# Interesting Videos- Flattening Slabs



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I found 3 interesting videos about flattening slabs (not with typical router sled) using a handheld power planer. Take a look. It seems much faster.
















I have been thinking about this for a while.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

neat idea. Definitely faster, I don't know how they would compare on complicated grain patterns.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

I tried one to smooth out a rough and out of balance piece in a wood lathe. Worked almost too well. That thing smoothed that wood like you wouldn't believe, almost took too much off, all in just a few seconds.


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I like the idea used in the 2nd video. Just drop it in and use it. 2 boxes, and 2 rails. Simple adjusters.


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## 1fizgig (Feb 11, 2018)

It's an interesting idea. I've got a plane similar to what was used in video #3, and if I made something like what was in #2 (probably a smaller scale - I don't have much space) that could be very interesting. 

I guess I'd be trying to figure out how to manage height adjustment, but interesting nonetheless


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

1fizgig said:


> It's an interesting idea. I've got a plane similar to what was used in video #3, and if I made something like what was in #2 (probably a smaller scale - I don't have much space) that could be very interesting.
> 
> I guess I'd be trying to figure out how to manage height adjustment, but interesting nonetheless


Here is another site that better shows how he fastened his guide blocks.

https://www.woodenwidget.com/scarf.htm


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## 1fizgig (Feb 11, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Here is another site that better shows how he fastened his guide blocks.
> 
> https://www.woodenwidget.com/scarf.htm


Thanks Gary, that was an interesting view of the cradle the plane was fixed into, and seems like if I had a couple of exactly the same size rails I could do something similar at an even height and use it that way


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I have a cheap harbor freight power planer (similar to hitachi planer) that I want to try to use to flatten one side of a slab using this idea. Then send it through my thickness planer to make it parallel. That is what they do in the second video and it works great.


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## Flipsaw (Mar 11, 2016)

Seems like an easier system than a router sled for a project in the near future. Have to smooth out a maple bar top (actually an old shuffle board) that my dad had installed in their home. There was a flood and the basement had to be redone and the top was under water and the finish on the top was ruined along with a slight warping. Keeping fingers crossed that one of these ideas will help.
Thanks for posting !


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I like the idea used in the 2nd video. Just drop it in and use it. 2 boxes, and 2 rails. Simple adjusters.

Since I am going to use my Harbor Freight Hand Planer, I want to show my thought process.
I am going to use a slide system similar to the one used in the second video...on the boat build "Talley Ho.
I think it is important to have the planer set into the track system so the bottom is parallel to the track when used. The front of my planer has a hole horizontally from side to side, for a guide that I can use a 3/8" rod to support the front of the plane. The rear has no hole, so I removed the rear sole to see how much support there was. Not Much. I made a Hard maple block that is inserted internally to support the plastic body of the plane. The block fits inside the body and I needed to drill a 3/8" hole at the same height so the plane bottom will set parallel when dropped into the track box.

To match the location with the height of the front guide hole, I used a drill bit to mark a scrap of maple as shown in the photo. This became a guide for drilling (from each side) through the body so the hole for the rear support is at the same height as the front guide hole. The rear hole aligned perfectly this way (drilling from each side).

I think this will work well, but since I am going out of town...I have to delay further work on this idea for about 10 days.

My planer is a 3-1/4"...and I see Wen makes a cheap 4-1/2" planer for about $65.00.


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

More Photos.


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## Flipsaw (Mar 11, 2016)

I have the Wen 4 1/2" planer and it works very well.


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## gdonham1 (Oct 31, 2011)

I have an Infinity Mega Planner bit that I use in a Frued FT2000 router. It came with a large plastic (1/4") router base and I find it easy to level lumber I have cut up with a Saw Mill. The planer will work but I find the Mega Planner bit gets a really smooth surface on Mesquite which is a wild grain wood. What ever method you use you need to keep your bits/blades sharp or you will get chip out.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Man, these are some great alternatives. I also think you have to find a way to hold the workpiece in place whichever method you use.


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Update on my planer sled*

I've been playing around with sketchup … and wanted to present my thoughts. You have already seen my photos about drilling holes through my planer that will capture my planer into my sled assembly. After succeeding the drilling part I intend on putting 3/8" metal rods through the planer. This way I can just drop the planer into a tray with slots cut in the tray. The red tray in the picture will be lifted up and down with 4 threaded rods through the yellow slides. The red tray can slide from side to side within the green tray. The green tray sits on long rails that are adjustable (up and down) to accommodate different thickness slabs, and the whole thing sits on a bench.
That's the basic idea. Shown in the 3rd photo, is a slab that has the radius side against the bench (which would be shimed and fastened somehow). Since I am leaving town for a little while... I wanted to present this to you for your comments.

Note the generic "pink" planer.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Gary,
You have done a good thing by bringing this to our attention. What I don’t get from your plans, or the boatbuilding guy’s video, is how to keep the box holding the planer level, if there are four separate adjusting screws?
Also, he did not mention the initial planer depth of cut setting. Any idea what this should be?


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Biagio said:


> Gary,
> You have done a good thing by bringing this to our attention. What I don’t get from your plans, or the boatbuilding guy’s video, is how to keep the box holding the planer level, if there are four separate adjusting screws?
> Also, he did not mention the initial planer depth of cut setting. Any idea what this should be?


When using it your hands are still on the planer. There will be four 3/8"-16 threaded rods going through two nuts fixed in the yellow slides and jamb nuts on the red parts... I have not worked out those details yet. The reason for using 3/8"-16 thread is that each revolution would be 1/16" in depth. The slots in the red slide are stopped dados, which prevent the planer from dropping through. The planer bottom itself would hang slightly below the red slide when inserted. As far as the depth adjustment on the planer... it would probably be used as you normally would I think.

The reason I settled on this plan is it still allows me to just lift the planer straight up to use it as a planer without the jig. Un complicated!


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I also plan to use plywood for stability where possible and use Formica on the sliding parts to reduce friction.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Gary, please don't think I am being pedantic. It looks like a really great idea to me, there are just some details I cannot quite visualise.
1. I get the rationale for the threaded rods, but what if one or two are turned a bit more or a bit less than the others? Will that not affect h angle of the planer sole and blades? I get that even though the planer is “dropped in”, it is being held down by the operator’s hand, but if the box is out of level, the cut will be out of level - I would not be able to correct by feel.
2. Assuming the depth of cut is set only via the threaded rods, should the planer’s own depth of cut be set to 0.1, 0,5, 1, or 2,5mm? I realise that all the planer’s depth adjustment does, is raise or lower the forward section of the soleplate, but since that movement exposes more or less of the cutters, I assume the initial setting will be of some importance? Perhaps it needs to be determined by trial and error.


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## 1fizgig (Feb 11, 2018)

Biagio, depth of cut is really at your own discretion and probably depends on the slab you wish to flatten. If it's already relatively smooth you may not want to take a lot of material off, so you may only take 0.5mm off.
If it's particularly rough, you may want to take 2.5mm off to really get down to a flat overall surface. You may even want/need to go over the surface a couple of times to obtain a flat surface, not including doing the other side of the slab as well.

I think you're overthinking that particular point.


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Biagio, I thought about the tilt that can occur with this idea... front to back and side to side, using 4 threaded rods. I am thinking once the tray is adjusted to be parallel with the tracks, that it will leave a more uniform surface than a router type surfacer. Indicators (pointers) may be required on all 4 adjusting rods to insure that it is lowered evenly. I am not an engineer so I will have to make this in order to find out if it will actually work well. My initial thought was that if a planer can be used... since it planes basically with the grain, it may leave a flatter surface than a router would. Besides that, planer blades are sharpenable, and less costly.


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## Straightlines (May 15, 2013)

I’m not sure the fore-aft tilt adjuster is needed for the planer in the box, because the framework of the jig is the reference surface upon which the planer car travels down the workpiece. The rotating drum takes away a left-right oriented LINE of wood, so the line must have left-right tilt correction, but fore-aft tilt is ineffective. If you get the framework & car traveling straight and true down the track, then the planer will do so too. 

It’s probably most helpful for us to envision a normal stationary planer: The depth of cut is controlled by moving the cutter head up/down relative to the workpiece. Next we have remember that even though the power planer adjusts the front sole via its adjuster knob, that front sole doesn’t move relative to the workpiece, it’s always in direct contact with the workpiece, and the net result is that the cutter (and bulk of the power planer) is what moves up/down relative to the in-feed surface and workpiece, just like the stationary planer. 

Therefore, in the car, we should fix the in-feed sole height and left-right tilt to be coplanar to the jig’s sliding car. That means the rear sole/cutter is what needs up-down adjusting relative to the car. This implies the rear sole must project below the floor of the car for clearance reasons. 

It seems likely that the power planer’s intrinsic adjustments should be adequate to keep both of its soles coplanar, so I would probably start by double-stick taping an oversized Masonite hardboard or lexan shoe to the planer’s front sole, then mount that assembly into the body of the car, nicely coplanar, and then use the planar’s knob for fine depth of cut control. Course depth control will be nicely controlled by a series of parallel dados cut down the length of each of the rails at a gapping that’s slightly less than the overall maximum range of the control knob. 


— Bradley


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Update*



gmercer_48083 said:


> I've been playing around with sketchup … and wanted to present my thoughts. You have already seen my photos about drilling holes through my planer that will capture my planer into my sled assembly. After succeeding the drilling part I intend on putting 3/8" metal rods through the planer. This way I can just drop the planer into a tray with slots cut in the tray. The red tray in the picture will be lifted up and down with 4 threaded rods through the yellow slides. The red tray can slide from side to side within the green tray. The green tray sits on long rails that are adjustable (up and down) to accommodate different thickness slabs, and the whole thing sits on a bench.
> That's the basic idea. Shown in the 3rd photo, is a slab that has the radius side against the bench (which would be shimed and fastened somehow). Since I am leaving town for a little while... I wanted to present this to you for your comments.
> 
> Note the generic "pink" planer.



I have built (from my plan) the rails and the two sleds. I found out that the planer must be held fast (attached to) the box. I found the planer should hang below the box about 3/8" to make it easier to see the adjustments. I also found the rear sole on the planer must be made parallel to the rails in each direction (length and width). I adjusted the depth on the planer to take an aggressive cut. The depth of cut is now adjusted by turning the nuts one turn at a time for a 1/16" cut. I originally placed a log on a rubber mat and tried it... not so good. So I made hold downs using 1" angle iron, and screwed into the log...then used hold fasts to hold it tight to the bench. That worked great! The log section I used was about 14" long and about 12" wide, and had been rip cut with a chainsaw. I had shimmed the log to be parallel and clamped it to the bench with 2 holdfasts. I then started planning...and to my surprise after 4 complete passes, the result was as good as any jointer. there was no snipe, no tear out, no track marks. I then used a multi bulb LED flashlight to check the flatness, corner to corner and width wise. I am very happy about how well it worked. I took some photos, and will follow up with them tomorrow.

I have had consistent problems with this forum...Splashing shoe ads all over and it makes it difficult to navigate this website. I wish they would correct this... IF THEY CAN!


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Update Photos*

Update Photos


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Update Photos #2*

Update Photos #2


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Once the slab is straightened on one face, it's ready for the thickness planer to make it parallel... or flip and re fasten and do the other side.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Hi Gary,
You have validated my concerns, and solved them. Many thanks.
1. I was worried about whether hand pressure on the planer would be enough.
2. I did not quite agree with Bradley - in my jointer, the out-feed table is stationary, and the in-feed table drops away to expose more or less of the cutter blades, i.e. depth of cut. The two tables must be co-planar, otherwise there will be twisting. My hand planer works exactly the same way, but inverted vertically. So I am with you on the need for the machine’s rear sole plate must be coplanar with the sled in both axes - after all, when setting the blades, they are checked against the rear sole.
3. The depth of cut is set by your threaded rods - so the machine’s front sole-plate needs to be raised to near-maximum, in order not to obstruct the sled height adjustment.
4. The part I am still wondering about, is how do you keep the 4 threaded rods in sync? I take Bradleys point that the front-to-back is not so important, but I am of the opinion that the side-to-side is - otherwise you will get ridge lines because of the oblique axis of the blades.
Good work!


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Biagio, If you look closely at picture2 (Update Photos) you may see I used a marker on the nuts...a pointer of sort. all 4 nuts are turned the same amount, to lower it equally. There are 4 nuts under the block that are jammed upward (under the block) to lock it in place. Without the jamb nuts under the block... the vibration makes the upper nuts rotate and it loses it's setting.


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## Straightlines (May 15, 2013)

Gary, nice to see your solution... and it works! Synchronization of the adjusters is the critical element. 

Biagio, I think we are on the same page: Power planers and jointers adjust the same way. The cutters are registered to the outfeed and the infeed is what gets adjusted.


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