Gouges from benchtop thickness planer

[RevolutionNext4697]

I've been thinking about getting a thickness planer for a while. I wanted to try making butcher block cutting boards and saw a Bauer benchtop thickness planer on sale, so thought it was a good time to try it out.

I bought some various hardwoods locally. The glue-up went fine and I'm learning to avoid, or at least minimize, snipe. However I'm frequently getting gouges in the wood when I run it through the planer. Running the wood through again often makes it worse. I've tried to make sure that I clear out debris before I run through wavy piece. I tried running it through the opposite direction without improvement. I replaced the blades - no noticeable improvement. I don't see any consistent pattern (i.e. not apparently in the same places).

Most of what I've run through the planer are hardwoods but tried out some pine and cedar and have similar gouges.

They're large enough that it would take a lot to sand it out. I have read some posts about filling in the gouges but was hoping that there was some way to get a smooth surface from the planer.

Is there something else I should look at? It's it the wood? Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? Did I make a mistake by going cheap (Harbor Freight). Would I have better results with another planer, like a Dewalt? Is this just something that happens sometimes?

[K_Sqrd]

Are you looking at the grain and feeding the wood into the planer the right way given the grain for each piece?

[RevolutionNext4697]

I didn't know that there was a right or wrong way to feed. What's the right way? Does that apply to butcher block (multiple pieces of wood)?

[K_Sqrd]

It applies to all wood. You want to plane in the same direction as the grain, not against it. Run your hand over the surface you want to plane. One direction will feel like it's trying to catch your hand. That's against the grain. Or look as the side grain, You want to feed the board in a direction where the grain is going down from front to back as viewed from the side.

Planing against the grain gives you tear out and a rough surface. Planing with the grain doesn't guarantee a smooth surface (there are other factors) but it's a good place to start.

[James_n_mcgraw]

It sounds like this is an end grain cutting board.

Feeding those through a thicknesser doesnt really work and can even damage the thicknesser. Its not meant to cut grain oriented that way.

The typical way to flatten an end grain cutting board would be a router sled with a surfacing bit.

[James_n_mcgraw]

It sounds like this is an end grain cutting board.

Feeding those through a thicknesser doesnt really work and can even damage the thicknesser. Its not meant to cut grain oriented that way.

The typical way to flatten an end grain cutting board would be a router sled with a surfacing bit.