Building a planer sled...

[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.   

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.   

[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.