planing first side

[TN Woodie]

I have watched the process of flattening and squaring rough lumber using a jointer by first flattening one side, then jointing one side. Moving to the planer, second side flat and parallel. Moving to the table saw second edge straight and parallel.

Great, but I don't have a jointer for the first step. I think I have seen techniques for flattening the first side with the planer (no thanks on the hand planer) but searching is futile.:BangHead:

I can build a jig to get the first edge straight, I can joint with the router, I can plane the second surface, but I don't have an idea for the first step, getting the first surface flat. Maybe some kind of sled for the planer?

Any ideas/links for this process using any combination of planer/tablesaw/router? :help:

Nope, can't just get a jointer.:gar-Cr

I don't have the wood yet, but I don't expect to get rough cut lumber that is perfectly flat, so I am thinking ahead.

 

[scsmith42]

John, is the wood cupped in any way? If it's already flat on one side, you may be able to simply run it though the planer.

If not, the problem arises because the planer rollers will flatten out a board (ie -bend the cup out of it) while it is machining the wood, and as soon as the board pops out of the rollers it springs back into it's old position, and you still have a cupped board.

Now I haven't done this, but I'm going to think out loud for a minute...

If you need a planer sled for flattening a cupped board, you need to make it from something that can coutour to the board. Think of the way that a mattress contours to your body. If your planer has adjustable rollers, you may need to place them in their least protruding position and help the board through with a push stick. You'll need something strong enough to give the wood some support, but softer than the board so that it does not pre-flatten the board before it can be cut flat by the planer.

Something that I'm wondering about is using a very thick piece of cardboard as a planer sled, trimmed to the width of the board, but with an extra 6" of so that can protrude out from under the end that you feed into the planer. Occasionally I will open up a box with a piece of equipment in it and it will have anywhere between a 3/4" - 2" thick corrugated cardboard in it. A nice thick piece may work well as a planer sled, as it would allow the wood to cup into it yet still have a smooth surface on the bottom to slide across the planer bed.

I'm sure that there are experts here that have already solved your problem, and am interested to hear what they have to advise.

Scott

 

[walnutjerry]

Great, but I don't have a jointer for the first step. I think I have seen techniques for flattening the first side with the planer (no thanks on the hand planer) but searching is futile.:BangHead:

Any ideas/links for this process using any combination of planer/tablesaw/router? :help:


.

I use a piece of 3/4 plywood for the sled--------it has to be as long as the board you are working on. Lay the board on the plywood and wedge as needed for any twist you may have to keep the workpiece from moving. Attach a thinner cleat to the infeed end of the sled to keep from pulling the workpiece off the sled. Keep making passes with the board on the sled untill you have that face cleaned up then discard the sled, flip the board over and plane that side-----ending result is two sides flat and parallel.

Not an expert but it is the way I do it.

Hope this helps.

Jerry

 

[Bas]

Scott pretty much covered the how and why. I've used a planer sleds for boards too wide for my jointer. I think it came from Popular Woodworking. It's made of MDF, just under 13" wide (it fits my planer exactly), 5' long, 2" thick, made by laminating 4 pieces of 1/2 MDF. This thing is heavy - probably overkill, but I wanted something that wouldn't flex.

To "joint" the board, I place the board on the sled (crown upward), and the shim it with playing cards. Just stick them under the board everywhere there is a gap. That prevents the rollers from flattening out the board as it passes through. Finally, I use a few dabs of hot melt glue to hold the board in place. Run in through the planer until the top is flat, then repeat the procedure for the other side, but now without sled.



Total cost - sled, old playing cards and hot melt glue gun: $10.

Keep in mind that this is slow going. Prepping the board takes a few minutes. Maneuvering the MDF sled + board through takes some muscle. Bring a friend if possible.

 

[Mike Davis]

I just glue shims to the board and send it through the planer. If there is a huge bump I will roughly hand plane that part. When the top is flat I flip it over and plane the other side. The shims plane off with the rest of the board.

 

[christopheralan]

If you need a planer sled for flattening a cupped board, you need to make it from something that can coutour to the board. Think of the way that a mattress contours to your body. =


Scott

Take the same concept, and use a 3/4 BB ply. Use shims, hot glued to it, to hold it in the correct position.

 

[Chuck Seehuetter]

Here's a pretty good video on a planer sled.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=5245

 

[mkepke]

I just glue shims to the board and send it through the planer. If there is a huge bump I will roughly hand plane that part. When the top is flat I flip it over and plane the other side. The shims plane off with the rest of the board.

I second Mike's approach.

Hand planes are great at knocking off the high spots, including warp or extreme cup. Much faster than resetting the sled a couple times.

-Mark

 

[Bas]

I second Mike's approach.

Hand planes are great at knocking off the high spots, including warp or extreme cup. Much faster than resetting the sled a couple times.

-Mark

Let me third that. I don't break out my bench planes very often, but it is much less effort to hand plane the big bump down than manhandling a heavy planer sled. Good practice too, and it's very satisfying to have a pile of shavings at your workbench.

 

[sediener]

Scott pretty much covered the how and why. I've used a planer sleds for boards too wide for my jointer. I think it came from Popular Woodworking. It's made of MDF, just under 13" wide (it fits my planer exactly), 5' long, 2" thick, made by laminating 4 pieces of 1/2 MDF. This thing is heavy - probably overkill, but I wanted something that wouldn't flex.

To "joint" the board, I place the board on the sled (crown upward), and the shim it with playing cards. Just stick them under the board everywhere there is a gap. That prevents the rollers from flattening out the board as it passes through. Finally, I use a few dabs of hot melt glue to hold the board in place. Run in through the planer until the top is flat, then repeat the procedure for the other side, but now without sled.



Total cost - sled, old playing cards and hot melt glue gun: $10.

Keep in mind that this is slow going. Prepping the board takes a few minutes. Maneuvering the MDF sled + board through takes some muscle. Bring a friend if possible.

I made something similar but I countersunk a couple dozen screws into the sled so I can unscrew them to level the board pretty easily. I don't know where I saw it but it wasn't my idea.

- Steve