Hands On: Rinne Trimcraft Takes on Arbortech’s TurboPlane

Social media giants like Pinterest and Instagram (Editor’s Note: Nate’s Instagram handle is @rinne_trimcraft) have heated up servers over anything “live edge.” I’m pretty sure the DIY Network might have something to do with it too.

Point is, people see it everywhere and they want it, including my customers. The mills have caught on, of course, and what used to be the stuff of college dorm rooms and man-cave bar tops is now netting out at the technically “not cheap” $8 to $12 LF in red oak.

My client counts herself among those wanting it, but the budget made actual live edge a nonstarter. So, I decided to make it myself from #2 common red oak. Facebook was my first stop.

My initial thought was to use a grinder with a flap disc for heavy stock removal, then follow up with a belt sander to tune it up. After posting in a Facebook group, a friend pointed me toward the Arbortech Turboplane. It only took a few videos and I was convinced. See Facebook video.

Essentially, it’s a pretty basic design—a grinding wheel with three carbide cutters for a 4- or 4 ½-inch angle grinder. It is not, however, a tool that you can just bolt on to 12,000 rpm, turn the radio way up, and go to town. This thing removes wood fiber like it’s mad at trees.

The secret is technique.

As with all grinding wheels, TurboPlane has a sweet spot. By holding the wheel at a 45-degree angle (2 to 3 o'clock position) in relation to the work, I found it ran smoothly without any chatter and I had the control of it I wanted. Deviate too far from that range, however, and it can grab a bit too much, making it chatter and "jump," so to speak.

Definitely avoid the 6 to 12 o'clock positions, vertical. My experience was that it resulted in “climb” and I want to be in way more control of a tool hogging out that much material. I also found that pulling the TurboPlane towards me from right to left, I was able to get the smoothest cut with the least resistance. For carving deep gouges and curves, pushing the tool away from my body eliminated the chip out on the finer edges.

And speaking of chips, use a full face shield. I only had a pair of safety glasses and regretted it immediately. It sends out a rooster tail of chips that goes pretty much everywhere. At times, it's unavoidable that it comes at you on certain cuts. It’s not the tool’s fault.

As you'll see in the video (see link, above), the TurboPlane made quick work of forming these "live edges." The cutters are easy to resharpen and I was able to maneuver the unit into some pretty tight places.

The cuts cleaned up nicely with a belt sander. A light pass from a random orbit sander gave me the smooth edge I was looking for.

Although I used mine for this one project, its potential, from shaping furniture and wood sculpture to even flattening a surface, is obvious. With the right techniques and close attention paid to the grain, it’ll accomplish any number of tasks.

I suppose my original plan would have worked, eventually. But there’s zero doubt that TurboPlane supercharged this project. It enabled me to get another build in the books and serve a client that I’d otherwise have to pass up. Problem solved.

Specs