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But all in all for the size of the machine they are worth the money. These 22-562 blades work well for softer woods, but for hard wood they seem to dull fast, I planed a small pile of hard maple and had to index the blades, it would be nice if they had carbide edge blades for hard wood.
Other than that, which is probably true for all planers, great product.and when the edge does get dull, flip them around and use the second edge. Although I'm generally protective about what I feed into the planer, the edge does get nicked and produces raised lines on the finished product. Product is easily installed and provides quite a sharp edge. They seem to stay sharp for quite a long time.
This goes for very wide planks of very hard woods. A 12" wide board seems to glide through with a new blade.The thing is, a new blade doesn't stay "new" for that long, particularly if you are planing a lot, and are planing hard woods. So--after years and years of planing--here are a few things I have learned for keeping your blades sharp.First--sharpen them with the Hone-Mate, which you can get from Woodworker's Supply (www.woodworker.com). This will easily triple the life of your blades. The direction that your hand slides over smoothest is the direction that you should be feeding your board into the planer.
Both are dense, hard, and heavy. The duller a blade is, the faster it wears--both on itself, on the planer, and on your nerves as you try to force a piece of wood through an increasingly noisy planer. I have a Makita planer as well, and the Delta, in my opinion, rates right up there with it. In any case, your blades will eventually wear out, so keep a set of spares on hand.
Most woods, particularly hardwoods, have a certain slope to their grain. The planer will make a lot less noise, and the wood will slide through easily. Okay--I have the planer, and I have bought the spare blades. This tool is meant for jointers, but it works great on planer blades, and the best thing is, you can sharpen them right there on the planer without taking them off. Feel the wood, with the grain, from one side to the other.
The new blades are exceptionally sharp. Sharpening often also reduces nicks and tear-outs.Third--plane in the right direction. With hardwoods, the water doesn't soak in much, and the wet wood is removed in one or two passes through the planer. Both are great.
Don't worry too much about the wood getting wet and warping. Let the water soak in for about 30 seconds. Sharp blades are a joy to work with, and take a lot of frustration out of woodworking. Your hand will probably slide over it more easily in one direction than the other. This dramatically softens the grain, and eases planing.
I hope these suggestions are useful. I've planed literally thousands of board feet with my two planers. Happy woodworking. I have used this technique when my blades were beyond sharpening and I didn't have a spare on hand.
I just want to write a few words about the importance of sharp blades, and how to keep them that way.When you replace the blades, you are going to notice an immediate difference. It will give you a smoother board and save your blades some wear.Finally--if your wood is really hard, wet it with a sponge before planing. It costs about $40, and I recommend the diamond version.Second--sharpen often. The two hardest woods I have planed are bubinga (used for guitar backs) and olivewood.
In 5 minutes, you're done.
I'll order again when I need them. Very impressive. Delta 22-562 12-1/2-Inch Steel Knife for 22-560 Planer (2-Pack) Super fast delivery. Received it in two days.
I was very pleased with my order The cost and promptness was very much appreciated and will not hesitate to order again when I need something
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