How to Use a Power Planer to Flatten a Board

Rip any boards in half that are very warped . Use a circular saw. This will reduce the curvature of the lumber and help avoid jamming.

Set the depth of cut by raising or lowering the roller case with the handle. The roller case is the part of the planer that holds the motor. Plane to make shallow cuts until the board has a level, flat side.

Place the flattest edge of the board against the bottom, the face you will plane must be on top. Let the lumber be drawn into the planer, and repeat until the board has a level side on the top. As soon as the board is level on top, flip the board and create parallel sides by planing what was the bottom.

Plane alternate sides when the board is flat until you obtain the thickness you need. Warping is reduced when half of the total depth of cut is taken from each side because moisture levels will be equalized. If you try to plane one side only to create a flat board, moisture levels will not be uniform and the board may warp and un-flatten.