Official Luthiers Forum!

My latest Luthier Tips du Jour video is now on Youtube. The topic is about using the Safe-t-planer to thickness backs and sides.

Enjoy!

Hi Robbie!

Thanks for sharing the usage of planer and making it available to see it on Youtube.

Can this take place of a thickness sander? I just bought me a nice Drill press and am thinking how soon I would need a thickness sander if I do.

Thanks, David

Thanks Robbie,

I have your build DVD from LMI. I've used the Safe-T-Planer similarly to your video. It sure makes a lot of saw dust real fast. Have you any ideas about a dust collection for your table set up? I've tried a couple ideas myself, but haven't had a lot of success. Thanks.

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Ron

Yes, the safe-t-planer can take the place of a thickness sander. In fact. I have built many guitars by just thicknessing with the safe-t-planer and then using a scraper to clean it up. Works like a charm if you don't have the funds or space for a sander.

I usually have a lot of guys standing around watching as I use the tool. The best dust collector I have found is to have a guy hold a vacuum hose up next to the tool as I use it. I guess you could somehow make a jig to hold the hose.
I also make sure to wear a dust mask.

Robbie,

You've done it again, you star!! Great info, and great watch!
I have a safe-t-planer at home, that I use on woods that are tricky to thickness by hand planes. There were some extra tips there that'll end the slight frustration I have had with the SafeT on occasion, like the example, the use of the block to keep the wood straight as you feed it through.

Y'know, these vids are going to be so popular, you are going to need to do some outtakes!! (hopefully with no gore involved...)

The sharpening always worried me. So Robbie-how many sets of wood do you go through before you need to resharpen? Say Mahogany, and Rosewood??

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Right out of the box the tool is good for probably 15 to 20 sets or so before it needs to be sharpened. After it has been sharpened it needs to be touched up after every 4-6 sets.

it looks like you can hog off more material per pass with the safe-t-planer than you can with a typical 12" planer or drum sander but, you have to take more passes so I imagine time would probably be a wash between the two. Is there some advantage to using a safe-t-planer I'm missing or is it just a case of using whatcha got and can afford?

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Besides the fact that it's only $50 and you can use the tools you already have? Also, not too many 12" planers will safely handle plates at 2mm - 2.5mm.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

So, seeing as I already have a 12" planer and an open drum sander, there's no need to drop the $50 on a safe - t - planer.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Andy,

I know there are guys that use a planer instead of the drill press safe-t-planer to thickness backs and sides. If you can make it work for you then by all means go ahead. My experience has been that the safe-t-planer really is a safer way to go. Short of using a sled, and even then, planers are just not good at thicknessing lumber that thin. One day you might just lose an expensive set of back and sides because it got "eaten" by the planer. I found this out the hard way and I have a nice planer with a super smooth carbide spiral cutting head.

BTW, If anyone is benefitting from these Luthier Tips du Jour clips, feel free to post a comment on Youtube as well as this forum about the video. You might also give LMI some feedback as well.

I found your video very enlightening, Robbie! I have a drill press Safe T Planer, and have used it some, but I recently saw a guy who had a "Super Safe T Planer", and didn't know what to do with it. I asked what was different about it, and he said it had a bolt and no shaft. I bought it, cause I immediately knew it was for a Radial Arm Saw, which I have. It's a little bigger than the drill press size, but works the same way. It mounts directly to the saw mandrel.


I liked the tip on lifting the leading edge of the table to reduce burning, which was a problem with the rosewood I tried with it. I'll try that on my next one. Thanks for the post.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Very Cool Waddy!!
This safe-t-planer tool is like a computer. When it is set up and working properly it is a real time saver and joy to work with. When it is not, it can be a pain in the !~^*!! I hope this Tips du jour video will save people frustration and some four letter words!

RObbie,

So after you thin the top accordingly using T planer, do you use drum sander at all for fine/finish sanding? Or does this planer sand fine enough where only minor sanding using hand is needed?

How about at the school. Since you have Steel City sander, do your students still have use for this T Planer?

Thanks, David

I do most of the top thinning with a handplane and then clean it up in the sander.

For the back and sides the students, and I, use the safe-t-planer to get close. I then use the sander to clean up the sides and occasionally the back after it is joined. However, with a nice scraper and a few minutes of time you can avoid the sander altogether. I did it for years!

I got one of these from ebay, just F'n amazing tool!

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https://soundcloud.com/jeffreylsuits/he ... -runnin-13

So how do you sharpen these? Or do you just replace the blades?

david

Better explained if you watch towards the end of the video. Robbie demonstrates it perfectly.

My husband has no interest in guitar building, and he's just watched the entire series on youtube. He's dead chuffed with the quality and clarity of the tutorials. I better not catch him in MY workshop using MY wood.....

Is spruce more likley to tear out with the saftey planer?

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

That's my problem. I didn't watch the whole video. I'm at work and can only spare minutes before getting my self into trouble.

What kind of RPMs does it operate at?

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Gravity, its not just a good idea.....its the LAW! (the poster formerly known as Sparticus)

That's hilarious!

I run it around 1700 RPM's or so. Anything less and it doesn't want to cut nicely. Anything more than around 2000 starts to get a bit intimidating for me but you can run it full blast if you like.