Wen 6550 Instruction Manual page 14

THE DO'S AND DONT'S OF GRAIN DIRECTION
Always plane with the grain of the wood (in the same direction as
the grain). There are six sides to every board: two face grains, two
side/edge grains, and two end grains. Never plane with the end
grain facing upwards. Only plane side and face grains. Otherwise,
the board has a chance of splintering and exploding inside of the
planer, which could cause serious injury and damage.
When planing the face and side/edge grain, always plane in the di-
rection of the grain. Do not plane perpendicular to the grain, other-
wise the board also has a chance of splintering and exploding.
WARNING! Never plane against grain direction of the wood.
Do not plane end grain, as the wood could splinter or possibly
explode.
FEEDING WORK
The planer is supplied with planing blades mounted in the cutterhead with the infeed and outfeed rollers pre-adjust-
ed to the correct heights. The feed rate is automatic but will vary slightly depending on the type of wood (feed rate
refers to the rate at which the lumber travels through the planer). To feed the workpiece:
1. Align the work perpendicular to the rollercase so that the work feeds through the planer straight, making sure
that the board is traveling in the same direction as the grain and that you are only planing either side or face grain.
Boards longer than 24" should have additional support from free standing material stands. Position the workpiece
with the face to be planed on top.
2. Raise / lower rollercase to produce the depth of cut desired.
3. Stand on the side of the planer. Do not stand directly in front or behind the planer.
4. Turn the planer on and direct the board into the planer. Gently slide workpieces into the infeed side of the planer
until the infeed roller advances the workpiece. Let go of the workpiece and allow the automatic feed to advance the
board through the planer.
5. Do not push / pull on workpiece. Catch the planed lumber by grasping it in same manner as it was fed as it comes
out the back side. Make sure not to stand directly behind the planer while catching fed lumber. Do not grasp any
portion of board which has not gone past the out-feed roller.
CAUTION: To avoid risk of injury due to kickback, do not stand directly in line with the front or rear of planer.
6. Repeat as needed. The planer has a return roller on top so an assistant can pass the work back to the operator.
Keep in mind that multiple shallow cuts result in smoother surfaces than a single deeper cut.
NOTE: Assistant must follow same precautions as operator.
14
OPERATION
End Grain
Fig. 8
Face
Grain
Side
Grain