Shopmade

Planer Table
Low-cost, adjustable table prevents snipe
Auxiliary tabletop,
Attach tabletop to cleats 1 ⁄ 2-in. MDF
with glue and finish nails.
Cut to fit across
bed of planer.

Top of planer
cabinet (or
benchtop)

Support cleat,
3⁄4 in. thick by

11 ⁄2 in. wide

B enchtop thickness planers are com-

pact workhorses that produce re-
markably smooth wood surfaces.
But, like any thickness planer, they often
create snipe—that’s the 2-in.-long (or so),
a length of 1⁄ 2-in.-thick medium-
density fiberboard (MDF) that serves as
the tabletop. The cleats attach to the top of
the planer cabinet with a few carriage bolts
and washers. The bolts allow me to elevate
slightly deeper cut at each end of a board. the ends of the tabletop slightly, giving it
Granted, some newer models have made a subtle bow. This slight rise at each end
good strides at reducing the problem, but is the secret to reducing snipe.
like the common cold, snipe defies eradi- I should mention that the adjustable table
cation. Indeed, it’s rare to find a thickness- reduces the thickness capacity of my planer
planed board that’s snipe-free. by 1⁄ 2 in., from 6 in. to 51⁄ 2 in. But since
However, adding an adjustable table to a 31⁄ 2 in. is about the thickest stock I’ve ever
benchtop thickness planer can help make planed, I don’t expect the reduced capacity
snipe a non-issue—if not by eliminating to be a problem. Also, you’ll need to re-
the problem, then at least by keeping it to move the folding infeed and outfeed table
a bare minimum. Snipe that measures less extensions that are attached to the saw.
than, say, 0.004 in. is rarely a problem. After cutting the tabletop to width and
This adjustable table has only a handful length, attach the support cleats to the un-
of parts. Four support cleats—two in front derside. First, though, drill both ends of
B Y A N D Y B E A S L E Y
of the planer, two behind—mount under each cleat to accept a carriage bolt. The

72 FINE WOODWORKING Photo: Tom Begnal; drawings: John Hartman

 60 in.

⁄ in.
18

S U P POR T CLEAT
Tabletop

12 in. to 18 in.,
depending on
Adjust the two outside
manufacturer Shallow, square
support cleats until each
Carriage bolt, 1 ⁄4 in. mortise prevents
end of the table is elevated
about 1 ⁄8 in. bolt from turning.

Benchtop planer Support cleat

Flat washer

Top of cabinet Lock washer

Hex nut

Apply a few coats of

polyurethane to both
sides of the tabletop for
durability, smoothness,
and warp resistance.

Shopmade guide
rails, 1 ⁄8 in. thick
by 1 ⁄2 in. wide

bolt accepts a series

of flat washers, lock washers,
and hex nuts that attach the table to the that would
cabinet below. best minimize snipe.
Mount the two middle support cleats se- Adjusting the outside support cleats is
curely to form a stiff, flat table through the easy: After loosening the hex nuts adjacent elevation of the
planer. Two wood guide rails keep stock to the cabinet, simply tighten the upper tabletop ends. That’s be-
on course as it travels through the ma- nut to raise the bed, or tighten the bot- cause thicker stock can’t flex as much and
chine. Then, with a 6-ft.-long level placed tom nut to lower it. Because there are two will not conform to as much of a bow in
lengthwise on the bed, adjust the two out- bolts on each support cleat, both must be the table.
side support cleats until each end of the adjusted the same amount to avoid twist- Try a test piece before committing an
table is elevated about 1⁄ 8 in. above the ing the surface. expensive board to the planer. 
level of the table under the cutterheads. Once I determined the best table ele-
vation, I locked the support cleats in Andy Beasley retired a few years ago from the
Fine-tune for best results place for good. Keep in mind that if you Air Force, where he served as an instructor pilot
I ran test boards through the planer until I switch to stock that’s thicker than about in a variety of locations, including the Air Force
found the elevation of the tabletop ends 2 in., you might need to readjust the Academy. He lives in Hillside, Colo.

www.F i neWoodwor k i n g.com MARCH/APRIL 2006 73