If a planer removes up to 1/16 inch per cut, what is the minimum number of cuts needed to get to 5/8" on a 1" stock?

• A. 6
• B. 4
• C. 8
• D. 2

Answer: (A)

This question asks how many planing passes are needed to reduce stock thickness when you know the starting thickness, the target thickness, and the maximum amount the planer can remove per cut. You start with 1" and want 5/8", so you must remove 1 - 5/8 = 3/8" of material. A planer can remove up to 1/16" per cut, and 3/8" equals 6/16". So you need 6 cuts to remove that total amount. Five cuts would remove at most 5/16" (0.3125"), leaving thicker than 5/8". Therefore, the minimum number of cuts is six.