I just got my Safe-T-Planer yesterday and started "Testing" on wood scraps. It is a neat tool. :hyper:
I'm sure many of you use them.
Any tips or cautions?
I guess limit the cuts to about 1/8".
How often does it need resharpening?

I'm curious about these; in 35-years of woodworking, I've never seen a Safe-T-Planer in use. Do they fill a special niche because they do certain things better than other tools, are they a small affordable tool that's used in shops that aren't equipped with thickness planers and finishing sanders, or what?

The Safe-T-Planer is a small disc cutter that you can put in you drill press and plane down wood thickness. I got mine from StewMac for about $60 delivered. It is probably more versitile in a small shop than a full size planer.
Here is a video from Ramirez Basses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YWgXeVaSJw

It is probably more versitile in a small shop than a full size planer.


I bought one not too long ago.

+1000 Also excellent for fingerboards and non-tapered necks.

I'm gonna try some of the uses, that the documentation shows too. Take the time and make a good removable fence for it......
you'll thank yourself, helps it start on a piece of wood easier.

But after saying that, it definitely won't make me give up my 12" planer, but it's a good alternative, just in case the planer just won't do.

With the proper jig, I don't know why you couldn't contour the back of a neck????

With the proper jig, I don't know why you couldn't contour the back of a neck????

Now that is an interesting thought. Except maybe as long as the neck thickness is not tapered, I guess that would be the challenge or changing height a few times, but that would leave steps on the surface though...... Non tapered? That sounds do-able......

I've used mine quite a bit, haven't had to sharpen it yet. I use mine for smaller material that a planer or jointer is too big for.

Interesting - thanks for the replies. How well do they handle tearout in highly-figured wood?

Now that is an interesting thought. Except maybe as long as the neck thickness is not tapered, I guess that would be the challenge or changing height a few times, but that would leave steps on the surface though...... Non tapered? That sounds do-able......

I use it for tapered necks all the time. Just put a shim under one end.

I use it for tapered necks all the time. Just put a shim under one end.

And see? ....This is why my thought of this has not reached your thought level.....well played sir, well played. :)

I've been considering getting one of these. I have a 15" planer with straight knives and it gives me problems with highly figured wood. This seems like the cutter head rotation would lend itself to less tearout. Any experience one way or another?

I've used it tons of times, and had very little tear out, especially if you go slowly and try not to do too much in one pass...

Its really funny to me that its called a Safe-t-planer when its the most dangerous tool on earth. They should change the name to yourgoingtoloseafinger-t-planer.

But i have used one quite a bit when i was teaching at a school, i found it not very practical for any application other than not having a thickness planer.

I also had problems with chip out, and the main thing is you better have a really stiff perfectly flat base on your drill press or its gonna be way uneven.

Its really funny to me that its called a Safe-t-planer when its the most dangerous tool on earth. They should change the name to yourgoingtoloseafinger-t-planer.


Yep. That one and a Dremel.
:eek:

I've been a professional woodworker for 25 years, and that is the one tool I can think of that I'd flat out refuse to use. A good, almost foolproof in fact, way of making a tool dangerous is to use it in ways it was never intended to be used. Like turning a drill press into an overhead shaping machine for instance.There's just no way of sewing back on what that could remove. My .02.

I've been a professional woodworker for 25 years, and that is the one tool I can think of that I'd flat out refuse to use. A good, almost foolproof in fact, way of making a tool dangerous is to use it in ways it was never intended to be used. Like turning a drill press into an overhead shaping machine for instance.There's just no way of sewing back on what that could remove. My .02.

I partially agree. When I first got one I tried it on a drill press and it seemed way to dangerous. I love in on my gearhead mill though.

Last I looked all of the tools in my shop are dangerous, being carefull with any power tool is a must!

Last I looked all of the tools in my shop are dangerous, being carefull with any power tool is a must!

+1000, EVERY tool has it's own danger. We all take that risk, without signing a waiver. This isn't gym class, right?

I have noticed that the blades dull very fast. When they do go bad it doesnt work well imo.

neatest little tool ever. i use mine all the time on fingerboards. usually only on harder woods that i dont want to have dull up my planer blades.

said before, if I didn't have a safe-t-planer I probably wouldn't be building basses. its the most used tool in my process.

said before, if I didn't have a safe-t-planer I probably wouldn't be building basses. its the most used tool in my process.

how often do you have to replace the blades on yours?

how often do you have to replace the blades on yours?

haven't had to yet. I've sharpened them maybe a couple of dozen times in about 3 years.

said before, if I didn't have a safe-t-planer I probably wouldn't be building basses. its the most used tool in my process.

Wiser, I don't have much luck with mine. Do you use a dedicated jig? Could you post a pic?

i have never used one of these tools but i would be concerned about how safe or accurate it is since most drill presses have considerable run out in their quills. i could see it being a good tool used w/a milling machine and a sliding table

I use mine in a heavy floor stand drill press and is works just fine. Any flaws are usually my fault by not feeding the material in smoothly.

Wiser, I don't have much luck with mine. Do you use a dedicated jig? Could you post a pic?

Oh, nevermind, i googled "safe-t-planer jig" and Wilser's youtube video popped up. Looks like just a bigger table on the drill press?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YWgXeVaSJw&fmt=18

Oh, nevermind, i googled "safe-t-planer jig" and Wilser's youtube video popped up. Looks like just a bigger table on the drill press?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YWgXeVaSJw&fmt=18

yeap, it's just a plywood table. But I leveled it to the spindle using the instructions included with the safe-t-planer. I had to shim the table with a couple layers of veneer on one end.

just ordered my "saf-t-planer". cant waait to try it! i got outbid on 2 of them on ebay, so just bought a new one. grrrr. at least i know the resale value is good

After building a table for it and using it for a few hours, I'm hooked. There is a bit of a learning curve on how to feed work into it, but I'm getting fantastic results. Run it at around 3000rpm, and make sure your table is as level as you can get it (I had to use veneer to get mine level too, Wilser). I have mine set so that the tool cuts about 1 or 2/1000" deeper on the side closest to me, it helps with preventing grab (this thing WILL grab, if you feed it too fast or if the tool cuts deeper on the backside.) That slight unlevel-ness causes some slight swirl marks, that I can remove with one or two passes of a cabinet scraper. I'm feeding it claro walnut, curly maple and cocobolo with almost no tearout, and I don't try to cut deeper than 1/8" at a pass. Oh, and set up a shop vac to blow the table clear while you work, the chips will wreak havoc on the depth of cut.

Last I looked all of the tools in my shop are dangerous, being carefull with any power tool is a must!

Agreed.


Sometimes the cure for stupidity is losing a finger.

Ive been intrigued by this lil sucker for a while, But trusting my 12" POS ryobi drill press with it just doesnt seem like a great idea.

Pasdabeer good point. Is there any size of drill press which is not suitable for the safe t planer?

Eleonn, Im more worried about the fact its ryobi, and the shank doesnt feel real sturdy in them.

What speed do you run the drill press at when using it?

What speed do you run the drill press at when using it?

They work better fast, 3000rpm. Mine cuts terribly at slow speeds on all species (tried it first at 700rpm.) The high speed also seems to stabilize the tiny bit of runout in my cheap chinese drillpress.

Ever try running one with a router with a speed controll, I know my old chicago electric ( when it was made in chicago damnit, not the imports ) runs down to about 5000 RPM.

a saf-t-planer on a router? that sounds really scary.

The danger of it exploding under extreme RPM is very likely. I would not put it in a router. Also the out of balance vibration may be very bad.

hrm, considering a router is ment for side to side preasure, while i drill press is not.. I would have thought a router with speed control down to 3-5k RPM would be a bit safer...

The instructions say to run it around 3000rpm. I'd be extremely weary of almost doubling that speed.

The instructions say to run it around 3000rpm. I'd be extremely weary of almost doubling that speed.

I thought instructions said 6k rpm max, could have been the included paperwork or read elsewhere like stewmac or lmii or something. I run mine at about that speed no problems at all as long as you keep the cutters sharp. Woods such as bubinga and purpleheart can burn them up real fast, so keep an eye on them.

As long as the chuck can hold it tight I wouldn't have any issues running them on any drill press. I'm sure most if not all the chucks can be upgraded for relatively cheap.

That brings up a good question, Has anyone used one on a radial arm saw?