Planer set up?

[John Bertotti]

I know how to set up the planer as the manufacture states. I’m not sure O agree with some of the ideas out there for lower roller heights but I will be experimenting with those since the ruff sawn Cherry I have had enough splits in the ends that it won’t matter the amount of snipe there so I can learn with their adjustment. Do you guys have any tips or tricks for the set up or use of a 15” planer?

[sunburst]

No tricks.
I just make sure everything is square and the cut is "level", that the knives are all cutting the same depth as near as humanly possible ("square" with the cutter head), and set the rollers just high enough for the stock to feed easily, and level with the table. It is nearly impossible to tune all the snipe out of most planers I've set up.

[John Bertotti]

Knives will be a bit easier since it is a Byrd cutter. 74 blades machine indexed. Thanks I’ll set it up like I would have years and years ago. Seems no big new inovations and tweaks other than helical cutter now. Thanks Sunburst!

[sunburst]

...helical cutter now...

Yep, that takes the whole blade setting part out of the equation...as long as the cutters are all in good shape, same size, not damaged, not resharpened and so forth. I've seen some really bad cuts from spiral cutter heads when the cutters are neglected.
I priced a helical cutter head for my antique 12" jointer. A direct replacement is available... at nearly twice what I paid for the jointer itself. I'll just stick with setting up 4 straight knives.

[Bill McCall]

Used to be sharpening in place was the thing. We learned on a Buss planer when I was an apprentice. Years later I worked with an Oliver, similar configuration, jointer bar and grinder. Sniping is just roller and pressure bar setup. On the jointer, we sharpened the steel the same way, using a shop fixture and cup wheel. We sent the carbide knives out in both the carbide planer and jointer.

I wrote about the jig in American Luthier journal in 1978 or 79.

[John Bertotti]

I have a inexpensive craftsman 4” and a 6 “ jointers, little table top tools. Worked well but not like a nice big dedicated floor unit but they had their place for small pieces. And yep same issue here the helical blade for the 6” is easily four times what was paid for the tool. But since this os the first planer I have bought for myself I went with a helical head. When tuned and set up they do a brilliant job. At the mill I couldn’t tell the piece I was looking at came right out of a planer it looked that good and it was a little table top 12” planer. They just bought a big 25” one and it is a beast!