13 Common Operations

There are a few jigs that are commonly used with the planer. These include backers that are used for planing bevels and chamfers, and carriers that allow for planing tapers.

Planing bevels and chamfers

Backers are usually designed to be stationary in the machine. A ledger strip that bears against the infeed table can be affixed to the edge of the jig, preventing it from being pulled into the planer, or clamps can be used to secure the jig to the table. Long strips of material are attached to the backer that supports the workpiece at the desired orientation in the planer. Once the jig is in place, the workpiece is fed through as normal. The jig should be designed to avoid making contact with the cutterhead.

To plane tapers, the jig must move with the workpiece so a carrier is required. It is constructed similarly to a backer, but must include a back stop to prevent the workpiece from being pulled off the end of the carrier.