Thin boards need a shallow shave

Take shallow cuts (¹⁄₆₄ ") when planing thin stock, so you don't accidentally shatter the workpiece. If you want to plane a workpiece to a thickness less than ¹⁄₄ ", you'll get the best results by using an auxiliary bed. Although most planers indicate they will cut to ¹⁄₈ " thick, don't try it: You risk deep snipe and chatter marks. Instead, place a 3'-long piece of melamine through the planer, and clamp it to the infeed and outfeed tables. Then plane your stock to thickness as usual, as shown. To plane a short board thin, double-face tape it to a 15"-long piece of ³⁄₄ " plywood, MDF, or particleboard. This allows the workpiece to ride piggyback through the planer.