I've read posts about flattening a table or work bench top by using a router
and a jig that would span the table. Seems like it would work fairly well
but take a long time.
It got me thinking though about building a jig but setting it up to use a
portable electric planer instead. Seems like 3 1/4 inch cut would make a
quick job compared to even a large router bit.
What would be the downfalls?
Just being curious. I don't have a top to flatten at the momemt but I could
see doing it sometime.
Bryan
I haven't used a power planer before, but I think one of the virtues of the
router method is that it is very easy to control the depth of cut and to
make passes with small incremental changes in depth. How easy is it to
control the depth of cut with a power planer? This might be one downside if
it isn't precise or give you the ability to make very small adjustments.
"DamnYankee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've read posts about flattening a table or work bench top by using a
router
> and a jig that would span the table. Seems like it would work fairly well
> but take a long time.
>
> It got me thinking though about building a jig but setting it up to use a
> portable electric planer instead. Seems like 3 1/4 inch cut would make a
> quick job compared to even a large router bit.
>
> What would be the downfalls?
>
> Just being curious. I don't have a top to flatten at the momemt but I
could
> see doing it sometime.
>
> Bryan
>
>
Here's the problem I see with using a portable planer to flatten a
table top.
The portable planer can be adjusted to take at most around 1/4" off (I
think it's less than that, but you'll see the point).
So the problem is, how do you make rails that thin that will support it
(not bow) while spanning the length of a table. In other words, I can't
see how you'd make the jig to do this.
With a router, you can get a long bit that will go down far enough so
this isn't a problem.
"Steve Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just a thought but a person can use a neanderthal planer to flatten a
> tabletop without a jig why couldn't you use a power one the same way?
You could. They're very aggressive though. The jig would keep if
flat(ter).
Bryan
Just a thought but a person can use a neanderthal planer to flatten a
tabletop without a jig why couldn't you use a power one the same way?
"TWS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:11:05 -0500, "DamnYankee"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I've read posts about flattening a table or work bench top by using a
>>router
>>and a jig that would span the table. Seems like it would work fairly well
>>but take a long time.
>>
>>It got me thinking though about building a jig but setting it up to use a
>>portable electric planer instead. Seems like 3 1/4 inch cut would make a
>>quick job compared to even a large router bit.
>>
>>What would be the downfalls?
>>
>>Just being curious. I don't have a top to flatten at the momemt but I
>>could
>>see doing it sometime.
>>
>>Bryan
>>
> The problem I see is that direction that each tool cuts is different.
> The router will cut on the side of the bit so the forces are
> predominantly horizontal, along the same plane as the surface you are
> trying to flatten. This only requires a frame rigid enough to carry
> the weight of the router.
>
> In the case of the electric planer, however, the planer digs down into
> the wood so the predominant force is vertical. A planer works because
> the face plate on the planer provides a surface to push back on the
> wood being pulled up by the blade. If you try to suspend the planer
> then your frame will need to provide this force and will need to be
> *substantially* more rigid than with the router. Furthermore, the
> dynamic vibration caused by the alternating blades and the springiness
> of the frame will undoubted cause substantial tearout.
>
> I think it is extremely unlikely to successfully create a usable
> fixture using an electric planer.
>
> TWS
On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:11:05 -0500, "DamnYankee"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I've read posts about flattening a table or work bench top by using a router
>and a jig that would span the table. Seems like it would work fairly well
>but take a long time.
>
>It got me thinking though about building a jig but setting it up to use a
>portable electric planer instead. Seems like 3 1/4 inch cut would make a
>quick job compared to even a large router bit.
>
>What would be the downfalls?
>
>Just being curious. I don't have a top to flatten at the momemt but I could
>see doing it sometime.
>
>Bryan
>
The problem I see is that direction that each tool cuts is different.
The router will cut on the side of the bit so the forces are
predominantly horizontal, along the same plane as the surface you are
trying to flatten. This only requires a frame rigid enough to carry
the weight of the router.
In the case of the electric planer, however, the planer digs down into
the wood so the predominant force is vertical. A planer works because
the face plate on the planer provides a surface to push back on the
wood being pulled up by the blade. If you try to suspend the planer
then your frame will need to provide this force and will need to be
*substantially* more rigid than with the router. Furthermore, the
dynamic vibration caused by the alternating blades and the springiness
of the frame will undoubted cause substantial tearout.
I think it is extremely unlikely to successfully create a usable
fixture using an electric planer.
TWS
On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:11:05 -0500, "DamnYankee"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I've read posts about flattening a table or work bench top by using a router
>and a jig that would span the table. Seems like it would work fairly well
>but take a long time.
>
>It got me thinking though about building a jig but setting it up to use a
>portable electric planer instead. Seems like 3 1/4 inch cut would make a
>quick job compared to even a large router bit.
>
>What would be the downfalls?
>
>Just being curious. I don't have a top to flatten at the momemt but I could
>see doing it sometime.
>
>Bryan
>
seems very possible...
we once used a portable balt sander in a pinch... mounted it between
two 4' sections of water pipe like a panel saw and kept making passes
until the tables were flat..
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
DamnYankee wrote:
> I've read posts about flattening a table or work bench top by
> using a router and a jig that would span the table. Seems
> like it would work fairly well but take a long time.
It works as well as the jig is flat. Time depends on the size of
the bit, the amount of overlap between cuts, and how fast you
move the router. If you cut in a rectangular spiral, there won't
be any waste motion with the router.
> It got me thinking though about building a jig but setting it
> up to use a portable electric planer instead. Seems like 3
> 1/4 inch cut would make a quick job compared to even a large
> router bit.
The planer only cuts in the foreward direction, so half of the
time used will be wasted. This means that a router with a 2" bit
will finish the job faster than a 3-1/2" planer.
> What would be the downfalls?
The planer uses the existing surface as its reference. A router
jig uses the rails the gantry rides on and the gantry rails as
its reference. There are good and bad points with both approaches.
> Just being curious. I don't have a top to flatten at the
> momemt but I could see doing it sometime.
You're welcome to use the link below and click on "Miscellaneous"
to see some photos of a heavy (1000+ pound) router setup. It
flattens its own table to better than ±1/128". The photos might
provide some ideas for how you might build a smaller and less
expensive flattener...
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/interest.html
On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 03:57:01 -0600, "Steve Johnson"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Just a thought but a person can use a neanderthal planer to flatten a
>tabletop without a jig why couldn't you use a power one the same way?
You could. In fact there was an article in a recent FWW that
described the technique on fairly large pieces. I could see using a
power planer to take out sections where the twist or dimension was too
thick by a quarter inch or more but 'I'm not sure whether I would ever
use that technique to do the finishing flattening, but that's just me,
YMMV.
In my post here, however, I was responding to OPs suggestion of using
a frame to provide a flat reference for a power planer. The technique
works for Routers but, as I described, wouldn't work for a power
planer.
TWS
Steve Johnson wrote:
> Just a thought but a person can use a neanderthal planer to flatten a
> tabletop without a jig why couldn't you use a power one the same way?
They are not long enough; at least, I have never seen one long enough.
It takes a fairly long sole to flatten a large area; jointer planes are
on the order of 20"+ long. Now you can do fairly well with careful
application and testing using a shorter plane, but it takes a while and
very light passes, something 'lrectic planes are pretty bad at.
PK
On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 03:57:01 -0600, "Steve Johnson"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Just a thought but a person can use a neanderthal planer to flatten a
>tabletop without a jig why couldn't you use a power one the same way?
you can. the cordless one leaves a better surface, but the 'lektric
one is great for hogging off big 'ol hunks.