Is My Planer Set Up Correctly?

from the beginning.

sitting on top. I now see that the large piece has the stop on the far end. ;~)

you are going to be wasting time trying to get more out of a bench top planer. I never expected my bench top planer to do anything besides change the thickness of a "flat" board.

pleasurable thing either. Technically that is the job of a jointer but that is another story.

considerably more time and effort than it is worth, for me.

=============================================== Two thoughts Does your planer have a head lock for the height? If not, this could be why you can make 3 passes at one setting. Each pass takes off less material and thus can deflect the head less.

In regard to the sled. Could you try planing a twisted board that is significantly shorter than the sled. If the sled is tilting this would then happen after the board has gone completely through. John

No head lock.

Please define "significantly shorter". My sled is 6'.

I assume you mean tilting on the way out, thus pushing the tail end of the board up. (If not, please explain) I have considered that as possible cause from the very beginning, therefore...

I have been extremely diligent in preventing that from happening. The extended table gives me lots of time to walk to the other side of the planer to be ready to support the sled long before the tail end of the board is even under the head. In fact, I've been *lifting* the front of the sled even though there is no indication that the melamine extended bed is sagging.