Planer apparatus

A planer for removing material from a workpiece, the planer comprising:

• a base;
• a cutterhead supported relative to the base, a distance between the base and cutterhead being adjustable;
• a workpiece level indicator comprising a movable member slidably attached to the cutterhead such that the movable member is slidable between a first position and a second position, wherein the movable member is biased to slide from the first position to the second position as a distance between the cutterhead and a workpiece disposed on the base is reduced;
• and
• indicia disposed on the cutterhead indicating whether the movable member is in at least one of the first position and the second position, wherein the indicia is visible to an operator of the planer when the movable member is in one of the first and second positions and is not visible to the operator when the movable member is in the other of the first and second positions.

A planer for removing material from a workpiece, the planer comprising:

• a base;
• a cutterhead supported relative to the base, a distance between the base and the cutterhead being adjustable;
• a workpiece level indicator including a bottom face, wherein the workpiece level indicator is movably attached to the cutterhead and is slidable between a first position and a second position;
• and
• a spring attached to the cutterhead and to the workpiece level indicator, the spring exerting a force biasing the workpiece level indicator to remain in the first position;
• wherein the bottom face of the workpiece level indicator contacts a workpiece disposed on the base and the workpiece level indicator is biased to slide from the first position to the second position as a distance between the cutterhead and the base is reduced;
• the planer further comprising indicia indicating whether the workpiece level indicator is in at least one of the first position and the second position.

A planer for removing material from a workpiece, the planer comprising:

• a base;
• a cutterhead supported relative to the base, a distance between the base and the cutterhead being adiustable;
• a workpiece level indicator comprising a plate attached to the cutterhead, the plate movable between a first position and a second position;
• and
• a biaser attached to the cutterhead, wherein the biaser is configured to bias the plate from the first position to the second position as a distance between the cutterhead and a workpiece disposed on the base is reduced,
• wherein the plate is slidably attached to the cutterhead and is slidable between the first position and the second position,
• wherein the plate contacts a workpiece disposed on the base and is biased to slide from the first position to the second position as a distance between the cutterhead and the workpiece disposed on the base is further reduced.

A planer for removing material from a workpiece, the planer comprising:

• a base;
• a cutterhead supported relative to the base, a distance between the base and the cutterhead being adjustable;
• a workpiece level indicator comprising a plate attached to the cutterhead and slidable between a first position and a second position, wherein the plate includes a bottom face that extends below a lower surface of the cutterhead when the plate is in the first position, the bottom face contacting a workpiece disposed on the base to thereby bias the plate to slide upwardly from the first position to the second position as a distance between the cutterhead and a workpiece disposed on the base is reduced;
• and
• a biaser attached to the cutterhead and configured to bias the plate into the first position.

A planer for removing material from a workpiece, the planer comprising:

• a base;
• a cutterhead movably supported relative to the base;
• a workpiece level indicator movably affixed to the cutterhead such that the workpiece level indicator is movable between a first position and a second position;
• and
• indicia disposed on the cutterhead indicating whether the workpiece level indicator is in the first position, wherein the indicia is visible to an operator of the planer when the workpiece level indicator is in the first position and is not visible to the operator when the workpiece level indicator is in the second position.

A planer for removing material from a workpiece, the planer comprising:

• a base;
• a cutterhead movably supported relative to the base;
• a workpiece level indicator movably affixed to the cutterhead such that the workpiece level indicator is movable between a first position and a second position;
• indicia disposed on the cutterhead indicating whether the workpiece level indicator is in the first position;
• and
• means for displaying the indicia to an operator of the planer when the workpiece level indicator is in the first position and not displaying the indicia to the operator when the workpiece level indicator is in the second position.