Datasheet

roducts
These woodworking
wares
passed
our shop trials
This
portable planer
eats
its
or
rn drrst
A
portable
planer
is one of the messiest
tools in
the workshop,
generating
mounds
of wood chips in minutes. Even if
you
have
a dust collector attached, it
can
rapidly
fill with debris. Craftsman's21743
13" Portable Planer
gives
woodworkers
an
outstanding
alternative, whether or
not
you
already have a dust collector.
An
impeller
on the
planer
extracts chips
from
the cutterhead, funnels them through
a breathable half
bag
(the
white
piece
in
the
photo,
at ight), then
dumps them
directly into a trash can or
garbage
bag
for
carry-to-the-curb
disposal. Some chips
still escape
out the back of the machine,
but the
system
works
well.
In
my tests, I
generated
enough waste to fill a 20-gallon
trash
can, while only about 1%
quarts
of
the stuff
ended up on the floor.
And
the 21743 offers other timesaving
features
as well.
For
instance. the motor-
assisted elevation mechanism raises
or
lowers the cutterhead
quickly
with
a
flip
of
a lever. The
planer
also sports a top-
mounted
thickness scale, a spring-loaded
depth-of-cut
gauge,
double-edged
dispos-
able
knives,
and six
preset
depth stops
(lvo",1",34",
V2", V4",
and
Va"),
Unfortunately, these stops on our test
unit were too
low,
planing
boards from
t/to"
to
/at"
ttinner
than the stated thick-
ness. Based on our findings,
Craftsman's
George Gibson says they've changed the
manufacturing
process
to make the thick-
ness
gauge
more
accurate.
(If
you
have an
early model, call
800/266-9079
for
a
free
replacement
part.)
Other
than
that. the
21743
is a near-
stellar
performer.
I couldn't slow the
motor significantly
even when taking
z/zz"-deep
cuts
in lO"-wide
oak and
walnut.
Snipe averaged an excellent
Graftsman 13" Portable Planer
(model
217431
Performance *****
*****
Available from
vour
local
Sears store or online at
www.sears.coni/craft
sman.
.002-.003",
with
the
higher
numbers com-
ing from wide or.long workpieces
and
in
softer woods, such as
pine
and
poplar.
-Tested
by John Cebuhar
Continued on
page
98
WOOD rnagazine
November
2002
@fires-
Hann
gau
dlmtnrcd
dle
MetHdeMtn@e"
Yisit I(EEETOOL.EOIII
today
to learn how
the speed,
strength and
simplicity of
pocket
hole
joinery
can
greatly
enhance
your
wood-
working
experience. Our
"Virtual
Trade
Show"
features
a
FREEvidgo demonstration
of our
tools
and
techniques
in
actionl
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