Edge trimmer

A power planer is a handy tool to have in the workshop and also for renovation projects. You can use the tool to plane an edge or face of a board, of course, but it is also perfect for trimming a door to fit in its opening, cutting cabinets to a scribed line or even trimming back bowed studs or sagging joists that are making your drywall job a nightmare.

I recently tried out the Triton three-blade power planer, which spins replaceable steel blades at 16,000 rpm. The resulting cuts were smooth. An easily adjustable depth-setting knob raises or lowers the front half of the plane’s sole, allowing you to fine tune the amount of stock you want to remove to a maximum depth of cut of 1/8". Integral chamfering notches in the front of the sole permit you to knock off corners precisely with three different chamfer sizes. The planer is a tall machine, but it feels pretty well-balanced and is easy to control. The included add-on fence for ensuring square edges and creating rabbets could have been beefier, but it worked well. Another plus: you can avoid burying yourself in chips by directing them to exit from either side of the tool, using the collection bag or not. The planer comes with an extra set of reversible blades as well as an extra drive belt.

For more information, call 888-874-8661 or visit www.tritonwoodworking.com. 
 

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