Surface planer question

[Bob Glenn]

I scored some free oak shelving boards from the local library that are stained and finished with varnish or poly. I would like to run these through my surface planer to remove the finish prior to reuse, however, I have just put new blades in the machine and am wondering if the finish will ruin them. Anyone care to comment? Your input welcome. Bob

[George Bokros]

I would strip them first or run them through a drum sander, ruined sandpaper is cheaper than replacing planer blades.

[Bob Glenn]

Sounds good, except I don't have a drum sander and stripper is time consuming and messy. Thanks for the thought.

[Jim Mackell]

I've done this many times with used lumber. The paint, shellac, varnish, etc are all softer than any wood you're ever going to plane. No harm at all.

[Matt Day]

I would suggest NOT running them through a drum sander even if you had one. I would guess that your paper would gum up and burn by the time you saw the first board come out the other side.

[Erik Christensen]

i have done it a number of times with no issues but only after making sure there is no dirt/metal embedded - but i have a helical cutter with carbide edges so not sure how applicable that is to your steel planer knives

[Chris Padilla]

I would take a handheld power sander to them myself rather than run them through a planer. Do you have a belt sander or a ROS? Certainly a planer is faster but go real gentle on the dial so you minimize the amount of wood removed.

[Jon Nuckles]

I wouldn't be at all concerned about dried finish damaging planer blades, and I'd feel better about the dust collector taking away the chips than having a handheld sander putting it in the air.

[Chris Padilla]

I'd use a Festool ROS. Zero dust.

[Bob Glenn]

Thanks guys. I'm mostly a hand tool guy, so I think I'll try one of my smoothing planes first and see how that goes. Thanks for your ideas. Bob

[Chris Padilla]

Scraper, Bob!! Tune it up and you should be able to take that finish right off.

[Frank Pratt]

I think it might depend on the finish. I tried planing the solid exterior stain off some cedar & it dulled the blades after about 50 linear feet. I know it wasn't a dirt issue because they had never even been outside; it was some surplus that I stained years before & never needed.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Sounds good, except I don't have a drum sander and stripper is time consuming and messy. Thanks for the thought.

I cannot see an issue - assuming you have reasonable dust collection. I can't see how varnish woudl damage planer blade steel - nor dull it more than, say, oak.

IF there is dirt and grit on the surfaces, though - I'd take an ROS to it with 30g - 60g, one fairly quick pass, just to strip off the surface 3 jink.


Then - let 'er rip......ummmm.........errr.......plane.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I'd use a Festool ROS. Zero dust.

Chris at home, relaxing after work:

[Jim Matthews]

Try a painter's scraper.

If the finish comes off easily, a planer should manage.
If the finish is powdery, or tacky - it may melt onto the blades.