Planers, Biscuit Jointers & Routers

Find out more about Planers, Biscuit Jointers & Routers

Planers, biscuit jointers, and routers are essential tools in woodworking, each serving unique purposes that enhance the quality and efficiency of your projects.

Planers are used to smooth and flatten surfaces of wood, ensuring a uniform thickness across your pieces. They can remove rough spots, knots, and imperfections, making them ideal for preparing lumber for further processing or finishing. With a planer, you can achieve a professional finish, which is especially important when working on projects where aesthetics matter, such as furniture or cabinetry.

Biscuit jointers are specialised tools that create slots for biscuits—small oval-shaped pieces of wood that help align and strengthen joints. This tool is particularly useful for edge joining boards, allowing for seamless connections that enhance the integrity of your work. Biscuit jointers are favoured for their ability to create strong, precise joints quickly, making them a favourite among woodworkers looking to speed up assembly without sacrificing quality.

Routers are incredibly versatile tools used for hollowing out an area in a piece of wood. They can create decorative edges, grooves, and profiles, adding intricate details to your projects. Routers are also used for mortising and making joints, such as dovetails or finger joints. With various bits available, routers can perform a wide range of tasks, making them invaluable for both functional and decorative woodworking.

Together, these tools enable woodworkers to achieve high-quality results, whether they're crafting furniture, building cabinets, or undertaking intricate projects. Each tool brings its own strengths to the table, allowing for creativity and precision in woodworking endeavours.

Planers, Biscuit Jointers & Routers FAQs

What is a planer used for?

A planer is used to create a smooth, flat, and even surface on a piece of wood by shaving off thin layers. It’s particularly useful for leveling uneven boards, reducing the thickness of lumber, and ensuring consistent dimensions across multiple pieces of wood.

Planers are essential in woodworking to prepare wood for assembly, such as creating uniform thickness for table tops, doors, or other furniture components. They can also help achieve a clean, finished look by removing imperfections, warp, or rough textures from raw lumber. By ensuring the wood is perfectly flat and even, a planer allows for seamless joins, making it a valuable tool in furniture making, cabinetry, and general woodworking.

How do I maintain my planer?

To keep your planer in top working condition, regular maintenance is essential. Here’s a guide to maintaining it:

Clean the Planer After Each Use: Remove dust and wood shavings from the planer body, blades, and cutterhead. Compressed air can help clean hard-to-reach areas.

Inspect and Replace Blades: Check the sharpness of the blades frequently, as dull blades can damage the wood and strain the motor. If blades are dull, replace or sharpen them following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Lubricate Moving Parts: Apply lubrication to moving parts, especially the feed rollers and cutterhead, to ensure smooth operation. Use a dry lubricant to avoid attracting dust.

Check the Belt Tension: If your planer uses a belt drive, ensure the belt is properly tensioned and free of cracks or fraying. Replace worn belts as needed to maintain efficiency.

Adjust the Planer Table: Over time, the table can shift. Regularly check for levelness and adjust it if necessary to keep cuts even and consistent.

Inspect Feed Rollers: Worn or dirty feed rollers can cause uneven feeding. Clean them regularly, and replace them if they show signs of wear.

Align and Calibrate the Depth Settings: Verify that the depth settings are accurate by measuring a sample piece after planing. Adjust and recalibrate as needed to ensure the desired thickness.

Store Properly: Keep your planer in a dry, clean environment to prevent rust and moisture damage.

Consistent maintenance will prolong the life of your planer, ensure smooth operation, and keep your work quality high.

Can I use a planer on hardwood?

Yes, you can use a planer on hardwood, and it is often a preferred tool for this type of material. Here are a few tips for effectively planing hardwood:

Sharp Blades: Ensure that the blades are sharp. Hardwood is denser and tougher than softwood, so dull blades can lead to tear-out or chipping.

Proper Feed Rate: Use a slower feed rate when planing hardwood to allow the blades to cut effectively without straining the motor. This will help achieve a smoother finish.

Moisture Content: Make sure the hardwood is properly dried and at the right moisture content. Planing overly wet or green wood can result in warping and uneven cuts.

Multiple Passes: Depending on the thickness of the hardwood, you may need to make multiple passes, gradually reducing the thickness rather than trying to remove a large amount in one go.

Planer Type: Consider using a thickness planer or a jointer, as these are specifically designed to handle the demands of planing hardwood.

Using a planer on hardwood can yield excellent results, creating smooth, flat surfaces ideal for fine woodworking projects.

What is a biscuit jointer?

A biscuit jointer, also known as a biscuit joiner, is a specialised power tool used in woodworking to create precise, slot-like cuts (or pockets) in wood pieces for joining them together. The tool operates by using a circular saw blade that cuts a small, oval-shaped groove in the edges of the wood. Here are the key features and uses of a biscuit jointer:

Features:

Blade: Biscuit jointers typically have a rotating blade that can be adjusted to different depths, allowing for various biscuit sizes.

Biscuit Sizes: The biscuits themselves are small, oval-shaped pieces of wood (usually made of compressed wood fibers) that fit into the grooves created by the jointer.

Adjustable Fence: Most biscuit jointers come with an adjustable fence that helps align the tool with the edges of the wood for precise cutting.

Depth Adjustment: The depth of the cut can usually be adjusted to accommodate different biscuit sizes (e.g., #0, #10, and #20) depending on the thickness of the wood being joined.

Uses:

Joining Wood Pieces: Biscuit jointers are primarily used to join two pieces of wood together, such as in tabletops, cabinetry, or furniture making.

Aligning Edges: The biscuits help to align the wood pieces, ensuring they are flush and properly joined.

Reinforcing Joints: Using biscuits adds strength to the joint, making it more durable and stable, especially in edge-to-edge or end-to-end joints.

Creating Panel Glue-ups: They are particularly useful for creating larger panels from multiple boards, allowing for a seamless appearance.

Overall, a biscuit jointer is a valuable tool for woodworkers looking to create strong, precise joints with minimal effort.

Are biscuit joints strong?

Yes, biscuit joints can be very strong when done correctly. They provide good alignment and help to reinforce the connection between the pieces of wood, making them suitable for a variety of woodworking applications. However, the strength also depends on the quality of the joint and the adhesive used.

What size biscuits should I use?

The size of biscuits you should use generally depends on the thickness of the wood you are joining. The most common biscuit sizes are #0 (small), #10 (medium), and #20 (large). For thinner boards, #0 biscuits work well, while #10 or #20 biscuits are better for thicker materials. It’s important to choose the right size to ensure a strong joint.

What can I do with a router?

A router is a versatile woodworking tool that you can use for various tasks, including:

Edge Routing: Shaping the edges of wood pieces for a decorative finish.

Grooving: Cutting grooves or channels into wood for joints or to hold other materials.

Dado Cuts: Creating wide grooves across the grain of the wood for shelving or joinery.

Template Work: Following templates to create consistent shapes or designs.

Mortising: Cutting square or rectangular holes for joints.

Inlay Work: Creating spaces for inlays or decorative elements.

Overall, routers are great for adding detail and precision to your woodworking projects!

What types of router bits are available?

There are several types of router bits available, each designed for specific tasks. Here are some common types:

Straight Bits: Used for cutting straight edges, grooves, and dados.

Flush Trim Bits: Ideal for trimming edges flush with another surface.

Roundover Bits: Used to round over the edges of wood for a softer finish.

Chamfer Bits: Create angled edges, often used for decorative purposes.

V-Groove Bits: Used for making V-shaped grooves, often for decorative engraving.

Rabbet Bits: Cut a notch along the edge of a board, useful for joints.

Bowl Bits: Designed for hollowing out bowls or other curved shapes.

Each bit has a specific purpose, so choosing the right one depends on the project you're working on!

How do I choose the right router for my project?

To choose the right router for your project, consider factors like the type of cuts you need to make, the power and speed of the router, and the compatibility with different router bits. It's essential to match the router's capabilities with the specific requirements of your woodworking tasks to ensure smooth and precise results!