A way to avoid snipe?

[Jimmy]

A friend bought a Delta Shopmaster planer model TP305

) and it seems he gets snipe at each end of the board. Is there a way to avoid this? He said it doesn't have a cutter head lock. I don't have a planer so I thought maybe someone here had a suggestion, other than buy a better ( more expensive ) planer.

[Leon]

When initially feeding the work into the planer lift the trailing end 1-2". As the wood is completing its path through the planer lift the leading end

1-2".

[Bruce Adams]

What Leon said. It's amazingly effective. Also, make your final pass a light one. (Less pressure on the feed rollers = less likelihood of the carriage to rack when the infeed roller is suddenly hanging in space.) Bruce

[Tom Woodman]

Isnt there a handle on the right hand side? This is the cutter head lock. Tighten it up before turning on the power (after you have done the height setup). If there isnt one, adjust the height of the infeed and/or out feed tables

[Lee]

[LP]

Some things I've come to believe over the years about snipe:

1. There isn't a planer made that won't snipe.
2. The head lock makes no difference, unless its a really shitty machine. Neither does the height/length of the in/outfeed tables.
3. The snipe distance is always equal to the distance from the center of the cutter head to the center of the (first) outfeed roller, or perhaps a bit beyond.
4. The theory is that as the wood contacts the knives, the knives lift it. This continues until the wood passes under the outfeed roller.
5. In any given stack of boards being planed, the depth of snipe will vary, sometimes from zero to perhaps 1/32". I think this has to do with grain structure and rigidity of the individual boards.
6. If you cut a piece to final length and then plane it, murphy's law will get you every time.
7. Cutting off the snipe as you cut your pieces to final length is just a cost of doing business. In most cases it only amounts to pennies and isnt worth the headache of trying to avoid snipe.

Fire When Ready

[alexy]

Probably, but good technique with a good machine will give you less.

Probably true, but doesn't that include most lunch-box planers?

Interesting. That runs counter to my experience.

I seldom get much snipe on the lead end of the board--for me it is usually the back end, when the wood comes free of the infeed roller.

Again, sounds like you are getting snipe on the front end.

Good advice.

[Jimmy]

Only handle was for height adjustment. Thanks, Leon, I'll print this and give it to him. I watched him plane a board and what you say makes sense. The cutter head moved up.

[Jimmy]

Thanks for all the advice and help. Will pass it along and keep it for myself, also.

[Bigpole]

Jimmy,

I feed my wood at an angle if it's not to wide. That seems to cut down on the snipe.

[charlie b]

snip

You can also get snipe in the middle of a board - if, for any reason, the feed rate changes. - say because you've got hard rubber feed rollers that are "glazed". Can also happen on first pass of rough sawn board - with thinner end of tape going in first.

And the solution to "going in" and "coming out" snipe is to flift the board slightly 'til it contacts the cutter on the way in and on the outfeed side, lift the board slightly as gets close to leaving the cutter head.

or put a sacrificial piece of wood on either side of your precious wood and have them extend in front of the good stuff. For thinner stock planed on a "sled", put stops front and back such that the stock is flexed up slightly.

just more to think about

charliel b

[Ba r r y]

Is that truly snipe, or burn marks from the rollers? For snipe to be cut in the center of a board, the cutter head has to move down, or the board has to move up. Otherwise, once the wood is cut, the blades can't reach it.

Very long and heavy boards _can_ flex if they are dropped and force the wood in the center of a lunchbox planer up into the knives. simple roller stands and operator care can easily prevent center snipe.

Am I missing something else?

But who cares at that point?

Barry