better.

When you've got a line to work with, you can see where you need to plane to (or hew, in some cases...)
And if your first face is nice and flat and to both lines, you can bring it down easy to your second face with your square square.

Oh, and one tip with the planers, never try to take off more than 1/32 or so in a single pass. The 12" is big, but one still has to be gentle with it. The planer will let you know when it's had too much to eat. They will have settings to allow for up to an eighth or more to come off...I've never gone that deep, but I have come close when dealing with wavy spots.

Use a wire brush to remove as much dirt as possible from the timbers to save your blades. Changing and sharpening these blades aren't much trouble at all. Replacing them is a drag, though, as is not being able to finish a job due to busted blades. 2 sets on hand at all times is good.

My 2 bits.
Peace cool

Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: Timber Goddess] #13389 11/29/07 02:32 PM
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Michael Yaker Offline
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The beauty of square rule is you do not need a square timber.

Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: Michael Yaker] #13390 11/29/07 03:27 PM
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Jim Rogers Online Confused
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Some people only plane the faces of the timbers that will show inside the frame and leave the outside rough. Why spend the time to plane it if it's not going to show....?


Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: Jim Rogers] #13396 11/30/07 08:48 PM
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Jim, I thought the point was to plane your two reference/layout faces square and true so that you could layout properly and accurately? Was the technique that Steve taught us this summer Square rule or Mill rule? I thought they were pretty much the same, no?
Timbergoddess, thank you for the reply, but could someone be a little more specific or detailed about the approach to trueing up a timber and getting the reference faces squared up? Are you literally free handing it?
Do you start by snapping chalk lines and then freehanding with the planer to the line, using the planer like carving tool? Chalk lines don't seem all that accurate compared to using razor knives to mark layout. Are there other techniques whereby you set up a straight edge to use as a guide for the planer? I don't know, I'm just guessing or imagining. That's why I need some more detail.

Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: brad_bb] #13397 11/30/07 09:23 PM
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Ya...specific and detailed in writing is not my strong point...spacial thinker that I am. I gotta be there.

Time for a shoutout to anyone that can help our brad_bb with a more articulate answer than I can provide! I know there are many of you out there....!

OK, brad, let's hope that does it smile


Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: Timber Goddess] #13399 11/30/07 09:31 PM
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Mark Davidson Offline
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I've never used the power planer to square a timber accurately. If a timber is out of square and I want to improve it, I will usually start with the 3 1/2" planer and plane down to a line, usually on one side of the face. Once I'm down to the line with the small planer, I would take the big planer and flatten out the face. If I want accuracy I would probably reach for the circular saw or the sawmill, or even the broadaxe which will take off a small out of square peice of face pretty quick.

Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: Mark Davidson] #13403 12/01/07 02:08 AM
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Michael Cummings Offline
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My method for using a 12" Makita beam planer:
1. If you're bound and determined to buy one of these things, then also hire someone else to run it. If you decide to use it yourself then shop around for a good chiropractor -- you'll be seeing this guy a lot.
2. Put the timber on sawhorses -- shorter to mess up your lower back, higher to screw up your shoulders. Or use short in the morning and taller in the afternoon to spread the agony around.
3. Flip the timber and find the best face, take a couple 1/32" passes off. As TG said, more then that and you'll plug the planer up solid.
4. If the timber has a taper, now is the time to get the 16" saw out, find the best edge and rip the other edges parallel. Of course a 16" saw won't rip all the way through an 8" stick, so I finish the cut with a 3 1/2" planer. Sometimes this even squares up the timber. Sometimes.
5. So you've got the timber planed on the top, now square the left face to the top face. As TG mentioned you can apply a bit of 'english' here. The planer is heavy enough that if you have it way over to one side it will cut more on that side then the other. Take off a pass or two, check for square, repeat. Gradually you'll work the planer back to the center - your last pass will be right down the center of the face.
6. Flip the timber and plane the right face, same method. With three adjacent sides square - flip the timber to the backside and plane the last face, same method.
7. Volia, you've got a square timber ready for mill rule and your chriopractor is going to buy a really nice boat.

To be serious -- The Makita beam planer is a great tool. With sharp blades it gives an outstanding clean finish that is better then sanding. Just don't underestimate what lugging around a fifty pound boat anchor all day, day after day - will do to your body.

Cheers;


Michael Cummings
www.houseinthewoodsvt.com
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Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: Michael Cummings] #13407 12/01/07 02:31 PM
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Brad:
I believe the way Steve Chappell designs his joinery is called Mill rule.
That is the timbers are true size 8"x 8" for example and all surfaces are 90° to each other. With timbers like this, the mortises can be cut right into the surface of the timber with no housings. And with all the faces correct it is easy to check your work and see that the joints are cut correctly.

In square rule timber framing the trueness or lack thereof of the timber is compensated for by cutting the joinery to an inner prefect timber of a smaller size, thus creating the housings.

These joints have to be done correctly based on the reference side and or face, and the adjacent face. And the dimensions are usually pulled from the arris where these two faces meet.
If the faces aren't truly 90° to each other then you'll have to use your layout tools to check your work to insure that the joinery is true. Or you can plane the joinery area to be true first.

Jim Rogers


Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Re: How do you use a beam planer? [Re: Jim Rogers] #13408 12/01/07 02:37 PM
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To plane the timber or not to plane them depends on the frame's intended use. If it's a barn or outbuilding that's one thing, if it's a house frame it's another.
When I was at Steve's school, a student asked why was he building with all planed timbers. He response was that after building many houses in Maine over the years, all with rough sawn timbers, he'd talk to the people who lived in them. Many of the housewives would complain that the rough sawn timbers looked dusty, no matter how they vacuumed the timbers the pores of the timber seem to appear to be holding dust. And they didn't like that.
Planed timbers are much smoother and don't have the rough surface to hold the dust.
This is why he changed to all planed timbers.


Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
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