Could use a hand with my planner

[WoodChuckWoods]

So I got the festool hl850 planer about 2 years ago and havent really used it much. I guess I just don't know how to use it very well. Any help would be appreciated, I was thinking about trading it for something else.

 

[grobin]

Well whats the problem and what did you expect it to do for you?  Its a very good tool just rather limited.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Limited?

The possibility's for a planer with accessories like the 850 has seems endless.

 

[WoodChuckWoods]

Well whats the problem and what did you expect it to do for you?  Its a very good tool just rather limited.

Honestly I'm not really sure what I was expecting. I got the mount to make it a small joiner but it seemed like every time I put a piece of wood through it wants to kick it back at me, I've tried taking a lot off and just a tiny bit off I'm pretty sure I just don't know how to use it, I'm sure that it works like it is supposed to but now it's been siting in it's box in the corner for a year now and I still get all my projects done fine without it. I tried to use it to shave a drawer box down a bit but ended up tearing up my box pretty good and had to make a new one. I dunno I'm just confused....obviously. Kind of want to trade it for something more useful to me.I have many other festools and love them all.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Honestly I'm not really sure what I was expecting. I got the mount to make it a small joiner but it seemed like every time I put a piece of wood through it wants to kick it back at me, I've tried taking a lot off and just a tiny bit off I'm pretty sure I just don't know how to use it, I'm sure that it works like it is supposed to but now it's been siting in it's box in the corner for a year now and I still get all my projects done fine without it. I tried to use it to shave a drawer box down a bit but ended up tearing up my box pretty good and had to make a new one. I dunno I'm just confused....obviously. Kind of want to trade it for something more useful to me.I have many other festools and love them all.

Charles,

Are you feeding the wood through the planer in the wrong direction when mounted upside down in the holding fixture?  I stupidly did that once and have missing fingerprints on two fingers from the wood shooting out and my downward force going into the rotating blades.  Feed against cutter rotation, not with it.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Charles,
Two thoughts...
1)The 850 is an excellent hand held planer and there are lots of applications.  BUT, it is not the tool of choice for milling wood for furniture making.  Granted, its ok when you gotta take off some saw marks and its the only thing around, but a regular jointer is easier to use and will probably give you better results.
2)Feed direction is critical in any jointing or planing operation.  The easiest way to figure out direction is to look at the edge and see how the grain runs.  Think of the grain as cat's fur.  If the cutter goes in the direction the grain does, the cat will purr, if you rub that cat in the opposite direction you might get bitten.

This is a case where some hand tool experience helps.  When you move a hand plane in the wrong direction, it doesn't want to go and tells you right away.  A power tool tries to bully the wood with horsepower instead of finesse.

 

[GhostFist]

Honestly I'm not really sure what I was expecting. I got the mount to make it a small joiner but it seemed like every time I put a piece of wood through it wants to kick it back at me, I've tried taking a lot off and just a tiny bit off I'm pretty sure I just don't know how to use it, I'm sure that it works like it is supposed to but now it's been siting in it's box in the corner for a year now and I still get all my projects done fine without it. I tried to use it to shave a drawer box down a bit but ended up tearing up my box pretty good and had to make a new one. I dunno I'm just confused....obviously. Kind of want to trade it for something more useful to me.I have many other festools and love them all.

Charles,

Are you feeding the wood through the planer in the wrong direction when mounted upside down in the holding fixture?  I stupidly did that once and have missing fingerprints on two fingers from the wood shooting out and my downward force going into the rotating blades.  Feed against cutter rotation, not with it.

GAAAAAAAAH!

 

[mouppe]

I used to spend ages examining the wood to see which way the grain goes before feeding it into the planer, and I was never totally sure. Now I just try it both directions at the beginning and see which way turns out best. Usually I have to pass it through a half-dozen times or so anyway so the first couple of passes are just part of the planing process.

 

[Henning]

I have the 850, and while I agree it's not the nest solution around for furniture making, I have to say that it's all I got and it's worked out fine for me. I've built a full set of garden furniture without any way of planing material besides the 850, and it's worked out fine. A little Rotex is sometimes necessary but all in all I'm very happy! Not had any problem with the wood wanting to kick back either, in Norwegian oak, ash or pine.

 

[jmbfestool]

Well the 850 might have more use in a work shop than thhe 65 but Both 65 and 850 are really tools for site work I think.

  Like ken said the only thing I can think of is that your feeding the wood in the wrong direction but it don't think your that silly plus you said it kicks back if you was feeding it in the wrong direction it would pull not kick.  I have both planners and i have used them both at max depth with oak and never has it kicked back. The 65 struggles ALOT so I turned it to 2mm as it was burning the wood and it produces to many wood shavings for the exit port to handle and clogs up when it clogs up the shaving go between the blade and the wood and it starts to rip the wood and leaves a horrible finish but it still won't kick back at me. Also its only a small electric hand plane I'm much stronger than the tool the blade would stop before it tried to kick the wood back at me I know that for a fact. As I have done  that a couple of times when rushing.

JMB