Planer Sleds

On 2/16/2010 9:38 PM, Pinstripe Sniper wrote:
> I learned about "planer sleds" from a post here in rec.woodorking last
> year that had this link:
>
> http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2006/10/27/ws
>
> If I'm understanding it correctly, one adjusts the various leveling
> screws to compensate for "departures from flatness" on one side of the
> board. In other words, it's kind of like using adjustable threaded
> table leg levelers - only upside down. (gee can I just use sugar
> packets? :-)
>
> How has this rig worked in practice? Do you eyeball clearances
> between the plank and the screw tops, adjust as needed and then try to
> rock it? I assume any marks/dents on the bottom surface are removed
> when the board is flipped and gets its turn through the planer.
>
> Anybody route out 1/4" deep pockets and use hex head bolts instead of
> the pictured beveled wood screws and adjust them from the side with
> the wood in place?
>
> Also, how thick a panel(s) have people used for the base?

I've always used a good flat section of 3/4" or 1" mdf for the base.

> thinking of using 2 layers of 3/4" AC plywood with the C faces pressed
> together and hidden from view. (If I was going to do this a lot, I'd
> consider a layer of UHMW plastic on the bottom.)

Don't make it all that damn difficult, this is not rocket science.
(these guys have to come up with some new "tip" to justify their keep,
much of it warmed over BS)

A planer sled works perfectly well using simple wooden shims instead of
screws, and shims are much easier to place with precision to keep the
work piece from rocking.

The other secret to using a planer sled taking very shallow cuts until
the one side is flat.

Patience is more important than some new "tip".

... and you only need a "stop" on the trailing end.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Feb 17, 2:30=A0pm, klaatu <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:42:22 -0600, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:
> >On 2/16/2010 9:38 PM, Pinstripe Sniper wrote:
> >> I learned about "planer sleds" from a post here in rec.woodorking last
> >> year that had this link:
>
> >>http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2006/10/27/ws
>
> >> If I'm understanding it correctly, one adjusts the various leveling
> >> screws to compensate for "departures from flatness" on one side of the
> >> board. =A0 In other words, it's kind of like using adjustable threaded
> >> table leg levelers - only upside down. =A0(gee can I just use sugar
> >> packets? =A0:-)
>
> >> How has this rig worked in practice? =A0Do you eyeball clearances
> >> between the plank and the screw tops, adjust as needed and then try to
> >> rock it? =A0 I assume any marks/dents on the bottom surface are remove=
d
> >> when the board is flipped and gets its turn through the planer.
>
> >> Anybody route out 1/4" deep pockets and use hex head bolts instead of
> >> the pictured beveled wood screws and adjust them from the side with
> >> the wood in place?
>
> >> Also, how thick a panel(s) have people used for the base?
>
> >I've always used a good flat section of 3/4" or 1" mdf for the base.
>
> >> thinking of using 2 layers of 3/4" AC plywood with the C faces pressed
> >> together and hidden from view. =A0(If I was going to do this a lot, I'=
d
> >> consider a layer of UHMW plastic on the bottom.)
>
> >Don't make it all that damn difficult, this is not rocket science.
> >(these guys have to come up with some new "tip" to justify their keep,
> >much of it warmed over BS)
>
> >A planer sled works perfectly well using simple wooden shims instead of
> >screws, and shims are much easier to place with precision to keep the
> >work piece from rocking.
>
> >The other secret to using a planer sled taking very shallow cuts until
> >the one side is flat.
>
> >Patience is more important than some new "tip".
>
> >... and you only need a "stop" on the trailing end.
>
> I second that on the shims. I hold them down with painters tape.
> On my sled the "stop" end of the sled is fed in first. The feed
> rollers exert the force out the planed end.

Both swing & Klaatu are right. I've used scrapers from lee valley, as
they are of different thicknesses. Just stop it from rocking using
shims and run it through using light cuts. Like swing says, not rocket
science.

Luigi

On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:42:22 -0600, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:

>On 2/16/2010 9:38 PM, Pinstripe Sniper wrote:
>> I learned about "planer sleds" from a post here in rec.woodorking last
>> year that had this link:
>>
>> http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2006/10/27/ws
>>
>> If I'm understanding it correctly, one adjusts the various leveling
>> screws to compensate for "departures from flatness" on one side of the
>> board. In other words, it's kind of like using adjustable threaded
>> table leg levelers - only upside down. (gee can I just use sugar
>> packets? :-)
>>
>> How has this rig worked in practice? Do you eyeball clearances
>> between the plank and the screw tops, adjust as needed and then try to
>> rock it? I assume any marks/dents on the bottom surface are removed
>> when the board is flipped and gets its turn through the planer.
>>
>> Anybody route out 1/4" deep pockets and use hex head bolts instead of
>> the pictured beveled wood screws and adjust them from the side with
>> the wood in place?
>>
>> Also, how thick a panel(s) have people used for the base?
>
>I've always used a good flat section of 3/4" or 1" mdf for the base.
>
>> thinking of using 2 layers of 3/4" AC plywood with the C faces pressed
>> together and hidden from view. (If I was going to do this a lot, I'd
>> consider a layer of UHMW plastic on the bottom.)
>
>Don't make it all that damn difficult, this is not rocket science.
>(these guys have to come up with some new "tip" to justify their keep,
>much of it warmed over BS)
>
>A planer sled works perfectly well using simple wooden shims instead of
>screws, and shims are much easier to place with precision to keep the
>work piece from rocking.
>
>The other secret to using a planer sled taking very shallow cuts until
>the one side is flat.
>
>Patience is more important than some new "tip".
>
>... and you only need a "stop" on the trailing end.


I second that on the shims. I hold them down with painters tape.
On my sled the "stop" end of the sled is fed in first. The feed
rollers exert the force out the planed end.

"Pinstripe Sniper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I learned about "planer sleds" from a post here in rec.woodorking last
> year that had this link:
>
> http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2006/10/27/ws
>
> If I'm understanding it correctly, one adjusts the various leveling
> screws to compensate for "departures from flatness" on one side of the
> board. In other words, it's kind of like using adjustable threaded
> table leg levelers - only upside down. (gee can I just use sugar
> packets? :-)

Something like that. ;~)

>
> How has this rig worked in practice? Do you eyeball clearances
> between the plank and the screw tops, adjust as needed and then try to
> rock it? I assume any marks/dents on the bottom surface are removed
> when the board is flipped and gets its turn through the planer.

Yes.


>
> Anybody route out 1/4" deep pockets and use hex head bolts instead of
> the pictured beveled wood screws and adjust them from the side with
> the wood in place?

I have a sled that is 8' long and a bit more complex, mine uses wedges and
goes through a 15" planer. The plans I used were from FWW IIRC. The sled
works well, I milled a bunch of oak, 30-40 boards in one run but that took a
couple of days.



>
> Also, how thick a panel(s) have people used for the base? I'm
> thinking of using 2 layers of 3/4" AC plywood with the C faces pressed
> together and hidden from view. (If I was going to do this a lot, I'd
> consider a layer of UHMW plastic on the bottom.)

The trick here is to prevent sag or bending, I used a tortion box design as
indicated by the plans I used.


>
> FYI the planer that will be used is a DeWalt 733.
> I'd love to have a jointer but most of the lumber I use is 8" - 12"
> wide and it doesn't make $$$ cents/sense for me to get one this big.

I have had a 6" jointer for more than 25 years, I use the sled. Plus you
pretty much need a BS to cut the board to width to fit the jointer.

I straighten my lumber on a sled on the the TS.