DW734 Multiple Boards?

[Greatwhitewing]

Can I run multiple boards through either simultaneously or with staggered time intervals (10 seconds'ish)? These will be 8 foot long and someone at the back end catching and stacking.

I need to run through about 75 kiln dried 2x3x8' pine studs down to 1-1/4x2-1/4 with at least 4 passes for each board could be very time consuming one board at a time. The calculated 9 hours could be reduced to about 2-3 hours with several boards going through simultaneously.

Would the max bite I can take be reduced using almost the full blade width?

I don't require super fine finish, used a table saw in times past for similar projects and was good enough.

Interested in experiences or advice. Yea or nay?

 

[OccupantRJ]

Unless new wood expect to have to sharpen or replace the blades after the job. Dirt and foreign material will eat a set of blades. Have a large trash can for chips. If trying to run multiples, expect lots of stopping of parts due to loss of traction until the wood thickness has averaged out. I start with the thickest wood to get to the average as I plane.

 

[Mavawreck]

You can stagger, I do it often.

Be wary of the machine overheating, you can tell by the noise if you are pushing it too hard.

I use a cheap HF electric planer and belt sander to remove the scale/dirt off old lumber before running it through the planer

Heart pine will gum the **** out of the blades if thats what you're using.

Can you run it through the table saw or a band saw first to reduce the amount you need to take off? Then just use the planer for that last 1/4"

 

[bob15]

Not sure how you get 9 hours to do the job. How long are you figuring/expecting it takes a single board to go through the planer? And how much do you plan on taking off per pass?

Agree on starting with the thickest board and then run them through one board behind the other which will help eliminate board snipe.

Are you going to be running a vacuum set-up? If not, expect a mess.

Why not use the table saw again? It would be cleaner, quicker and quieter. Or use the saw to get it where you only need one pass through the planer.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Not sure how you get 9 hours to do the job. How long are you figuring/expecting it takes a single board to go through the planer? And how much do you plan on taking off per pass?

Agree on starting with the thickest board and then run them through one board behind the other which will help eliminate board snipe.

Are you going to be running a vacuum set-up? If not, expect a mess.

Why not use the table saw again? It would be cleaner, quicker and quieter. Or use the saw to get it where you only need one pass through the planer.

9 hours was estimated on 26 feet per minute x bla bla, doesn't matter. Multiple boards divides the total time by the number of boards at once run through. Time savings is obvious unless there is a downside I don't see, that's why I am asking.

I don't know how much per pass, have heard varying numbers up to 1/8". The more passes per side makes multiple boards more desirable.

The saw worked okay'ish for finish, just barely good enough but at that time it was all I had and had to make due. Better than saw finish is wanted.

I am hoping to run my shop-vac but will need to run each from a separate circuit which will take some planning on my part.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

You can stagger, I do it often.

Be wary of the machine overheating, you can tell by the noise if you are pushing it too hard.

I use a cheap HF electric planer and belt sander to remove the scale/dirt off old lumber before running it through the planer

Heart pine will gum the **** out of the blades if thats what you're using.

Can you run it through the table saw or a band saw first to reduce the amount you need to take off? Then just use the planer for that last 1/4"

I was hoping for one pass per side (four per board). 1-1/2 down to 1-1/4 is nominally 1/8 per pass

And actually 1-3/8 x 2-3/8 would be okay too as long as it's ALL consistent.

Too much? Maybe 6 passes per board. Run 1 side to get flat, run opposite side then run first side a second time to insure parallel?

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Unless new wood expect to have to sharpen or replace the blades after the job. Dirt and foreign material will eat a set of blades. Have a large trash can for chips. If trying to run multiples, expect lots of stopping of parts due to loss of traction until the wood thickness has averaged out. I start with the thickest wood to get to the average as I plane.

So I take from your comments the drive rollers adapt to the stock thickness so if one board was a little thinner to start it wouldn't go through?

 

[bob15]

You are trying to take .75" off on two sides, correct?

I would use the table saw and rip them, taking .50/.625" off and then a quick pass or two through the planer for a final finish and be done with it. Quick & easy.

I have that same planer and find that taking too much in one pass bogs the planer down or the wood will get "stuck" inside it, with the feed roller spinning and the wood not moving. I take less than .125" off on a pass, but usually I am running 8-12" wide pine boards through it.

 

[bob15]

So I take from your comments the drive rollers adapt to the stock thickness so if one board was a little thinner to start it wouldn't go through?

If you start with a thin board and remove 1/16" and then get a board that is 1/8" thicker than the thin board, it will either:

1. Not feed because your planer opening is too small (where the depth removal guage is)

2. It will be trying to remove a ton of material which bogs the planer & drive roller (they might just spin with the board not moving, leaving black rubber marks on your wood). It might also leave you wood chopping (poor finish)

 

[Greatwhitewing]

You are trying to take .75" off on two sides, correct?

I would use the table saw and rip them, taking .50/.625" off and then a quick pass or two through the planer for a final finish and be done with it. Quick & easy.

I have that same planer and find that taking too much in one pass bogs the planer down or the wood will get "stuck" inside it, with the feed roller spinning and the wood not moving. I take less than .125" off on a pass, but usually I am running 8-12" wide pine boards through it.

No, no where near .75.
2x3's which run 1.5x2.5 down to 2.25x3.25, so theoretically 1/8 per side or or I change my finished size to 2.375x2.375 and take off 1/16 per side (nominally)

I know studs vary so I was making sure I get good cuts on every side.

Final dimension is not important so long as they all the same size.

I suppose I can take first pass on two adjacent sides and make a final decision then.

 

[bob15]

No, no where near .75.
2x3's which run 1.5x2.5 down to 2.25x3.25, so theoretically 1/8 per side or or I change my finished size to 2.375x2.375 and take off 1/16 per side (nominally)

I know studs vary so I was making sure I get good cuts on every side.

Final dimension is not important so long as they all the same size.

I suppose I can take first pass on two adjacent sides and make a final decision then.

Ok, I thought they were kiln dried, full dimensional 2x3's and you were going down to 1.25 x 2.25 (that is where my .75" came from).

If you want to just run them through the planer, one time on each side, that won't really take that long....maybe 90 minutes

Using a dust collector (something like a dust deputy) would be helpful.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Ok, I thought they were kiln dried, full dimensional 2x3's and you were going down to 1.25 x 2.25 (that is where my .75" came from).

If you want to just run them through the planer, one time on each side, that won't really take that long....maybe 90 minutes

Using a dust collector (something like a dust deputy) would be helpful.

75 boards with 4 passes each board only take 90 minutes? I read it feeds at 26 feet/min or 3.25 mins per cut x 4 x 75 = 16 hours! If I can do 4 boards at a time I still get 4 hours roughly which is fine.

Have a 16 gallon shop vac for dust collection. May need a few bags..

I guess I'll find out about multiple boards when I start planing..

Thanks for your help

 

[ItsNemo]

26 feet a minute should mean you can pass 3 or so 8' long boards per minute...not 3.25 minutes per cut.

(75 * 4 * 8) / 26 = 80.77 minutes

 

[PCustoms]

What are you looking to use these for?

Be aware that planers don't really remove twist and cupping, as the drive rollers push the board flat just before it hits the cutterhead.

Batch your material, as you get the first board into the planner so it self feeds you shoukd be able to get the 2nd one going. Helps with 2 people, 1 in, 1 out. One guy will struggle to keep up with the machine running 2 boards at a time, let alone 3.

Once the first face is through briNG everything around for the other face. Repeat for the other sides

 

[bob15]

An 8 foot long board will take about 20 seconds to make one pass or 90 seconds (really only 80 seconds) a for a complete board (4 passes).

Ninety seconds per board times 75 boards is 6750 seconds or 113 minutes for a complete job. Longer if you need to empty the vac.

good luck

 

[Greatwhitewing]

26 feet a minute should mean you can pass 3 or so 8' long boards per minute...not 3.25 minutes per cut.

(75 * 4 * 8) / 26 = 80.77 minutes

Yea, my math was off

 

[Fbmoose48]

Shop vac isn't really ideal, that much wood will fill it quick. The 734 is pretty good about chip ejection, it you don't have a dyst collector you may be better of with a big 55 gallon bag at the end for chips

 

[IowaDon]

Good luck with your project. You will be shocked and amazed by the volume of shavings it will produce.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Shop vac isn't really ideal, that much wood will fill it quick. The 734 is pretty good about chip ejection, it you don't have a dyst collector you may be better of with a big 55 gallon bag at the end for chips

Good to know. I have large contractor grade refuse bags. Can tell the wife we are going with pine mulch this year.. lol

 

[OccupantRJ]

What are you looking to use these for?

Be aware that planers don't really remove twist and cupping, as the drive rollers push the board flat just before it hits the cutterhead.

Batch your material, as you get the first board into the planner so it self feeds you shoukd be able to get the 2nd one going. Helps with 2 people, 1 in, 1 out. One guy will struggle to keep up with the machine running 2 boards at a time, let alone 3.

Once the first face is through briNG everything around for the other face. Repeat for the other sides

Rotating the planer around will be easier.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Rotating the planer around will be easier.

I think turning it upside down negates the gravity effect..