I've come across the advice cautioning against running end grain boards through a planer, especially with end grain cutting boards. I'm curious if this advice is due to the risk of pulling apart glue joints, the nature of end grain wood itself, or something entirely different. And does this mean we should avoid planing cookie slices as well?
4 Answers
Basically, the way end grain breaks is different; it tends to eject larger chunks instead of nice shavings, which can be dangerous. If that happens, not only can your wood get ruined, but the pieces can shoot out at high speeds, potentially damaging your tool and harming you. I tried it once with light passes, but it quickly fell apart, so I learned my lesson the hard way. Just don’t risk it unless you want to spend more on new tools or blades!
I've tried planing both end grain boards and wood cookies without major issues, but it's a risk! If you do plan on trying it, make sure to reinforce the edges with long grain and take very light passes - then you can cut off the reinforcement later. And when it comes to cookies, definitely gear up with extra safety equipment!
End grain is definitely tough on your planer blades. The cutting angle can sometimes grab the wood and send it flying through the machine, which isn't safe. Plus, you'll have to deal with grain blowout at the end. I saw a recent video by Scott Walsh that covers these issues and some tips to work around them, but honestly, planing cookies is still a no-go!
There are a few reasons why planing end grain boards is risky. The main issue is the direction of the grain. If there are any high spots, the planer can grab them and potentially pull the whole piece apart. Because the end grain is tougher, it can also wear out your blades faster, which complicates things even more. Sure, some people might say it’s doable, but it’s really a case of playing with fire - you might get lucky, but it's best not to take that risk.