door plane?

[davidpawlak]

I have been using a porter cable door planer for ever. My shoes are filled with shavings and i want to sell it. The question i have is the hl850 plane good or great at planing doors? Maybe the smaller ehl65. Any advice would be greatly welcomed.

 

[Nigel]

My advice would be to forget a planer buy a ts55 and rail instead.You can take 1mm of in a straight line very quickly.I doubt there's much of a price difference between the two.

 

[woodguy7]

I have the 850 & use it on doors & it will eat through anything.  But i will get the 65 as i think it will be more than powerfull enough & a lot lighter.  The 850 can be quite heavy & bulky with the 36mm hose attached.

Woodguy.

 

[Guy Ashley]

I use the 65 on hardwood doors and it is fine but use the 36mm hose or you will get blockages. It can be used one handed, never thought of the 850, too heavy by far.

The 55 is also very good for door trimming especially the leading edge by turning to angle 2 degrees.

 

[Ted Miller]

No two doors are alike or need the same planning. I still use my Porta-Plane all on the doors I do.

Now I do have the Bosch 1594 and I will use it for very small areas, but I like the fence on the Porta...

 

[Holzhacker]

I have an 850 that I bought to replace my Bosch that died. Used the 850 a bit and then fixed the Bosch. The 850 rocks. However for HC doors it is somewhat overkill. I'll use it on SC or real wood. I also have a big Makita 1100? that I am more comfortable using because it has a very long foot. The 850 sits in its bench unit for the most part and gets used for trim work. If you are planing real doors (not cardboard) I'd recommend it. For cardboard doors, get the Bosch.
I can't recommend the 65 even though a lot of guys like it. I would strongly suggest you do a hands on with it. I went to my dealer to get the 65 when I bought the 850. The weight distribution, DC switch over from one side to the other, and something else can't remember, really turned me off. It really seemed to have some design flaws. I knew I wouldn't enjoy using it.
No offense to guys who do it but I just don't get the whole TS55 and rail thing for trimming doors. Maybe I'm just too used to a planer.
Good luck. Markus

 

[Tim Sproul]

The question i have is the hl850 plane good or great at planing doors? Maybe the smaller ehl65. Any advice would be greatly welcomed.

Both are more than adequate for doors.  But do keep in mind that having a dust collection hose makes a nimble 65 a bit unwieldy.  A boom arm (or similar contraption) helps somewhat with maneuverability but the hose still limits agility of the plane.  That's the trade off for having almost no clean up.

The Bosch hand power planer is also an option for planing doors.  Dust collection on it is just as good with a hose attached.  The drawback to the Bosch is that the blade is straight across where as the Festool planers have the blade skewed/spriral cut.  The skewed blade makes for a cleaner cut.  Sometimes the "cleaner" is noticeable and most times it isn't.

 

[tdfiver]

If I have to use my El65 then I fit the chip bag. But since getting the Ts55 I don't use the plane any more.

 

[Nigel]

If I have to use my El65 then I fit the chip bag. But since getting the Ts55 I don't use the plane any more.

Good man!But we seem to be in the minority [huh]

 

[jmbfestool]

My advice would be to forget a planer buy a ts55 and rail instead.You can take 1mm of in a straight line very quickly.I doubt there's much of a price difference between the two.

Not being funny but have you hung a door before?

You can not hang a door with a TS55.  you can cut most of the wood off yes!  And maybe if your lucky if the frame is bang on straight cut the door down the exact size and it will fit (if you have fitted the frame square level plumb straight)!    BUT if thats the case you would not need a TS55 any way!  Cus if the frame is bang on straight and level! So if you had fit the frame your self then you would of also made the frame big enough so the door would just drop in with out any planning or using your TS55 and same with the height as you would off allowed enough for carpet or tiles by lifting the frame or leaving the stiles longer. Also taking half mm to a mm is very difficult with the TS55 as the blade tends to bend away from the door/wood.

NO way can you fit a door with out a planer. Hand or electric you need a plane! I have hung many doors and unless I have fitted the frame my self the frames are normally out! When I fit my frame I dont get my planner out at all because my frame is made big enough for equal gap so I just chop the hinges in and swing the door and done. I would only use my TS55 cutting to bottom of the door if the floor (tiles or carpet have come higher than I measured)normally do cus I dont like gaps under doors so I tend to leave the doors a little low.  Using the TS55 would be slow and would be difficult to scribe the door to the frame if the frame was slightly bowed or like a lot of frames if seen on the bottom of the frame it just kicks in or out.  

Unless your fitting your own frames and its all new build der is no way a TS55 will be any good for hanging a door it will be far to slow and not as good of a job.

JMB

 

[Deansocial]

My advice would be to forget a planer buy a ts55 and rail instead.You can take 1mm of in a straight line very quickly.I doubt there's much of a price difference between the two.

Not being funny but have you hung a door before?

You can not hang a door with a TS55.  you can cut most of the wood off yes!  And maybe if your lucky if the frame is bang on straight cut the door down the exact size and it will fit (if you have fitted the frame square level plumb straight)!    BUT if thats the case you would not need a TS55 any way!  Cus if the frame is bang on straight and level! So if you had fit the frame your self then you would of also made the frame big enough so the door would just drop in with out any planning or using your TS55 and same with the height as you would off allowed enough for carpet or tiles by lifting the frame or leaving the stiles longer. Also taking half mm to a mm is very difficult with the TS55 as the blade tends to bend away from the door/wood.

NO way can you fit a door with out a planer. Hand or electric you need a plane! I have hung many doors and unless I have fitted the frame my self the frames are normally out!  Using the TS55 would be slow and would be difficult to scribe the door to the frame if the frame was slightly bowed or like a lot of frames if seen on the bottom of the frame it just kicks in or out.  

Unless your fitting your own frames and its all new build der is no way a TS55 will be any good for hanging a door it will be far to slow and not as good of a job.

JMB

don't hold back jmb

 

[jmbfestool]

My advice would be to forget a planer buy a ts55 and rail instead.You can take 1mm of in a straight line very quickly.I doubt there's much of a price difference between the two.

Not being funny but have you hung a door before?

You can not hang a door with a TS55.  you can cut most of the wood off yes!  And maybe if your lucky if the frame is bang on straight cut the door down the exact size and it will fit (if you have fitted the frame square level plumb straight)!    BUT if thats the case you would not need a TS55 any way!  Cus if the frame is bang on straight and level! So if you had fit the frame your self then you would of also made the frame big enough so the door would just drop in with out any planning or using your TS55 and same with the height as you would off allowed enough for carpet or tiles by lifting the frame or leaving the stiles longer. Also taking half mm to a mm is very difficult with the TS55 as the blade tends to bend away from the door/wood.

NO way can you fit a door with out a planer. Hand or electric you need a plane! I have hung many doors and unless I have fitted the frame my self the frames are normally out!  Using the TS55 would be slow and would be difficult to scribe the door to the frame if the frame was slightly bowed or like a lot of frames if seen on the bottom of the frame it just kicks in or out.  

Unless your fitting your own frames and its all new build der is no way a TS55 will be any good for hanging a door it will be far to slow and not as good of a job.

JMB

don't hold back jmb

[tongue]

LOL am I doing a Dean??!?!? lol  [poke]

 

[Tim Sproul]

RE: TS vs planer.

Working in a lived in home, I prefer the planer.  There is essentially no dust, regardless of trimming 1/64 or 1/4 inch.  With the TS, if you take a less than a full kerf, dust gets sprayed around.  The cover plate can help but it isn't all that effective.

 

[Deansocial]

get yer sen on xbox, so i can kick yer arse

 

[Deansocial]

RE: TS vs planer.

Working in a lived in home, I prefer the planer.  There is essentially no dust, regardless of trimming 1/64 or 1/4 inch.  With the TS, if you take a less than a full kerf, dust gets sprayed around.  The cover plate can help but it isn't all that effective.

i Couldnt agree more. Makes a right mess the ts does with anything less than about 4-5mm.

I prefer to finish the edge of a door with a hand plane myself as it give a better finish

 

[jmbfestool]

Back on topic! Sorry!

I own both the EHL 85 and 65

I hardly use my 85 as mentioned its a little big and heavy definitely not a one handed planer lol!    

The EHL65 is a lovely little planer.  Very light and easy to control!  It will clog up very easy though with or with out a bag. Also will clog up with a 27mm hose if planning high amount (4mm) and moving fast.   Using the 36mm hose works really well and I struggle to clog the planer.  Planning MDF I just use my 27mm as its just fine dust.

The planner will struggle a little if your trying to plane 4mm on a 40mm or thicker door.  It works fine on 2mm though.  

Down side to the EHL 65 is that the blades cost a little more but what makes them even MORE expensive they are only one sided. As other planers the blades can be swapped round so your gettin 2 for 1!  The reason why festool blades are only single sides is because the blades are curved!  This gives a better finishing and requires less power to remove wood thus a smaller and lighter motor so a lighter planer!

The 85 is a beast!  On max depth which I think is only 2.6? I cnt remember but I know its not 4mm like the 65!  It eats wood it has a lot of power and I do think it can give a better finish when planning wider pieces of wood as it just glides through.  I like the flush side for unlimited rebating on the 85 if you needed to increase the depth of a rebate instead of getting your router out and spending ages setting it up you can just whip out the 85 and do some rebating!

I think for site the 65 is the better planer.  But for a little workshop on site! the 85 rules.

JMB

 

[jmbfestool]

get yer sen on xbox, so i can kick yer arse

Alrite Alrite! You playing Search & Destory?  Or Zombies? 

JMB

 

[Deansocial]

domination at the mo

 

[Frank-Jan]

A guy in the Netherlands developed a jig for fitting doors with a TS saw. TheFrameFitter_Marcel_Ruiter.wmv
His website: link

Personally, I use my TS for the bottom and/or top, and my planer for the sides. Main reason for using the TS is, that when planing the top or bottom, you'll have to flip the door and do the last part from the other side to prevent tearout of the endgrain from the stiles.

 

[jmbfestool]

A guy in the Netherlands developed a jig for fitting doors with a TS saw. TheFrameFitter_Marcel_Ruiter.wmv
His website: link

Personally, I use my TS for the bottom and/or top, and my planer for the sides. Main reason for using the TS is, that when planing the top or bottom, you'll have to flip the door and do the last part from the other side to prevent tearout of the endgrain from the stiles.

I agree I use my TS55 for top or bottom of the door but not for then sides but that's not what was said! It was said above forget planner all you need is TS55 so to me that's says top bottom AND sides.

Jmb