Nicked Planer Blades -Change just one ?

[Mark D Hillier]

I have a DeWalt DW734 planer with a 3 blade cutter head. The last batch I ran though it must have had staples in it or something because I now have nicked blades.

I've flipped one of the blades and am considering running it like that. The thought being that each time I get a nick, I flip another blade. When all 3 have been flipped, it's time for a new set.

Can anyone think why that might present any kind of problem ? I've shifted blades on a jointer before which is essentially the same thing and had no problems.

Thoughts ?

[Kirk Poore]

I have a DeWalt DW734 planer with a 3 blade cutter head. The last batch I ran though it must have had staples in it or something because I now have nicked blades.

I've flipped one of the blades and am considering running it like that. The thought being that each time I get a nick, I flip another blade. When all 3 have been flipped, it's time for a new set.

Can anyone think why that might present any kind of problem ? I've shifted blades on a jointer before which is essentially the same thing and had no problems.

Thoughts ?

I haven't changed mine in a while, but I think there is a little bit of left/right play. Try to slide one blade one way and another the other way and see what the results are.

Unless it's badly nicked, I usually keep going and just tried to sand out the final surface. After all, I almost always have to sand/scrape/hand plane the final surface anyhow. And I'm cheap.

Kirk

[Myk Rian]

+1 on sliding the blades over and using a card scraper.

[Darius Ferlas]

If I a blade gets nicked in my planer all I do is feed the material through the planer again at the same thickness, but with the board shifted slightly left or right. That gets rid of the nick mark.

[Mark D Hillier]

I didn't think these blades could be moved. After removing the blades and (carefully) cleaned the blades and cutterhead and now I can slide them ever so slightly (less than 1 mm).

So I have left one bade untouched; moved one blade all the way and moved the third blade the other way.

This should get me some more mileage out of these before flipping them.

Anyone had these kinds of blades sharpened ? Since the 'height' of the baldes can't be adjusted, I presume that I'd have to at least recalibrate the depth of cut gauge.

[Dan Hahr]

I have the DW735. You will go through a lot of blades if you flip em every time they get a nick. Some wood is just tough on blades even without metal in them. Dewalt blades are notorious for nicking quickly. They are extremely sharp out of the package, but that level of sharpness does not last long. However, they can be used for a long time before they are dull. (Dull does not mean "no longer sharp as new.")

All of the above advice is right on. Save that second sharp edge for a big special project somewhere down the road. Get a BACHO (sp) card scraper and see how far 6 bucks can go.

Dan

[Mats Bengtsson]

If I a blade gets nicked in my planer all I do is feed the material through the planer again at the same thickness, but with the board shifted slightly left or right. That gets rid of the nick mark.

But that would not work in the jointer?

--- Mats ---

[Larry Edgerton]

I stamp numbers on my cutterhead at each knife and inside the planer is a piece of tape that I keep track of what knife is what. In my case it is......

2-4 New
1-3 shifted
2-4 shifted
1-3 turned

and so on so I can always know what I did last.

I, even on my portable will change out one at a time to save money unless something is real critical, like planing birdseye or such.

If you are running a set of blades with a chip, don't just scrape it out when you are done. First steam it a bit, I use a damp cloth and an iron, as that wood is compressed on many species below the surface plane, and will decompress when you spray on the finish, especially water based, and will show back up. Then when you sand for the second coat it will go to bare wood where the chip left its mark.

[Pat O'malley]

I recently bought the same planer, anyone know if can you flip one of the nicked blades end to end?

[Dan Hahr]

No. Bevel won't work.

[Wade Lippman]

I haven't changed mine in a while, but I think there is a little bit of left/right play. Try to slide one blade one way and another the other way and see what the results are.

When I put my blades in new I put two as far right as they will go, and one as far left as I can.

When they get nicked I just reverse it and they are like new; for a little while anyhow.

[glenn bradley]

I have a DW734 and do what Darius does. Don't bother shifting the blade, shift the material.