Planing wood is a necessary step not only for cosmetic reasons, but in order to ensure that you have the most even, consistent materials available when woodworking. Bench-top planers can whittle down rough wood surfaces in no time, leaving a beautiful piece of lumber for projects ranging from furniture to construction. A bench-top planer can be a woodworker’s best friend when planing wood.
Determine the final thickness that you want the wood to be. Mark this thickness onto the edge of the wood with a pencil. If you want both sides smooth, split the amount in half that you need to take off and mark each side of the wood.