What Can You Do with a Planer

A planer is used to shave wood from the surface of boards. Imagine scraping a knife across the top of a block of butter. That’s pretty much the action with a planer – though you might need a bit more muscle power! They’re used to make a rough surface flat and smooth, or to reduce its thickness.

What is the point of a planer?

A wood planer helps you even out a piece of wood into a board with the exact same thickness everywhere. A correctly planed board is completely flat on both sides, eliminating rough spots or leftover bark.

Is a wood planer worth it?

A thickness planer serves three unique purposes that other tools do not: 1) It makes the second face of a board parallel to the other face; 2) It smooths rough stock; and 3) It reduces stock down to the exact thickness you need. … If you really want to get into woodworking, a thickness planer is worth the cost.