Thickness Planer Safety Rules
1.Safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields must be worn.
2.Wear hearing protection for all persons that will be working with the
planer.
3.Stand to one side when using the planer.
4.Plane with the grain. NEVER attempt to plane across the grain.
5.DO NOT LOOK into the throat of the planer while it is running.
6.Thickness- The thickness of the lumber should be examined before
you plane it. Lumber less than 10 mm(½”) can be planed by:
◦
Ensure that an instructor is supervising.
◦
Place the thin board on top of a thicker board (at least 19 mm
thick) and
◦
Run both boards through the planer together.
◦
Stock that is thicker at one end than the other should be
planed by inserting the thicker end into the planer first.
7.Length◦
Lumber less than 30 mm longer between the distance of the
infeed and the outfeed cannot be safely planed as it may
jam the machine.
◦
Lumber that is quite long must have adequate space at the
outfeed end of the planer. The planer should not be too
close to a wall.
◦
Be careful when planing short stock. Infeed rollers will
sometimes cause short stock to quickly tilt up and then
down. This can cause a pinch point for fingers between
the table and the stock.
8.Width-
Examine the width of the lumber. Most planers remove a
maximum of 3 mm (1/8”) per pass. If a narrow piece of lumber
is being planed, the maximum amount may be removed. A
piece that it at the maximum width of the planer may cause the
motor to overheat and the cutter to stall. If the motor does stall,
follow lock out procedure (turn off the power switch) and lower
the table prior to restarting the machine.
9.Check the board for loose knots, nails, staples, dirt, sand or other
foreign objects that could come free during the planing process,
harming you or the machine.
10.
Lumber that does not have square ends cannot be planed as
the ends can catch on the pressure bar and jam.
11.
Ensure that the dust removal equipment is working properly
before starting the planer.
12.
Lumber that has a varnish or finish on it should not be planed,
as the dust created may be harmful to your health. Also the
painted or varnished finish will quickly dull the machine's
knives.
13.
Prior to starting the machine, lower the table and remove any
wood shavings, loose knots and slivers of wood from the table
and roller assembly.
Thickness Planer Safety Test
Name______________________________ Date___________
Multiple Choice – Place the letter of the most correct answer on
the answer sheet.
1. The maximum amount of cut recommended for a thickness planer is
__________.
a. 1/32 inch
b. 1/16 inch
c. 1/8 inch
d. ¼ inch
2. Before operating a planer, articles of clothing such as ties and coats,
should be ________.
a. removed
b. kept away from the blades
c. held out of the way by another student while you are planing
d. worn with caution
3. Which item(s) should not be worn when operating the planer
_________.
a. gloves
b. finger rings
c. long earrings
d. necklaces
e. all of the above
4. Industrial quality protective equipment should be worn for the
protection of __________.
a. eyes
b. ears
c. feet
d. all of the above
5. Before starting the planer ___________.
a. make sure that all guards are in place and securely fastened
b. clear the area of scraps, sawdust, oil, or grease
c. clear the machine and table area of chips, tools, or other matter
d. all of the above
6. Never stand or walk directly behind the planer when in operation
because _________.
a. sawdust will get in your face
b. a kickback may occur causing a serious injury
c. knots may fly out and hit you
d. it is difficult to get to the off-on switch quickly if the need arises
7. The purpose of the off-bearer when using the planer is to __________.
a. pull the stock through the planer
b. support and pull the stock through the planer
c. support and move with the stock as it comes through the planer
d. remove sawdust, support and help pull stock through the planer
8. Which type of stock should never be run through the planer?
a. painted stock
b. soiled stock
c. over dried stock
d. extra long stock
9. When leaving the planer work area _________.
a. turn the machine off
b. turn the machine off and leave
c. turn the machine off and clean up
d. turn the machine off and wait until all moving parts stop before
leaving the planer work area.
10. How many boards can be fed safely through the planer at one time?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. It depends on the size of the planer
11. While using the planer, serious accidents can be caused by _________.
a. “horseplay”
b. carrying on a conversation with a friend
c. standing behind a board as it travels though the machine
d. all of the above
12. The depth of cut depends on the _________.
a. width of lumber
b. rate of feed
c. kind of lumber
d. all of the above
13. Lumber should be fed into the planer _________.
a. first, on edge
b. against the grain
c. with the grain, cupped side down
d. only with the operator standing within 18” of the planer
14. Never attempt to surface lumber that is __________.
a. shorter than the distance between the infeed and outfeed rollers
b. less than 3/8 inch thick
c. cracked
d. all of the above
15. To obtain a fast rough finish on lumber, the planer variable speed
control should be adjusted to ____________.
a. slowest feet per minute
b. medium feed per minute
c. fastest feet per minute
d. the variable speed adjustment does not influence the type of finish, it
only controls speed of the surfacing operation