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Workpieces longer than the in and out-feed surfacing tables should be supported, e.g. by
extension tables or roller supports. Unless very thick material is being planed, flatting should be
the safest of operations on a hand fed planer, provided that all necessary precautions are
taken. In an attempt to justify the incorrect use of the bridge guard (many wrongly pass the
timber between the end of the guard and the fence) machinists often assert that the left hand
has to jump the guard as the wood is passed over the cutters, the consequent interruption in
the progress of the cut preventing the production of accurate work. It is also claimed that the
left hand must exert pressure on the wood immediately over the cutterblock. Only in the case
of flatting short pieces of wood might it be necessary to pass the wood between the end of the
bridge guard and the fence in order to maintain adequate control. In this event, the wood
should be fed up and over the cutters by means of a push block as described in the relevant
section of this manual. Small pieces are the most difficult to control, so consider, do you really
need to face and edge them?
The HSE has published guidelines on the ergonomically correct use of hand fed planers, some of
which is reproduced here:
Hand positioning
Preparatory: Using the left hand, with the guard resting on the outfeed table, adjust the guard
horizontally up to the fence and then lift the guard to just accommodate the thickness of the
workpiece. Push the workpiece with the right hand only a little under the guard and let the
latter rest upon the workpiece. This stage should not be carried out while the cutterblock is in
motion.
The work should be fed by the right hand, and if the knives are sharp and the tables are
properly set the main functions of the left hand are to assist feeding by drawing the wood along
the delivery table towards the end of the cut, and to remove the planed piece.
Summary of Contents for PT255
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