Toolbox: Portable Thickness Planers

Few contractors think of thickness planing as an option in the field. Most thickness planers are heavy machines that, for practicality, are confined to the shop. But in the last few years, several models have been introduced which are lightweight and portable enough to carry on site. One builder I spoke with regularly planes stock to the print dimensions. “You’d be surprised,” he said “how seldom 5/4 stock comes in from the yard 1 inch thick and how often it’s drawn up that way. Or how seldom framing lumber is 11/2 inches and how often it matters. An extra 1/8 inch can add up in a hurry.” And one remodeler told me his planer ended up solving