Levelling big bits of wood.

[Ianab]

I've got some big slabs of wood dried now and need to basically level and true them up before making some furniture.

This is what I've come up with so far



It will hold the 2400w Makita router under the mill and move from side to side with the normal carriage adjustment. I've got a 2" dia flat router bit to mill the slab flat, by making 2" runs down the wood. A bit more bracing to keep the thing solid and some clamps to hold it in place and I'll be ready for a test run 

Ian

[MemphisLogger]

Ian, is your straight bit totally flat or are the "corners" rounded off a little?

I've found that I get a better surface with mine if they're rounded over.

It's not as big as your, but here's the cheapies that I use http://www.woodline.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=275

[Dan_Shade]

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/wvt095.asp

I'm planning on making one of these things.

[Ernie]

Ian

Please keep us posted with your usual quality pics.

Thanks

Ernie

[Ianab]

I have seen that planer sled idea too... looks like a good idea,

but

This is the biggest of the slabs, and most are 20-30" wide.


Scott, thanks for the tip on the router bit, the one I've got is a straight bit, and I imagine it will leave small marks on the surface. But I just want to get it trued up enough so I can tidy it up with a belt sander. 

I'll let you know how it works out  : :P

Ian

[Dan_Shade]

hah, now that's a slab!

what's the plan to secure the slab before you run your contraption over it?  Not sure how hard it would be, but would it be possible to rig up one of the power hand held planers to a jig like you have?

I'm pretty lazy, and I see running a router bit over a board like that a very long, time consumig process

[Ianab]

To secure the slab I'm planning to use gravity  :D
It's about 3" thick, and even dry it's pretty heavy.
For the smaller ones I will probably knock up a frame with some cleats nailed around the slab to stop it moving.
It's going to take a while to smooth it off, but it wont be hard work just running the mill frame up and down the slab.
Could probably do a similar job by bolting a handplaner on, but you may end up doing multiple passes if there is any serious cup or bow on the slab. At least with the router I can slow down and take 1/4" off some spots if need be and the 2" bit will do a fairly wide pass. I'll find out how well it works at the weekend  ;)

Cheers

Ian

[beenthere]

I'm curious what is going to keep that router with a 2" bit from wanting to jump out of the cut.  The sled looks a bit lightweight to me, if I am looking at it right.
I am thinking there will be a lot of resistive forces at work here (as evidence you are thinking the slab will be heavy enough to not move against those forces).

But I may be thinking wrong, and I do trust you have a better idea how easy that router bit will 'cut' through and level the wood slabs.

Anxious to hear how it goes.

[Ianab]

Hi Beenthere

The sled has a few more bracing pieces to go on it yet, I believe it will be be pretty solid as it's all screwed / glued timber and ply. I didn't want it too flimsy as it could vibrate and chatter while cutting. I'll jump up and down down on it a bit as a test first  ;)
I still have to do the clamps that will hold it to the mill carriage. The slab should be OK sitting on some bearers, that can be shimmed to level the slab to the mill frame. While I'm not keen to hang onto the router freehand with that 2" bit  I think the forces invloved will be much less than running the 21" circle blade into a log.

Bottom line is.. It's a prototype.. so I'll see what happens  ;)

Ian

[MemphisLogger]

It'll work for sure Ian--who cares if the router jump up as l;ong as it can't dig in  ;)

I surface big slabs on my 4'x8' welding table. I just lay the slab on it and tack weld angle that's a little taller on each side and put my 3 1/4 horse PC on a piece of 3/4" or 31/32" plywood a little more than twice as long as the slab is wide.

It don't take long and leaves a tearout fee finish that only needs a swipe or 2 with the scraper to really shine  ;D   

[ohsoloco]

The latest issue of Wood magazine has a jig in it that is used for flattening big slabs...although not QUITE as big as Ianab's  ;)   It sounds like Urbanlogger's setup is similar to the one in the magazine, but with wood guides on the sides...but again, not QUITE as big  :D

[Ianab]

Got a bit more done tonight. Router is bolted in place and the rig is ready to mount on the mill.
Now if I can get home in daylight hours I'll set the mill up and give it a test. :

[Ianab]

Finally got a fine day at home to try this rig out.

It works well 

Surface isn't perfect, some small swirl marks and faint lines, but nothing that wont come out in a few minutes of belt sander work.





The business end of things



The finished result. Flat and thickness accurate to within 1 mm on each corner 



Next is to sand out the machining marks and see how it looks with a bit of wood oil on it.

Then find a couple of mates to haul the BIG slab out and finish that up.

Ian

[tnlogger]

thats is a fine looking job there Ianab  8)

[Gilman]

Ian,
Thanks for sharing, looks like it works great!

[Ernie]

Looks great Ian.  Lil must be real understanding to let you set up just outside the door like that.

What's the wood, Mac?

[Ianab]

Yup it's Macrocarpa, and dont worry, thats outside my workshop, out on the back lawn, not the front door of the house. :D
I'll just run the lawnmower round with the catcher to sweep up the shavings the broom missed  ;)

[LIL]

Lil must be real understanding to let you set up just outside the door like that.

Its not me he's got to worry bout Ernie -  ;) We have NEIGHBOURS.  Mind you Ivan next door is always interested in what Ians up to.  So it hasn't been a problem. 

Due to a self inflicted 24 hour bug I was unable to oversee the goings on - I could however hear it from the bedroom :D

[Ernie]

Lil, I thought that a little "hair of the dog" first thing in the morning was a sure fire way to cut the self-inflicted bug back to 12 hours :D :D

[LIL]

 :D

Ernie I did get around to that "hair of the dog" - just it was 12 hours too late.  ;D
I am feeling much better today thou ;)

[LeeB]

that looks a lot better than the pecan slab i just did with a hand plane for a coffe table. took me about 8 hours to do both sides of two slabs.  al ot of the time was bringing them to the same thickness. one had to come down from 9/4 to 7/4. my arms are killing me. LeeB

[Fla._Deadheader]

  LeeB, try gettin one a them Planes wit da little motor on it.  ;) ;) :D :D :D

[Timburr]

Ian, how does that makita muster up power-wise with a 2" routing bit? Does it stall out? ???
I am one step behind you... my slabs are milled and drying and I need to decide what options I have for surfacing them. I am toying with the idea of mounting some kit to bolt on to the saw arbour (Lucas). :-\

Tim

[Ianab]

Tim

The Makita loaded up a bit when I was hogging a serious amount off one tapered board. (Dont know what went wrong with that but the log must have moved and I had 30mm of taper in the slab  : ) I just slowed down the feed and took narrower passes, it chewed it off fine. With a nice straight slab when I was only planing of a couple of mm it was hardly working, just kept the speed down to make sure the cut was smooth. The Macrocarpa machines pretty easy of course, I've got a Bluegum Eucalyptus slab to do yet, that will be the real test

The jig that mounts on the saw arbour is probably better / faster, but more engineering / cost involved. I think Mulumbimby Woodwork in Aussie make such a gadget for the Peterson / Lucas mills.
The big router bit does a good job if you take your time, neither the router or the bit got overly warm so I dont think it's overworking anything as long as I take it easy.

Cheers

Ian

[Larry]

When I lived in Hawaii some 35 years ago we cut monkeypod and koa slabs with a chainsaw mill.  After they dried we would surface them in a similar manner.  We called it a bridge.  Nothing but two angle irons with a piece of plywood in the middle for the router to ride on.  Couple of boards on the side of the slabs for the bridge to ride on.  Routers than were a lot less horsepower and we didn't have carbide bits so we sharpened a lot.  Slabs than went to a home made stroke sander.  Best slabs had voids in them so the girls could make beach scenes with sand, shells and stuff.  Encapsulated the whole mess in epoxy and back to the sanding.  Memory might not be the best on the above but I do remember quite clearly that one sale of a slab table to a rich mainlander would pay all the bills for couple of months.
;D
I have some crotch walnut that warped quite a bit...gonna surface them with the router bridge the same way in next few weeks or so.