Planer blades.... DIY sharpen or outsource ???????????

[Mike]

Due to get a new edge on my planer blades. What's the best way? TIA, Mike

[Mike Marlow]

Scary Sharp. Planer blades are just really wide chisels when they're laid to a piece of sandpaper.

[Andy Dingley]

Depends on the planer. If your planer needs them to be set to the right height, then you might get away with this.

Most modern planers though have self-setting blades, which means that any attempt to sharpen them will disturb the height setting. You _might_ get a sharpening onto them, but you'll only get away with it once or twice (if that) and they need to maintain their squareness perfectly, as you've no way to adjust it out later.

"Best" blades are generally still sharp when you manage to put anick in them. "Rough" blades can still be used for ever with a nick, and if they're re-sharpened to make a good cut, but leave a poorer finish because they're slightly uneven, that can still be acceptable for first passes on rough timber.

[patriarch]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

And your planer is a ....?