Festool power Planer for project question

[bonesbr549]

Here me out, I've got a project that I'm wondering if the festool power planer will solve an issue.  I'm working on an 8 sided cherry pencil post bed.  Post is 80" long 2 5/8" square.  The taper will begin at 26" from the floor and reduce down to 1 1/4" at the top.  The challenge is cutting the taper.  I've resarched and I've seen everything from a taper jig on a Table saw, to spoke shave and hand planes.  I could do it with TS, but I'd prefer not to hoss that big a post through the blade with a taper jig.  The hand plane could do it, but I got to thinking rig up two rails' with the power planer riding on top and pivot the post upward and use the power planer to shave off the facet to get the 4 sided taper needed.  For the next 4 facets that are cut at 45 degree to those make a cradel that is a 45 to pivot the post and repeat.  Just thinking out of the box.  Am I crazy, or do I just secretly want an excuse to tell the wife that to finish the bed, I need the tool (worked with the kapex and the hutch )

 

[erock]

Sounds like a jig with the hl850 will work.  If it doesn't work out for you return it with in the 30 days.

I do love my hl850 with the bench top unit.

Eric

 

[Alan m]

sound like it would be easier with a planer thicknesser.
maybe a router jig doing the same thing as the planer  might work .
do you have a router. if so buy something else you will need  , if you dont i would rather have a router than a planer

 

[jmarkflesher]

I have found the easiest way to do tapers is with the jointer. Mark a reference line at a distance you chose, say 6 inches from one end of the post, on all four sides. Start each cut at this point and take as many passes you need to get the opposite end to what you want. You will not take material off at the reference line but you will taper down from this point. If you take four passes do each side the same. Using this method you can figure out a jig for the 850 to do the same thing. Problem solved. You have another tool. The only difference between men and boys are the price of there toys. MARK

 

[jacko9]

Here me out, I've got a project that I'm wondering if the festool power planer will solve an issue.  I'm working on an 8 sided cherry pencil post bed.  Post is 80" long 2 5/8" square.   The taper will begin at 26" from the floor and reduce down to 1 1/4" at the top.  The challenge is cutting the taper.  I've resarched and I've seen everything from a taper jig on a Table saw, to spoke shave and hand planes.   I could do it with TS, but I'd prefer not to hoss that big a post through the blade with a taper jig.  The hand plane could do it, but I got to thinking rig up two rails' with the power planer riding on top and pivot the post upward and use the power planer to shave off the facet to get the 4 sided taper needed.  For the next 4 facets that are cut at 45 degree to those make a cradel that is a 45 to pivot the post and repeat.  Just thinking out of the box.  Am I crazy, or do I just secretly want an excuse to tell the wife that to finish the bed, I need the tool (worked with the kapex and the hutch )

I use that excuse on my wife all of the time.  Every time I start a major project for her, she wants to know what tool do I need to buy for this project [wink]  Buy the planer and have fun with it.

 

[Zacharytanner]

+ 1 on Jacko9's response. I figure the new tool is payment for my time and labor  ;D

Frank

 

[Kevin Stricker]

I have found the easiest way to do tapers is with the jointer. Mark a reference line at a distance you chose, say 6 inches from one end of the post, on all four sides. Start each cut at this point and take as many passes you need to get the opposite end to what you want. You will not take material off at the reference line but you will taper down from this point. If you take four passes do each side the same. Using this method you can figure out a jig for the 850 to do the same thing. Problem solved. You have another tool. The only difference between men and boys are the price of there toys. MARK

A jointer is my tool of choice for tapers too.  I am sure you could do it with the HL850, but I would much prefer to do it on a stationary machine.  If you do go with the jointer, clamp a stop on the infeed table which locates your start point.  It will make all your legs taper the same and will also make starting the taper a bit safer.  Set the end of the leg on the stop and lower the other end onto the cutter.

 

[jacko9]

I have found the easiest way to do tapers is with the jointer. Mark a reference line at a distance you chose, say 6 inches from one end of the post, on all four sides. Start each cut at this point and take as many passes you need to get the opposite end to what you want. You will not take material off at the reference line but you will taper down from this point. If you take four passes do each side the same. Using this method you can figure out a jig for the 850 to do the same thing. Problem solved. You have another tool. The only difference between men and boys are the price of there toys. MARK

A jointer is my tool of choice for tapers too.  I am sure you could do it with the HL850, but I would much prefer to do it on a stationary machine.  If you do go with the jointer, clamp a stop on the infeed table which locates your start point.  It will make all your legs taper the same and will also make starting the taper a bit safer.  Set the end of the leg on the stop and lower the other end onto the cutter.

Kev,

The question was for a post 80" long with the taper starting at 26" which leaves 54 inches on the infeed jointer table.  I have a 8" Poitras Jointer but the infeed table is nowhere that long (29 inches) am I missing something?

Jack

 

[bonesbr549]

Thanks for all the responses.  The Jointer will not work in this case.  I have a 12" jointer and considered using the jointer method for tapering a leg.  Issue with that is it's basically a stopped taper and it's an octagon so the tapers need to be at 45 to the first 4 and equal thickness down the post.  Moving a long post over the jointer leaves a lot to be desired and not much room for error.  Hoping to move the post to the cutting method.  Considered the jointer, but liked the wide blade of the power planer.  Used to have one eons ago(not the festool)

 

[jmarkflesher]

I have found the easiest way to do tapers is with the jointer. Mark a reference line at a distance you chose, say 6 inches from one end of the post, on all four sides. Start each cut at this point and take as many passes you need to get the opposite end to what you want. You will not take material off at the reference line but you will taper down from this point. If you take four passes do each side the same. Using this method you can figure out a jig for the 850 to do the same thing. Problem solved. You have another tool. The only difference between men and boys are the price of there toys. MARK

A jointer is my tool of choice for tapers too.  I am sure you could do it with the HL850, but I would much prefer to do it on a stationary machine.  If you do go with the jointer, clamp a stop on the infeed table which locates your start point.  It will make all your legs taper the same and will also make starting the taper a bit safer.  Set the end of the leg on the stop and lower the other end onto the cutter.

Kev,

The question was for a post 80" long with the taper starting at 26" which leaves 54 inches on the infeed jointer table.  I have a 8" Poitras Jointer but the infeed table is nowhere that long (29 inches) am I missing something?

Jack

Jack, I use a HTC roller stand with a 1/2" plate steel piece on top. It becomes very heavy and does not move. The plate rests on wood blocks, not the rollers. I adjust the top of the plate to the infeed table and check all with a straight edge. It works. Really. MARK

 

[jacko9]

I have found the easiest way to do tapers is with the jointer. Mark a reference line at a distance you chose, say 6 inches from one end of the post, on all four sides. Start each cut at this point and take as many passes you need to get the opposite end to what you want. You will not take material off at the reference line but you will taper down from this point. If you take four passes do each side the same. Using this method you can figure out a jig for the 850 to do the same thing. Problem solved. You have another tool. The only difference between men and boys are the price of there toys. MARK

A jointer is my tool of choice for tapers too.  I am sure you could do it with the HL850, but I would much prefer to do it on a stationary machine.  If you do go with the jointer, clamp a stop on the infeed table which locates your start point.  It will make all your legs taper the same and will also make starting the taper a bit safer.  Set the end of the leg on the stop and lower the other end onto the cutter.

Kev,

The question was for a post 80" long with the taper starting at 26" which leaves 54 inches on the infeed jointer table.  I have a 8" Poitras Jointer but the infeed table is nowhere that long (29 inches) am I missing something?

Jack

Jack, I use a HTC roller stand with a 1/2" plate steel piece on top. It becomes very heavy and does not move. The plate rests on wood blocks, not the rollers. I adjust the top of the plate to the infeed table and check all with a straight edge. It works. Really. MARK

Mark,  that sounds like a great solution to joint very long boards.  I have a shop made oak adjustable stand that I cart around the shop the top is my wifes rolling pin and since we only make pies every few years she really doesn't miss it.

Jack

 

[Kevin Stricker]

Missed the 80" part, that could pose a problem.  I guess re-reading your post that a jointer would not work at all.
The part I am missing is how are you going to support the planer on your jig?  

 

[sheeschen]

I like my HL 850, but it spends a lot of time sitting in its systainer.  About once a year I consider selling it, but a power planer is nice to have around.  Why don't I just replace it with a cheaper one and use the extra money on some other Festool goodies?  Well, maybe some day I'd want to get one of the other cutting heads for effects.  I'm a sucker for flexibility.

It sounds like it (or most other planers) would make your task go quickly, and if you have any other projects that could use it in a big way, or just a hankering for one, get it.  It's a great tool.  Solid, robust, great dust collection - all the standard Festool traits.  I think the angle stop accessory would help to hold/support the planer doing the 45 degree parts, so that may do half your jig work for you.

 

[jmarkflesher]

Mark,  that sounds like a great solution to joint very long boards.  I have a shop made oak adjustable stand that I cart around the shop the top is my wifes rolling pin and since we only make pies every few years she really doesn't miss it.

Jack                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      IS IT A SOUR CHERRY PIE?  Mark

 

[jacko9]

Mark,  that sounds like a great solution to joint very long boards.  I have a shop made oak adjustable stand that I cart around the shop the top is my wifes rolling pin and since we only make pies every few years she really doesn't miss it.

Jack                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      IS IT A SOUR CHERRY PIE?   Mark

At my age I can't remember  [wink]

Jack

 

[Nick C]

I have the HL 850 planer. You adjust the depth of cut by rotating the handle. A scale indicates the depth of cut in mm. I have found that I can cut a taper by rotating the handle--thus increasing the depth of cut--while I am making the cutting stroke. To make these posts, I would draw the small octagon on the end of the workpiece. Then I would begin the stroke at the 26-inch mark, with the depth of cut set to zero. As I made the stroke I would gradually rotate the handle, increasing the cut depth as I moved along. Not too much cut per pass--maybe from 0 to 3mm--so 4 passes gets me close to the mark. I would save a couple of final passes with a (long) handplane, so ensure a flat surface. Takes a steady hand, but it is easier than it sounds. As you suggest, do the square taper first, then nip off the corners for the octagon.

 

[Tinker]

I don't have a solution to the problem of note, but I do have the HL850. as with a previous poster, it sat in its systainer for several years.  Last winter, i finally decided to get the bench mount and angle guide.  Those two items have made all the difference to the planer.  I now have a permanent spot on one of my benches.  It finds a use for nearly every project now.  This fall, i plan to make a couple of table extensions to give the tool more bed length for bigger projects.  I tried an outfeed extension in early spring and it worked pretty good.  That was out of some scrap wood and only a little time expenditure and almost no forethought.  but the point is, the bench mount and angle fence make the HL 850 a complete other tool.

i think you could figure a way to solve your problem using that combo.
Tinker

 

[cgmojoco]

Tinker.  What are the the things you do with your setup?