Router Forums banner

A question about avoiding snipe

3K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Cherryville Chuck 
#1 ·
We that use planers know about snipe and deal with it in different ways. For the most part snipe is prevented if the operator supports the leading edge of the workpiece so that it remains level all the way to the end of the cut, but just once in awhile I fail to do this successfully every time especially on the last and most critical pass through the planer.

One way to deal with thr problem isi to cut the workpiece long enough so that if the workpiece is sniped, the snipe can simply just be cut off leaving the workpiece long enough for its intended use, but that seems to be less than a great idea and I'm wondering if anybody has had any luck with extending th out feed table so that the extention prevents the workpiece from getting out of level during the cut.

Jerry
 
#2 ·
Jerry,
I've adjusted mine until I think I have have it dialed in... Then as you said, taking care while putting in... Cutting the piece a little longer for the just in cases...

But for the most part, I seem to be fine. Except if the piece I'm feeding is too short (about 4" or shorter). Just doesn't work out for me. I'd do better holding it in a small piece jig and planing it down with a ski jig - than feed it through my planer, because it's going to get snipe about 1-1/2" to 2" back. Doesn't matter if I have a sacrifitial piece in back to it. I think it has to do with the the piece being short and being between the feed rollers/not supported well.
 
#3 ·
Jerry,
I've adjusted mine until I think I have have it dialed in... Then as you said, taking care while putting in... Cutting the piece a little longer for the just in cases...

But for the most part, I seem to be fine. Except if the piece I'm feeding is too short (about 4" or shorter). Just doesn't work out for me. I'd do better holding it in a small piece jig and planing it down with a ski jig - than feed it through my planer, because it's going to get snipe about 1-1/2" to 2" back. Doesn't matter if I have a sacrifitial piece in back to it. I think it has to do with the the piece being short and being between the feed rollers/not supported well.

Mike, when you say "dialed in" are you talking about leveling the tables, I don't know of any other adjustment that the the operator can make, do you suppose that I need the operator's manual a little closer.

Jerry
 
#4 · (Edited)
I've got the DW735 with the extension tables.

I set it with a straight edge long enough to go end to end of the tables.
The table (outside) ends are actually set a bit high (above the platen) enough so to allow a nickel (or dime) to slip just under at the platen.

This mostly helps with shorter pieces, longer stock gets the manual uplift treatment until both feed rollers engage, then same at out feed before the front roller lets loose.

I normally size my stock prior to cutting components anyhow so what little snipe exists goes to cut off waste .

I don't recall the minimum length recommended to run through the planer but 4" sounds awfully short, there is a certain risk of losing control of the stock ie. the front roller releasing before the rear roller controls and/or a chunk of wild grain tearing into the cutter and prying up the short piece and kicking the whole thing up into the works or back at you.
 
#5 ·
Just out of curiosity, do your planers have a fixed head/moveable table or a moveable head/fixed table? Mine is a 16" King Canada which is the latter and it is bad for snipe. Locking the head to the columns helps but doesn't eliminate it. When you start a board and it hits the infeed roller, that roller wants to lift up but the front one doesn't. Then the board hits the front roller and both are lifted. Then the board starts to exit the planer and the infeed roller drops. Running more than one board at a time helps but sometimes one starts slipping and the last board is still going to snipe. I'm not sure there is a total solution in my case.
 
#6 · (Edited)
735's and most (if not all) other lunchbox planers are mobile heads.

The first planer I ever used was a fixed head unit belted to a 3 hp motor, I was taught even then to lift the ends to minimize snipe.

As long as the stock is under both feed rollers you're usually good to go, when only one roller is engaged it allows a pivot point for an unsupported board to raise into the cutters.

I've always felt that locking the heads keeps thickness variance tolerable, don't see how it would help with normal end sniping of an unsupported board.

The boys at Highland seem to think the same way.
Understanding Snipe | Thickness Planer Help
 
#11 ·
That's the explanation that fits my planer. Lifting the ends up at the right time has little or no effect on the snipe it produces. I've planed 8' x 16" wide x 6" thick timbers and 2 x lumber 20 feet long so I have hold the boards up except while they are balanced on the planer table when I can change ends.
 
#8 ·
Jerry, I have a dewalt planer and it has an infeed and outfeed table, which is adjusted to be on the same plane. In otherwords when I raise the cutter head and slide a straight edge through the tables are in line with each other. When I plane a board I feed the board into the planer pushing downward slightly until I know both feed rollers are engaged... then as the board exits the planner I push downward slightly again on board to keep the board in contact with the outfeed table and this eliminates snipe because the board runs under the cutter on the same plane from beginning to end of the cut. All sniping occurs when the board is being cut while in contact with only one feed roller or the infeed and outfeed tables are not on the same plane. I never plane more than 1/16" off a board at a pass. And never ever plane a board less than 14" long or less than 1/4" in thickness without using a carrier plank. Short boards can kick back and thin boards can shatter. I planed oak bench top glue-ups that were 3" x 12" x 60" and had to rig up an infeed and outfeed extension tables using black & decker workmates once. I clamped a 2 x 4 and lined them up length wise then clamped them in the workmates (again on the same plane as the infeed and outfeed tables) then waxed the 2 x 4s to make them slippery and planed them which worked out great for me. Each weighed about 60 pounds.
 
#9 ·
My planer was missing the in feed and out feed extensions. I had to run some long pieces a few days ago and needed a long table for the feed. Came up with the idea of putting my extension ladder (about 14' closed) on two saw horses and adding a melamine shelf board at either end of the planer shimmed to match the plate under the rollers. I clamped a stop block at the out feed side of the planer to hold it from walking down the ladder. Shimmed between board and stop block for feed board elevation on that end.

Worked great with no snipe. Could have just been good luck too, time will tell. I saw a fellow explaining a jig he made to avoid snipe using one long melamine board going through the planer with a cleat on the in feed side to stop the board from going through the planer. I did not really have a long enough board at the time to try that. He said it was the fastest, cheapest jig he ever made. It sounded like a good idea with one long level surface for the work to follow. There would be no transition between the feed extensions and the plate under the rollers with that method.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I did some experimenting this morning with the planer. I selected piece of ash that was just under an inch thick, 34" long, and 5.5" wide. I planed it down to .750" by making several light passes. I let the board go through the planer each time without attempting to support it in anyway. I did this to watch for snipe and there was ablsolutely none. I have not, at least so far, ever needed to plane boards longer than this test board. A wider board of this same length and thickness certainly would be heavier and would probably need some support. It may be that when one needs to plane a wide, long and heavy workpiece that in such a case the piece should be cut long just in case you get some snipe and do not want to fiddle with planeing the snipe put and reduceing the thickness of the workpiece. Just some learning on my part, but might be something for others t consider as they too deal with the issue of snipe prevention,

By the way have you looked at the photo that I added this mrning to the thread on the DC hose issue for 735. In my shop it was so simple but probably won't work for most folks.

Jerry
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top