Planer snipe question

[Randy Redding]

I've been living with snipe on my old Jet JPM-13 planer for some time now. The planer is about 10 years old. Over the years, I've tried all the available adjustments, using measured blocks as the manual suggests and tweaking the rollers in various ways. I just can't seem to get rid of the problem. It seems that it is worse when I take thinner cuts. So, that made me think that the rollers should be lowered. That didn't work. I added some extension tables. I tried tilting up the out-feed table slightly, which was one suggestion I heard. The snipe is usually on the trailing end of the board. It happens on long boards, short boards, medium boards... It has been this way from the start.

Q1. Does anyone own one of these and know the secret to reducing it's
snipe?

Q2. What is the absolute best 15" or 20" planer out there? My guess is that I have cut off enough sniped lumber ends to pay for a new planer already...

[David Klug]

Randy, I have an old Delta planer with the same problem. The best way I've found to reduce the snipe so that you can sand it out is to pull way up on the board when it is exiting the planer.

[Russ Massery]

Randy, I had one of those (assuming it's the molder planer unit). I found easing up on the infeed roller and putting a little extra pressure on the outfeed roller. Helps but not great. Just the nature on the design of the machine. I upgraded to a 15" Grizzly unit.Which has little or no snipe.

[John Young]

I have had my Jet planer for 6 years. Like you I have tried several things and have just decided to live with it. I either leave about 3.5" on each end of the board or I run my good board butted between two sacrificial boards. Usually, I have a lot of boards that I plane and I butt them together, one after another to avoid snipe.

[Randy Redding]

Thanks much for your experiences.

I did try the lighter infeed / heavier outfeed and that is the best setup I found. But I still got quite a bit of snipe. (It is the planer/molder. I never have used the molder function.) The board lift procedure helps too but I am annoyed that I have to do it.

I think I'm going to trade up soon.

I've read quite a few posts here about planers but still have not made a decision about which is right for me. I would like to find one in the 15 to 20 inch range that just works (once it is tuned / adjusted). It will be the last planer I buy so price is not the top priority. I am a hobby woodworker but have a day job so my woodworking time needs to be productive. I like well designed and built tools.

Anyone have a favorite?

[Jared Cuneo]

Randy this may be repetitive of me, but have you tried setting up the planer using the nickel trick? That is, loosen up the in/out tables and insert a jointed/ripped board into the planer on the left side, lower the head onto the board with light/moderate pressure from the rollers. adjust tables exactly level on the left side. Release board, move over to the right side and repeat. Once this is accomplished, recheck work on both sides for exact level. Now remove the board and raise the ends of the tables so that when a straightedge laid end to end across the tables leaves about a dime or nickel's thickness gap on the center platen. Before I started messing with my roller settings after a nasty kickback, I was snipe free on a cheap delta lunchbox using this method sent to me by a forum member.....

JC

[Randy Redding]

I -may- have solved my JPM-13 snipe problem. I bought a 15" Jet to replace it! I bought a "scratch and dent" model for $1200. You can see the scratches in the photo. It is a JWP-15HH.

I guess this counts as a gloat. With just some rough adjustments, I got great results on my first board. So far, so good!

Thanks again for all of your advice!

[Don Bullock]

Randy, nice gloat. Congratulations on solving your snipe problem. I'd gladly pay less for a machine with those scratches.

[frank shic]

sometimes the only way to fix a problem is to... buy a BETTER machine! now if you could only find a jointer to match for that same price...

[Quesne Ouaques]

Randy, I have an old Delta planer with the same problem. The best way I've found to reduce the snipe so that you can sand it out is to pull way up on the board when it is exiting the planer.

Ditto...I have the 13 inch Delta and snipe is a minor problem. I can virtually eliminate it by pulling up on the leading edge of the board as the first roller clears the trailing edge. I learned this technique from the video that came with the planer.