Which planer should I buy for planing pallets?

[Tyro]

I'm thinking about planing down the pallet boards.  I haven't the skill to use a manual planer so electric is the obvious choice.  Once I have some more experience and time I want to make some furniture , so I'd like to get something reliable.  With a cord.  😉

All answers welcome!  😁

[Jason]

Hi @Tyro,

Let me kick off this discussion by tagging some experienced pallet project creators in the community to see what tools they utilise when working with pallets.

@LePallet, @Yorky88, @lcantem, @nolifemanual, @Tara86, @Arcc, @Imenz, @prettyliving 

Jason

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Tyro,

You can get quite a reasonable finish on pallet timber by simply sanding it with an orbital or belt sander. The orbital sander is perfect for leaving some of the rustic charm, or the belt sander can be used for stripping the timber back completely. I've made many projects from pallet timber, most often working with the rustic styling, and I've never used an electric planer. When I use pallet timber, it's typically because it has such a unique character, and I want to preserve it in the final piece. There is a reasonable piece of advice going around that if you're going to mill pallet timber with an electric planer, it's likely easier to just use dressed timber in the first place. There are only a couple of benefits to using pallet timber in a project: its rustic nature and that it's free. It's a fair amount of work to remove all those nails and plane it smooth just to get free timber.

Just so you are aware, I've actually found it harder to use an electric planner than a manual planer. Obviously, a manual planner is more work, but it is easier to control. Other opinions might vary.

For a recommendation on a planer that is reliable and has a cord, I'd go with the Ryobi 780W 82mm Rebate Planer.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Tyro]

Thanks for those tags @Jason .  The Bunnings workshop is a goldmine!  I'll look forward to reading their advice!

Cheers 🤗

[Tyro]

Thank you for your wise advice @MitchellMc   I definitely want to show off the woodgrain but don't trust myself to get an even finish with a manual planer.  In your experience does it take long to achieve that abilty?  Until I do I'll give the orbital sander a workout (I was so focused on planing them I had totally overlooked sanding as an option! 🙄)

Thank you for including the options!  I've added the ryobi to my project list! 😁

Cheers 👍🏻

[MitchellMc]

Hand planers are somewhat self-levelling @Tyro. They only shave off a very thin amount at a time and are quite easy to get the hang of. As you smooth the area, it will get flatter, and no great skill is involved. Electric planers can be a bit more unforgiving. I'll admit that I've only used one a handful of times, but I found that it was far easier to make a mistake and take off too much material. I suspect if you set it to the least aggressive setting, it would be manageable; perhaps I just had the cut set too deep.

Mitchell

[Tyro]

Thanks again @MitchellMc for your guidance.  That manual planer idea seems to have taken hold!  I really like the idea of learning how to do the screwless joints like mortise & tenon, dovetail and rabbet. Have you any suggestions on which plane would be the most reliable and versatile?  I plan to practise on the pallet timber! 😁

[MitchellMc]

I'd suggest a mid-range plane for use on pallets like the Trojan 235mm Bench Plane @Tyro. You need to be very careful as there are plenty of nails in pallets. Hitting one will do some real damage to the blade. If you are not familiar with how to re-profile and sharpen the edge of a plane blade after a chip has been taken out of it, that could be the end of the plane for you. This goes for powered planes too, but they do have replaceable blades. That's part of the reason why I use sanders, I'm too lazy to thoroughly check for nails and sometimes they're hidden. 

Another very nice option would be the Stanley 245mm No. 4 Smoothing Bench Plane.

Mitchell

[Tyro]

Again, thank you for your picks @MitchellMc.  Both fit the within the budget master's limitations too, especially the Trojan! 😉 

[Arcc]

Hi @Tyro 

I fully realise this is a year out of date but I only just saw the thread now. I do not get on bunnings DIY as much as i would like and so sometimes notifications do not get noticed as quickly by me as they should be. I am answering this thread now in the hopes it might help not just yourself, but anyone else who might happen upon it at some time.

All my projects use pallet timber. I love the natural wood grain showing through however I do not really like the severe rustic look some people go for with their pallet projects. I likemy end results nice and clean and neat. To do this I initially use a thicknesser to clean up each board by removing the messy looking outer layers. This can mean 2 or 3mm being shaved off each side. This then gives you a great starting point for the project. I recommend you leave pallets intact for as long as possible before you dismantle them. If you dismantle them on one day and then wait two or three days to start working on them you will find the boards will start to warp, especially if they have been in the weather, and this can result in a large bend in the wood before too long. By leaving it intact as long as possible the pallets internal frame will hold it all together in rigidity. 

Once you have worked on your project then it is time to do the finishing touches. I will then sand it...and sand it... and then sand it again. This is where you will reap great rewards as your project will look so much cleaner and neater. Also make sure to run the sander along the edges of the wood too to give it a slight rounding so that it looks tidy. A simple orbital sander run up and down the sides can make a great difference, however you can use a plane to angle the sides if you wish. If you use an electric plane make sure you use it at its last harsh setting and do multiple runs if you need.  A hand plane will give you a little more control of this shaving, however both are useful. Sometimes I use my table saw with the blade angled in order to just lightly take off the corner. Its a very slight cut but can make a big difference. Lastly you can use a router to shape the edges too. If you do this you should note that hand sanding the shaped wood is advisable to for that area as a sanding machine might be too harsh.

I hope this helps, as late as it might be to your original post.