Delta Thickness Planer Reviewed –Will it work for your Shop?
Delta Shopmaster Model TP305 is an inexpensive solution for the occasional woodworker.
The Delta Shopmaster TP305 is a two blade thickness planer with a 12 1/2” width capacity. This is a relatively light benchtop planer at 65 pounds. Thus it is great for on the job or around the home shop.
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Delta Thickness Planer TP305
Because it is a single speed, two blade machine, you may need to do a little more finish sanding than with some of the other heavier duty models. As with all thickness planers, you will find some snipe, and again as with the other tools of its kind the fixes are relatively simple. A little upward force on entering the cutting blade area and some portable roller feeds at the out-feed side will reduce the snipe considerably. The feed tables are quite small, but possibly a little tweaking to the in-feed and out-feed tables can help too.
Changing the cutting blades are fairly easy, just follow the manufacturer’s suggestions. A few things to keep in mind: Always unplug the machine when changing the blades, and if you have recently used the thickness planer- the blades may still be hot.
The Delta TP305 has a dust deflector, but doesn’t come with dust collection hood. And as with all tools of this type, you are going to want to use a dust collection system. On the Shopmaster, the dust defector acts two-fold. It obviously serves to direct the shavings away from the cutting area, but also without it, the blades are exposed -which can be dangerous. The Delta dust hood will not only deflect the shavings but will allow you to hook up to your dust collection system. It is well worth the extra cash but be aware that not all dust hoods fit this model.
Click Here to Buy A Delta Thickness Planer
If you are a weekend warrior doing a project here and there, this tool may work just fine for you, however if you are doing excessive amounts of thicknessing, you may want to research some more heavy duty planers. There have been some comments about the motor wearing out quickly under constant use. If you are looking for great deals on a selection of thickness planers you are in the right spot.
