planer
Handheld, rotary-blade, belt-driven power tool used by shapers to sculpt a board from a blank. Originally used by carpenters for tasks like trimming doors to fit into doorjambs, planers were first used on surfboards in 1951 by Southern California boardmaking pioneer Dale Velzy. Previously, boards had been shaped with axes, knives, hand planers, Surforms, and sandpaper. The shoe-box-sized power pl...
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Shaper using a planer, early 1960sSubscribe to view
Skip Frye and planer, 1977. Photo: John DurantSubscribe to view
Dick Brewer's planer, 1966Subscribe to view
Max Wetteland with planer, Durban, mid 1960sSubscribe to view
Al Merrick and planer, 1986. Photo: Matt GeorgeSubscribe to view
Planer. Photo: Patrick TrefzSubscribe to view
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/f20d6a1571e5101d2269617734f75d79ebea1126-896x900.jpg?rect=0,396,896,504&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Shaper using a planer, early 1960s
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/27ccf6ec7cac77487e681386810bdb41a7b1817a-900x560.jpg?rect=0,0,900,506&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Skip Frye and planer, 1977. Photo: John Durant
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/80258b279309e6bcd3abf77e370f9dbd55efe0b6-900x506.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Dick Brewer's planer, 1966
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/e0bc68c5e86977d9be0c32b645b4d374c0433af9-900x549.jpg?rect=0,22,900,506&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Max Wetteland with planer, Durban, mid 1960s
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/ca2bab297b08d805e82a4e0ffd70fafcf9f7bb09-641x900.jpg?rect=0,193,641,361&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Al Merrick and planer, 1986. Photo: Matt George
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/5649f35f657e1df0ddb9bd006bb74cd8484459f6-900x506.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
Planer. Photo: Patrick Trefz