I just found out my old planer wasnt cutting right so I am selling it and in the market for a replacement. I have Makita 18v batteries and noticed a planer for sale at shaper supply which they call a Makita Cordless Modified, but they don’t say much about what modifications were made, if any beyond the depth adjuster. It’s also too pricey, but I can get the non modified version for a reasonable price. I am thinking of buying one and modifyinhg if needed myself. What modifications are needed, aside from the depth adjustment (which I won’t bother modifying as I am not advanced enough to use it like the pros).
Should the blades be replaced with “Carbide” ones? (I heard that somewhere)
Should the grooves in the planing surface be glued up? I never did that before and never had a problem but would fill those grooves if it was a good idea to.
Any tips would be welcome, especially on the Makita cordless
Round the corners. If there is a V-groove in the bottom fill that with thickened epoxy and sand flat. Use the blades that are in it and then its your choice what blades you use in the future. Carbide just stay sharp longer. You’re cutting foam…not walnut. Depth adjustment can probably be easily achieved by following the videos on YouTube regarding plainer mods. That little battery planer would be great for shortboards.
I would also ask PeteC about the Bosch. I want to say he used to modify the 2 bladed versions. He could probably talk you through making yours run better.
Balsa in France is a planer guru and I think he sells them too.
I still use a ‘cheapie’ from Harbor Freight quite a bit with the shoe filled and edges filed.
When there is room to run then the Skil 100 is preferred.
Thanks very much both of you. Yes the cordless makita would be a dream come true for me. I have literally about 1-2 FEET to walk around my boards in my tiny work area, and my Bosch with cable and 110v convertor on floor to bash my toes into, it gets tiresome even if it did cut properly!! I will save up for a Makita cordless then have a go at the mods myself. Not sure I need the depth adjust feature as I can’t see me changing it on the fly, i just set it very small cut and take some shaves off tail and nose to get the desired rocker very roughed out, then i get my flat long 60 grit board and enjoy seeing it take shape by hand. But I wouldn’t be averse to making that mod if I could find the time, thanks again
Does anyone have any experience with other cordless planers, such as the Dewalt? I believe there are several now available, and wondered if any of them were easier to modify than others.
I designed the depth control and related modifications used on the cordless Makita XPK01Z for Shaper Supply. It has an entirely new depth mechanism which requires a number of specially made parts and goes 0-1/8" cut within 90 degrees turn. Very precise, no slop or wobbles. The factory blades are reversible carbide which never need adjustment or sharpening ($15 USD for replacements). A grit drum is available (interchangeable with Makita KP0800) but pricey. I didn’t do any handle modification since that’s where the battery plugs into. The trigger has an interlock which is more hassle than just a plain trigger to turn on. The Makita XPK01Z doesn’t have a sliding shoe and the design is basically an adaptation of their very old KP0800 corded planer (that’s why the depth control, shoe, cutter head are the same).
The downside to any cordless planer is if used with a vacuum system it’s still tethered and the freedom of movement isn’t there. Also the weight; once a battery pack is plugged in they usually are equal or more than the weight of a similar corded planer. On all cordless planers, the battery pack plugs into the handle so changing this for shaping is fraught with problems, particularly balance. The last thing is the cost, the factory Makita XPK01Z sells for about $170 USD (tool only) and a 2-pack battery with charger costs about $175. For $345 or less, you can get a corded planer converted for shaping in the marketplace here.
Great post Pete, plenty to think about there and some good points thanks.
I am in UK, so postage from US makes marketplace stuff and US based stuff prohibivetly expensive. I also already have charger and 4 Makita 18v batteries, that was one of the things I liked about the idea!
I can see that it would’nt be a great option for a pro, but for someone like me shaping the odd board it might be ok. The thing is, I can’t afford a modified one anyway, so I was more considering just getting cordless planer to match my battery/charger. Never even thought of cordless til I saw it!
Did you increase the maximum cut depth? I thought I read that the Makita planer as standard only cuts to 5/64 ?
thanks again, cool to have the designer to talk to, very cool!
Make sure you have the correct Makita batteries for that particular planer. The max cut for this or any other straight-blade planer is 1/8", the blade protrusion and angle can’t correctly cut more without taking out chunks or tearing. Curved rotary blades like a Rockwell or Sheartak cutter can cut more (maybe 1/4") if the planer is modified. Up/down depth controls have a maximum the shoe can be retracted and sliding shoes like a Skil have a limit on the cam travel. In any case, the most important thing is to have no cut at zero depth or you’ll never be able to make smooth tapering cuts. Most planers I’ve seen modified for additional depth either cut at zero or jam when reaching max. There is a big loss of control when making passes that deep, and with precision blanks you only need 1/8" anyhow. On EPS slabs a hot-wire is more efficient and a lot less mess if you need heavy cuts.
£550 in UK, can’t afford that even though it’s a work of art and I would love one! I do have a 110v transformer, yellow bow I broke my toe on once! I think I will have to go for the cordless makita unmodified, i rarely (or never) use the depth adjust anyway, and I do have the batteries and charger (correct ones). Fascinating stuff though thanks, maybe one day!