EHL65 Planer & snipe.

[tomba26]

Hi all, cool forum.  [smile]
Has anyone suffered snipe/gouging using the little EHL65 planer? When planing doors I seem to be getting snipe at the start of a pass, just as the cutter engages it gouges. It's not a massive amount but it does need taking out then with a hand plane which kind of annoys me if I'm shaping a door into an old (and un-plumb) casing.
I have noticed the cutter is not quite level with the rear base (but it is very minimal) so this won't be helping but I don't think there is any real adjustment facility to sort this?
Apart from this the planer is great, very handy.
Anyone else found this and a way to cure it?
Thanks.  [smile]

 

[jonny round boy]

Tomba,

When you say "the cutter is not quite level with the rear base", is the base proud of the cutter or the other way around?

From what you're describing I would guess the former, and that's where the 'step' is coming from (as the base contacts the timber & lifts the cutter slightly). I don't own any Festool planer, so don't know if there is an adjustment for it, but if there isn't, then I'd suggest contacting Festool technical. I expect a certain quality from Festool, and if they are out of level & unajustable I would consider it unacceptable.

Just my opinion though!

 

[tomba26]

Johny,
Yeah that's exactly what's happening but there doesn't seem to be any way of adjusting the base to bring it in line with the cutter. The gap between base and cutter really is minimal (say 0.25 mm ish) but the snipe is a pain in the backside. I was thinking one option would be to drop the planer off at our local engineering shop and have them lap the base, but I suppose really I should ring Festool.

 

[joiner1970]

I have the 65 and as far as I know there is no adjustment so I would take it back to Festool. The great thing about this planer is that you dont have to adjust anything when you put a new blade in.