A planer thicknesser is a woodworking power tool designed to produce boards of constant thickness and perfectly flat surfaces. It is a table tool mounted on a flat working table. Planer thicknessers consist of four basic components: a height adjustable table, a cutting head perfectly perpendicular to the table, a set of in-feed rollers, and a set of out-feed rollers. The machine functions by automatically feeding the board across the table, thereby shaving a nominal amount of material off it as it passes the cutting head. If required, the board is then turned over and the process repeated which produces a product that is flat and of equal thickness across its entire surface.

Some of the key considerations when looking to purchase a planer or thicknesser are:

1. Planing width: Allwin's thicknessers can come in different widths, but these are usually around 200- 300mm. The wider the cutting blade on a planer or thicknesser the more material can be removed in a single pass so the job can be completed in less time.

2. Planing depth: The planers and thicknessers will have a planing depth of around 0-4mm per pass. If you need to remove more then this will need more passes, but generally a planer is used when the amount of wood that needs to be cut off is too thin for a saw to perform.

Planer and Thicknesser Safety

1. Ensure the device is switched off before you plug it in:  You should also make sure that you have adjusted the machine to the correct thickness before you turn the power on to avoid damage to fingers or hands that could be near the blade.

2. Read the manual and understand how it works:  Thicknessers and planers are very different machines. If you use one type or model it doesn't mean you know how to use the other. Reading the manual will make sure you get the best use of your tool.

3. Wear the right clothing and protective gear: Goggles or glasses with side protection are essential as a planer can regularly have small pieces of wood fly out from the work area.

4. Keep loose clothing away from the machine: Particularly with thicknessers, it is essential to make sure that loose clothing is kept away from the motor. If it gets caught this could result in serious injuries.