Building a planer sled...

[Paschale]

That's all the shimming you did, and it ended up flat?  Wow...I need to try the "less is more" approach.  Didn't the planer rollers push that puppy down, at least some, in the middle where you've got the big gap? 

I had very thin shims under every area that didn't make contact with the sled.  Maybe I'm doing too much...

I've been picking out some boards for my project, and so I'll be doing some more experimenting with the sled.  I'll try your technique and see how she comes out. 

There's a big discrepancy from one side to the other...did you just nibble away at it, gradually getting longer and longer removal? 

[Paschale]

Now here's a mystery. 

I decided to test this thing out some more tonight with a scrap piece of wood.  I've picked out the top for my end table, and they're going to be nicely bookmatched, so I didn't want to run my actual boards through without testing my system out some more.

The problem that I had on my original run through with the sled showed up again.  At the beginning of the board, there are about three inches where the knives are cutting deeper into the board.  I have shimmed under this spot, because there was a gap between the sled and the bottom of the board.  The article I read in WOOD magazine said to be sure to shim underneath the spots where it rocked, but for whatever reason, I'm getting divets in the board.  It seems to happen at both the front and back end of the boards.  This doesn't happen when I have a regular piece that I'm running through, without the sled.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong, or how I can fix this?   ???  I may end up making that Fine Woodworking sled afterall.   :

[Furby]

Sounds like your sled is rocking as it goes in and comes out.

[SwampDonkey]

Probably cupped and twisted and doing as Furby suggests.


I remember a song Frank Sanatra sang......'I'll Do It My Way....' ;D

Paschale, It's rocking because there are low points that loose contact with the feed rollers, then it grabs the high points and that's the point it rocks. She much be real twisty stuff eh? What you have to do I think is set it up so there is a continuous contact. That's going to be fun to eye ball. ;)

Also, what could be happening is your sled when entering and exiting is not kept level. Might need some extension feed rollers on either end.

[Paschale]

Sounds like your sled is rocking as it goes in and comes out.

Well, the sled isn't rocking at all.  Especially on the way out, since on this run, I moved the tail end lip to the butt end of the board, which means there's about a foot and a half of the sled still moving through the planer.

It must be the board on top of the shims that is rocking.  The rocking theory that you and Swamp have suggested makes sense.  I'm just trying to envision in my mind what's happening a bit better though, so I can remedy it.

I've heard of guys actually screwing into a board, from the bottom of the sled.  Not so deep that the holes won't be planed out, but just enough to grab the board and keep it tight to the sled.

That seems like a nuisance, especially if you had a lot of boards to plane.  But I suppose it could be done.  You'd have to recess the screws into the bottom of the sled though, since you wouldn't want to be scratching up the table of the planer.  And then the question arises as to how many/how close would you need those screws to be?

But heck...Larry's been able to do it with shimming.  I'm just not doing right, methinks...   :

[Paschale]

I've been doing some Googling on the subject.  People have all kinds of methods of securing the stock--some even use two sided tape, which seems a little suspect.  The hot glue idea that metalspinner proposed has popped up, and I need to try that myself.  Some people screw it down, and then others do like an article I found from Woodsmith magazine. 

You can see the article here.

I'm bound and determined to figure this out.  Thanks for all the help, guys!

Oh, and one more thing...I've read the suggestion to take very minute passes, so that the planer roller pressure is as low as possible.  Many light passes until you have a flat surface, then flip her over.  Makes sense to me.

Here's another article I found.  This describes the hot glue method that metalspinner suggests.  I think I'll try this method tomorrow.  Does hot glue stick to melamine?  I suppose I could put some tape down on the melamine, and glue it to that...

[Larry]

The hot melt comes right off with a chisel.

Most of the time my feed rollers don't exert enough pressure to bend the stock...but I'm mostly doing thick and short.  Thinner boards just put couple more shims in.

If your getting divots in the board something is rocking...or your getting snipe.  Sometimes snipe is hard to eliminate...lot easier to leave an extra 3" on each end and trim it off later.  I always have to trim off a little anyhow, to get rid of end checks that pop up during the kiln drying cycle.

I plane much like your last link...I always put two shims in on opposite corners.  That way your splitting the difference and get a thicker finished board.

[metalspinner]

Paschale,
You really need to try the router planer thing.  After the bed is built (10 minutes tops) and the router sled is built (15 minutes) that 13" x 6' board will only take about thirty seconds to joint flat.  Flip it and 30 seconds later its planed.  You won't break a sweat - or anything else.

[ohsoloco]

What size and type of  bit do you use in the router  ???

[metalspinner]

It's just a 1" straight bit.  I have seen a 1 3/8" diameter bit in a catalogue.  It was a drawer lock bit or something like that. I've just been to lazy to order it. : The style of bit doesn't matter much as I send everything through the planer or drum sander afterwards.  Of course, a variable speed router should be used for a heavy large bit. But the 1" straight bit does the job pretty darn quick.

[Ianab]

A straight bit works OK, I have a 2" bit on my router / planer, but the router is bolted to the mill. Not so sure about spinning that bit freehand  ;)

I have been told that a bowl cutting bit is the best option though.
http://www.amanatool.com/bits-fv/45980.html

Cheers

Ian

[metalspinner]

Just found this ...

http://www.grizzly.com/products/c1662

It might feel like you're holding down a helicopter, though. :D

[Modat22]

I cobbled a sled together a few weeks ago for my planer. Instead of shims I used flush wood screws along the surface. Lay the board down on the sled and figure out where you need the shims, then lift the board and turn out your wood screws till you get the right shimming action.

It can be a pain to adjust but you don't have to worry about shims coming loose. I'm trying to figure out a way to make it adjustable from the bottom of the sled so one can leave the board laying down. I think it would be faster, I've been looking for a some sort of screw within a screw faster to make this work.

[metalspinner]

I've been looking for a some sort of screw within a screw faster to make this work.

What about a brass insert?  You can then use a 3/4" set screw that can be adjusted from the bottom.
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1048

if you bugger up the brass thread just a touch, the set screw will hold its place after you adjust it.

[Modat22]

Those brass inserts might just be the ticket. I imagine they will outlast the sped material. Could make for a pricey sled though 

I could drill and tap some brass or aluminum round stock and do something similar. Thanks for the idea  ;D

[Paschale]

Paschale,
You really need to try the router planer thing.  After the bed is built (10 minutes tops) and the router sled is built (15 minutes) that 13" x 6' board will only take about thirty seconds to joint flat.  Flip it and 30 seconds later its planed.  You won't break a sweat - or anything else.

See, I'm kinda stubborn.   :  I have a 15" planer, and I like the idea of mastering it to use like a jointer.  But I think the router method will work great.  I'm sure with the way I operate, I'll try that route once I really figure out how aggravating using a planer this way can be.   ;D

I haven't had time to mess around in the shop anymore.  I think with the knowledge I have now, I can make it work OK.  I'm going to experiment with the hot glue holding the shims, like several of you guys have suggested.  I'll see how that treats me, and then I might mess around with screws.

I've read in some other places of people screwing rails or runners on the left and right of the bottom of the board, and then running that through.  But you could potentially run into a problem where the runners would conform to the contours of the board. 

[metalspinner]

Could make for a pricey sled though 

Try T-bolts.  Those would work, too.  They are easier to install as well.

[BBTom]

I wonder if you could back off the springs on your feed rollers to do this job, so there would not be as much down pressure on the peice.  My grizzly planer has easy spring adjustment.  When I got my Griz ( secondhand) the springs were so tight that there was only about 3/32" movement before "bottoming" out. 

Just a thought, as I haven't tried using a sled, yet!!

[Paschale]

BBTom's suggestion about backing off the springs got the ole noggin' thinking.

As I put my boards through (either on the sled or without), they tend to be pulled to the left a bit.  I'm thinking that's evidence that the springs aren't evenly balanced.  And if my logic is correct...and I'm not saying that happens on a regular basis...but if it's being pulled to the left, wouldn't it stand to reason that it is the left side that needs to be backed off a bit?   ???

I bought some thicker MDF today, in a four foot length, so I'm going to see what having a more rigid sled will do.

But I still like the idea of the router method too. 

Just having fun experimenting!  The woodstove's firing away out in the shop, and in an hour or so, I'll be going out there to have some fun.   8)

[SwampDonkey]

Well it sounds logical about your springs Paschale. I hope the sled works out. I just came from the shop for the night with a good fire for overnight. I see the stars out and looks like it could go cold, no wind.  ;)