1865 New Haven Iron Planer

[Rickabilly]

I reckon I'd try just about every easy thing first, like trying a half dozen tool geometry changes and a few different oil grades etc, before worrying about using a spring to soften the return stroke, after trying all those tools you might just find that the use settles out some of the uneveness,

BTW is it a quick return stroke ? not all of them are and have you set the ways up level as a warped set of ways can chatter in one direction and not the other.

Best regards
Rick