Festool planers... Or another suggestion?

[Sanderxpander]

Hello all,

I need to plane down a board that's already mounted alongside a wall. While I can get right up into the corner with a hand plane it's tough work (vertical) and I only own a small cross grain no. 60 1/2 (I think). I was hoping one of the Festool power planers has the ability to go right along a wall. From the videos I can't tell for sure but I'd say "likely not". Without holding one, it's unclear how close to the wall I can get. Does anyone know? Or does anyone have a suggestion for a power planer that can get right into a corner? Thanks!

 

[Birdhunter]

I have the 850 Festool planer. I think the cutter goes to the edge of the body. It’s a heavy machine so I would not want to hold it against a wall for long.

 

[Birdhunter]

Using an electric planer right up to the edge or on rabbets often produces unsatisfactory results, as the machine leaves a lip that has to be removed by hand—unless you have the Festool HL 850 planer. The HL 850 lets you cut flush to an adjacent surface because it can plane across the entire width of the rabbet. Because the planer head is mounted to one side, it sits flush with the opposite side of the planer housing. The retractable side guard makes planing safer, and it swings up and to the side as the rabbet depth increases. Planing up to the edge in deep rabbets is no longer a problem.

 

[Svar]

HL850 is the only planer I know that can cut flush to a wall.
Most belt sanders can get close too, if you don't mind the mess and potentially poor surface.
How much do you need to remove? Is it a visible surface or you just need to hog out some wood?

 

[guybo]

hi,right to the edge.guy[attachimg=1]

 

[guybo]

2nd pic,back to the planex[attachimg=1] nice break though.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Yes the HL850 can do that. Plus, with it's slightly skewed blade you get a smoother surface than with straight bladed electric planes.

 

[Sanderxpander]

That was quick and great info on the 850! Too bad it's the expensive one but yeah...

It doesn't need to be very pretty, it just needs to be a lot more flush than it is now.

I see some second hand ones on our local eBay thing, but they're older EB version and the dust port seems to prevent it going flush against a wall, or does that swivel somehow?

 

[Michael Kellough]

Dust can be collected from either side.

 

[Cheese]

The dust port can be moved to either side.

The blade will cut to the edge however, one pesky item remains in the way.

The blade guard pivots upwards but will still prevent you from a flush-to-wall cut unless it’s removed. It overhangs the base by about 5/16”.

I’ll post some photos later.

 

[Michael Kellough]

When pivoted all the way up the spindle cover tucks into the side of the case so you can make a rabbet of indefinite depth. or, cut right up against a wall, as in guybo's second photo.

 

[Cheese]

When pivoted all the way up the spindle cover tucks into the side of the case so you can make a rabbet of indefinite depth. or, cut right up against a wall, as in guybo's second photo.

Thanks for that Michael, I forgot about the sideways shift for the guard.  [tongue]

 

[Cheese]

I’ll post some photos later.

So, having said my mea culpa earlier...here are some photos for those not familiar with the HL 850. It certainly is a nice piece of equipment.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

 

[Sanderxpander]

Thanks for all the info, guys! Too bad the solutions on this forum are generally so expensive
But you get what you pay for. Looking into a good deal on an 850 now.

 

[Birdhunter]

I’d recommend really checking an used 850 out thoroughly. The parts are very expensive.

 

[mino]

Other option assuming the board is flat and accessible is to not plane but cut with a tracksaw.

Set the depth exactly to the thickness and have someone help you hold the top part of the rail to the wall.

The Festool rails have very good anti-slip pads, so you only need someone to hold the top of rail a bit until you get there with the saw and then switch and push the bottom against a wall for same reason while your pressure on the saw handles the other contact point.

Did that once and with two people it was a couple minutes of figuring and then a few quick cuts as we moved the rail along. We finished the ends with a multitool as the boarding was floor-to-ceiling. Light sanding with a hand pad and was like original.

 

[usernumber1]

the 850 is a beast!

that said, i agree with the prev poster and use a tracksaw

 

[Michael Kellough]

the 850 is a beast!

that said, i agree with the prev poster and use a tracksaw

“I need to plane down a board that's already mounted alongside a wall.”

 

[Sanderxpander]

Yeah thanks for the suggestion but I can't use a tracksaw or I would have, I'm pretty handy with my 55 by now.
Basically I built a new room dividing wall out of 2x4s and plywood and on one side it's butted against a board about 8cm wide that spans the remainder to the perpendicular wall. When I tested it with pieces, it seemed to be very nearly flush with my ply if I put the 2x4 behind and against that board for stability. I'm putting sheetrock over the whole thing now and it turns out it isn't nearly flush enough and in addition, it's skewed by a few degrees.

I hope that makes sense. Sanding is too slow and so is my Fein MultiMaster. And of course by now, as it goes, I've thought of a bunch of projects for which I could use an 850

 

[Svar]

Sanding is too slow and so is my Fein MultiMaster. And of course by now, as it goes, I've thought of a bunch of projects for which I could use an 850

Excuses, excuses... We are just trying to be helpful to your wallet.
A regular planer would take care of about half of it. My Makita can do 25 mm deep rabbet 40 mm from the wall. Then finish up with adze.  [big grin]