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Router sled for surfacing slabs

Started by Crusarius, February 06, 2019, 01:04:25 PM

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mike_belben

I wonder how big of a cutter a lawn mower engine could turn ?

;D
Praise The Lord

Crusarius

hmmmm. Mike you are a baaaaad man!!!! 

:)

doc henderson

that is a cool idea, could flatten a slab anywhere.  Not the same rpms but with a big cutter the outside edge is moving pretty fast.  I think routers turn about 15 to 22 thousand rpms.   :)  smiley about 29 rpms




Re: Router sled for surfacing slabs
« Reply #51 on: Today at 07:48:25 AM »


I wonder how big of a cutter a lawn mower engine could turn ?

Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Hilltop366

LUCAS MILL - Planing & Sanding Discs - YouTube

I looked on the Lucas web site but I did not find the diameter of the disc, there are two sizes for different size mills.

The smaller disc is for the 6" mill that uses a 16 or 18 hp, the larger disc goes on the 30hp mill

From the planer disc instructions

"

  • VERTICAL DEPTH - Set the disc to the desired height. Remove a maximum of 5mm in the
    first pass and 1 – 2mm thereafter until desired finish is achieved.
  • HORIZONTAL ACTION - Move the disc across 50 – 60mm (2 – 2 1/2") with each pass. The
    more you increase the width of cut, the more grain tear you will experience."

    The grain tear out comment makes sense because when cutting length wise on the slab the wider the surface you cut with the disc the more you are cutting across grain.

    So the next logical step is to use a spiral planer head. :laugh:

Crusarius

but that is 900+ for a spiral head. If I am going to spend that kind of money I would just buy a nice planer. Problem is i want 25" width.

Hilltop366

The bargain seems to be the 12" for a Delta planer $426.00 https://shelixheads.com/SHELIX-heads_for_Planers/SHELIX_Heads_for_Planers_by_DELTA not sure of the diameter of the planer head so the issue may be getting the bearings and drive pulley set up so they don't interfere with multi passes on a wide plank.

Another more costly option could be spiral cutters for shapers and molders https://shelixheads.com/SHELIX-heads_for_Shapers_and_Moulders/shelix_for_shapers_straight_bore_112, they are not 12" but wider than you can cut with a router bit.

A guys aloud to dream, right? :D

Crusarius

So true. I was actually thinking of building my own super wide planer. But for just the shelix heads it made the cost a little high for me to swallow. Maybe one day. But till then a router sled will work perfectly.

Hilltop366

Yep, if you had a lot to do or had lots of opportunity to flatten slabs for hire it might be worth it otherwise the router is probably the way to go.

Now if there was a way to make the router travel back and forth and advance in the cut on it"s own.......perhaps up one side of the slab and down the other.....

I'm always dreaming.

hopm


doc henderson

Mike maybe you can lay all the slabs in the yard and mount the cutter to a mowing deck, can use pulley to get rpms.  then just drive over all the slabs.  Sadly someone is bound to try this.  lol.  turned your dream into a nightmare.


smiley_beertoast
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Crusarius

Setting up limit switches and stepper motors to automate the process would be pretty easy and relatively inexpensive.

could set the slab then place your rails and have clip on limit switches that clip to the rails then simple program for offset and hit run. It will run until it contacts a limit switch shutting it off.

Depending on what happens with all this I am working on it may be something worth doing. But in the grand scheme of things how often will I need to surface anything over 12". a dewalt or porter cable 13" planer from any of the big box stores is about $600. Would be a worthwhile investment for my level or surfacing.

Or I sell surfacing services? Dunno, lots of options. Maybe that is a good idea.

tule peak timber

The insert cutterhead that is in the current version of the surfacer I'm working on.

 The next generation will have a slower speed motor (electric) and more HP to drive something like this- 

 Beyond this diameter of end tooling I think the next step is horizontal and belt drive -like an open planer head.  Rob
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Crusarius

tule peak is that a 3" cutter? I like the bristle idea.

Could always make a chain drive series of spindles or even gear drive that runs 4 2" router bits. Aligning would be a PITA but could be done pretty easily. be setup just like gang drills are.

tule peak timber

7 inch - so it will need to slow down !
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Crusarius

I meant the cutter diameter. looks like 3"

What is the spikey? will that actually take stock off?

tule peak timber

The Amana cutter is about 2.25 inches in diameter. The 7 inch disc from Kutzall, has carbide spikes that work very well at material removal. Rob
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

alan gage

Quote from: Hilltop366 on February 13, 2019, 11:19:47 AM
Yep, if you had a lot to do or had lots of opportunity to flatten slabs for hire it might be worth it otherwise the router is probably the way to go.

Now if there was a way to make the router travel back and forth and advance in the cut on it"s own.......perhaps up one side of the slab and down the other.....

I'm always dreaming.
Kbeitz made one last year: Band mill Router Plane in General Woodworking
Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

Crusarius

What kind of a surface finish does that leave? I would expect some crazy swirl marks?

tule peak timber

It can , and does.....Still our number one way of surfacing slabs is with a hand router. This pic is from  5 minutes ago......

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Crusarius

I think you mean hand planer :)

you know how easy it would be to put rails on the walls and use those for some surfacing thing?

tule peak timber

Yes I meant hand planers. Your suggestion for rails on the walls is good-look a little further down the photo :)
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

doc henderson

nice tule.  looks like that room was made for doing live edge slabs.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

WLC

Doc, you need to look through some of Tule peaks photo's.  They do amazing work in his shop.
Woodmizer LT28
Branson 4wd tractor
Stihl chainsaws
Elbow grease.

Crusarius

Quote from: tule peak timber on February 13, 2019, 06:55:01 PM
Yes I meant hand planers. Your suggestion for rails on the walls is good-look a little further down the photo :)
aha. thought that was a tool holder :)

tule peak timber

The notched boards were the last generation sled mounts .

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

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