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Post by turtlebo on Aug 27, 2011 21:16:53 GMT -5
So I have realized that I will need to have a benchtop planer to build my board out of recycled lumber. I have been experimenting with my table saw, and there is no way I can efficiently, accurately and safely use it to thin boards down to the right thickness. I have been looking into tools and have learned that the generaly accepted method for planing wood is to run one side on a jointer to achieve a "factory edge" and then run the other through a thickness planer to reduce it to the required thickness and thus achieve a board that is true and even. In everyone's experience, can sufficiently good results be achieved with just one or the other of these machines and if so which one? Can a 3 1/4 hand planer achieve good results? Does anyone have any other ideas on accurately thinning used lumber specifically old fence planks or crate/pallet wood? Thanks for any advice/ideas.
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Post by TimelessSurf on Aug 27, 2011 22:43:32 GMT -5
I do all my reducing with just a table plane. Put the best side of the wood facing down through the planer, pay attention to any high spots in the wood, this will be where the planer will bog, run it through a few times till you get a good face, then flip it and do the same. I have never used a jointer to do this I tried with a hand planer and it didnt work, it was reaaaallly wobbly! how thick are the boards you have now?
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Post by bajagrant on Aug 28, 2011 6:56:30 GMT -5
Hi Turtlebo,
You wont need a planer. I live in Cabo and I am waiting on my table-saw to be shipped that I bought in the US. Should be here in a few weeks...
I built one board and it was a fiasco. I had different thicknesses on all my slats and it created a ton of extra work with the hand plane and sander...
I found a good Carpentero a few days ago and he cut($15) my Mexican Cedar for my new Chad 10'2" HP. He cut all the slats at
2"x 1/4 X 10' perfectly without a jig, with just a table saw. Magic... I was going to run them through a planer after the cut, but no reason for that... Now its raw lumber here, not as clean as the US stuff, so when I buy it, there is a ton of waste... Once I have paid they run it through a planer and a jointer to get get smooth surfaces to work from... After that. its a breeze, just take your time...
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Post by turtlebo on Aug 28, 2011 8:40:48 GMT -5
Chad,
The boards I have now are about 3/8 to 1/2 but that varies a lot I have some upto 3/4. So building a jig for ripping them is out of the question--I need to build about 8 jigs.
Grant,
I think I could have the boards cleaned up at a local shop, but 1: I want to do as much of the work myself as I can and 2: I would probably get laughed at bringing a pile of boards from old crates and privacy fences into their shop. Thanks for the suggestion though.
I was thinking that a table planer would be the way to go. That is what I will look for.
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wyatt
New Member
Posts: 33
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Post by wyatt on Aug 28, 2011 20:37:10 GMT -5
I agree with everyone....no need for a jointer. Reason being that the wood is going to be plained down so thin, so it does not need to be true because it is going to flex as it gets thinner. And as has already been said, put the best side down and take as little off as possible to get it as flat as possible, then flip it to the other side, also keep flipping it so you keep reducing any imperfections in the board. If it is really twisted wood, make sure to allow for snipe on the ends, as you probably will not be able to get it out.
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Post by bajagrant on Aug 29, 2011 8:11:45 GMT -5
I wanted to cut my own wood also, but lack of availability of tools in Cabo left me no choice.. It was the best decision anyway... The first board, I had a lousy carpentero whos cuts were all over the place and different thicknesses...
This Carpenetro, taught me so much. No ripping jig, just set the saw at 2" and started ripping the 1 1/4x 12"wide x 10'long board..
After everything was 2" wide, he set the saw at 1/4 and took his time and slid the board across the saw. Perfect cut, nice and slow. Having me on the receiving end, just to support the wood. All the wood was cut like this. Its all perfect, no planer needed. You dont need a ripping jig, although it will probably make the job easier.
I am a proponent of making due with what you have. Living in mexico has taught me that... Try cutting and see what you get, before you go out and buy a ton of stuff.. I think you will surprise yourself.
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Post by access5 on Apr 8, 2012 20:01:38 GMT -5
Bajagrant do you mean narrow strips(2"x1/4"), like on a cedar strip canoe.... ? I buy quarter sawn cedar, rough cut , 2"x12" 16 footers . Hand selected for no knots, heart wood! I rip at 3/16ths for canoes...lays down like paper! A method for hold-downs I use is 22ga stainless strips with holds and use cheap bungie cords....just put a strip of waxpaper in between, Set your jig up on sawhorses and tie them together with a 2x stringer and put hooks on the attach the ss strips too....works on canoes, want to see if it works on boards.
I want to use somme heart cypress, 1/8th thick to add color between layers....thanks for listening!
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