I Need advice on tool purchases

[Leon]

With the proper jig, you absolutely can flatten a face with a planer.

[J. Clarke]

Actually you can flatten a face with a planer, you just need to support the stock on a sled that is stiff enough to keep it from flexing and that doesn't let it flatten out.

And they do make planers that can also joint--the trouble is that they need to have beds as long as any other jointer in order to do it effectively, and to do it full width they need to have beds like jointers of that width and that means a big, heavy, expensive tool.

There's more than one solution to any problem, but the purpose-made tool is usually the most convenient.

[Leon]

Actually if you have a straight piece of plywood to use as a reference you can straighten rough cut boards on a TS plenty good enough for glueing the edges. I typically don't use the jointer at all as I find that for larger boards the jointer is overwhelmed. I can much more easily flatten a 10" wide and

8' long board with a jig and my stationary planer and much more quickly and easily straighten boards edges with the TS and my jig.

Snip

IMHO and my experience with probably 85% of my work being for pay I find that buying S4S is more expensive but not as expensive as my time. Basically I would rather pay the mill and extra $200 than spend the day millng rough cut or S2S myself. If I do the milling it costs me between $200 and $320 per day. If I am building something for myself I am more likely to do the milling myself.

I am not being contrary to prove you wrong, just adding another point of view. Your view is certainly valid.

[Chip Buchholtz]

: With the proper jig, you absolutely can flatten a face with a planer.

Thanks, Leon.

So I just make a flat, stiff, and parallel surface, attach the wood to be flattened to one side, and use shims so that the rollers don't flex the wood as it goes through. Then send that through the planer and the face opposite the jig becomes flat and parallel to the jig.

Do I have it right?

What's a good way to fasten the work to the jig? Double sided tape?

Thanks again,

--- Chip

[Leon]

You are very close Chip.

Actually if you attach anti-slip sand paper to the wedges the wood stays in place very well without being fastened down.

IIRC FWW had an article with plans on building that jig and I built one myself. I can probably did up the plans in .pdf if you would like a copy. I would be glad to e-mail you a copy. I was able to flatten rough cut 4/4 oak 8-13" wide and 8' long with the jig and my stationary planer. That would be pretty tough to do with most any jointer unless you start getting into the 12" and larger jointers.

Keep in mind that the boards need to pretty straight and flat to be able to joint a board that wide and long and have at leas 3/4 left when you are done. If the board have much bow or warp you would be better off ripping with a BS and or shortening the board to begin with to minimize the bow or warp.

[Larry Blanchard]

Not much. The box was made from some plywood I already had. I got the squirrel cage blower from American Science and Surplus but I can't remember the cost - something under $20 is my best guess. I use one ordinary fiberglass furnace filter (16x20) backed up with an allergy filter. When they get dirty I vacuum them. Every 3 or 4 years I replace them.

But I don't get out in the shop as much as some, and I don't run the air cleaner when using hand tools. Maybe 4-6 hours a week.

[Chip Buchholtz]

: IIRC FWW had an article with plans on building that jig and I built one : myself. I can probably did up the plans in .pdf if you would like a copy.

Thanks, but I'm mostly just curious and saving up ideas for later. I don't have an immediate need. I'm thinking that I'll buy a planer before a jointer, when I have an immediate need.

: I was able to flatten rough cut 4/4 oak 8-13" wide and 8' long with the jig : and my stationary planer. That would be pretty tough to do with most any : jointer unless you start getting into the 12" and larger jointers.

: Keep in mind that the boards need to pretty straight and flat to be able to : joint a board that wide and long and have at leas 3/4 left when you are : done. If the board have much bow or warp you would be better off ripping : with a BS and or shortening the board to begin with to minimize the bow or : warp.

Great info - thanks!

--- Chip

[Andy H]

WOW, $20! I need to go shopping thanks Larry!

[Andy H]

Thanks Roy, Maybe I forgot to mention that my dad has a stockpile of rough black walnut boards that has been drying for 50+ years. All I have to do is make one cool thing and I can get the rest. The planer might pay for it self just doing that alone. I hope that the Forrest blade and a jig will help me joint these boards. Thats my plan. I placed the order last night for the Dewalt Planer, Forrest WWII, Triton Router, Kreg Pocket Rocket, and the PC 3 nailer kit. Im more than a little excited! Its gonna be an early Christmas for me!

BadAndy

[Phisherman]

I'm sure the boards dried 48+ years ago. Walnut dust is known to be a hazard--buy a dust mask that has a good seal and a DC will be a wise health investment.

[Andy H]

Well, I elected to forego the Dust Collector for the moment. I know Ill have a huge mess with the planer. I do the best I can with a shop vac. I have a couple paper masks, Ill probably get a respirator when I start doing the planing.

Ive always heard to on plane one side of a board and wait a couple days for it to acclimate before doing the other side.

Do I have to worry about this with wood this old?

thanks! Andy

[J. Clarke]

If you're taking about the same amount off each side and just enough to clean it up then I wouldn't worry about it. If you're taking a heavy cut on one side to reduce the thickness significantly then yeah, it's a good idea to let it rest for a bit after planing--the moisture content doesn't react instantly to humidity changes, so there will likely be a gradient across the thickness. Not much of one but enough to possibly cause a little bit of cupping.

[Swingman]

"Andy H" wrote

Planer's don't usually make lots of "dust", they make more chip sized particles, so unless you have health/alergy problems already, the paper masks will most likely be fine, and a respirator overkill.

No shop vac I know of will keep up with most planers with a medium cut, but if you make light cuts you can certainly keep the cleanup time down with one.

Exact opposite, IME.

I always make at least one planing pass on both sides ... different strokes.

Fact: freshly planed wood really needs to be stored where the air circulation is the same on both sides, otherwise you will likely wake up to bowed wood the next morning.

While it is not necessary to "stack and sticker", some do so.

What I do ( and what most hardwood lumber yards do with "SxS" stock) is to store the freshly planed boards on end, as vertically upright as possible, with a support point (in the shop, a shelf edge, cabinet top etc.) about mid way or higher, so that air can circulate to both sides while its waiting to be used.

Then again, not all wood, even of the same species, will act the same way (mainly due to the way it was cut from the log, or from internal stresses when growing that are released when cut).

No matter the precautions, it's always a crap shoot, and why you should always order at least 20% more project stock than you need, or more.

YMMV ...

[Andy H]

The opposite actually makes more sense to me too. If you are only revealing the "fresh" cells on one face then they could expand more than the non planed face making an expensive potato chip.

That sound right?

thanks for your input. Andy

[Andy H]

Even on 50+ year old wood? I dont have a meter but its pretty dry. Its was cut about an inch thick I suppose. Now its closer to 3/4.

Andy

[Swingman]

Actually, and IME, the newly planed cells eventually contract due to drying/loss of moisture, causing that side of the board to become concave.

As far as the "plane one side only, let it rest before doing the other" theory:

_Most_ of the time a planer is used in conjunction with a jointer, one surface is "jointed" flat, and then the opposite surface is planed parallel to the jointed surface and for thickness ...

... therefore, the operations usually following one another, that sorta blows the "let it rest between planing sides" theory completely out of the water. :)

Just my tuppence ... I do what I do because it works for me in my shop environment, and in my climate. YMMV

[Doug Miller]

Yes, you will. IMO, you should re-think that plan.

Planers don't make too much dust (so a respirator isn't all that important), but they sure make a lot of chips, and they'll go *everywhere*. If you're planning to collect them as they're produced, with a hose connected to the shop vac, I think you'll be disappointed in the results, as the planer will produce shavings at a rate probably too fast for the shop vac to keep up. And if you're planning to just sweep up afterward... I think you'll be disappointed in the results there, too.

That's incorrect. You want to remove approximately the same amount from each side at the same time, so that each side of the board has approximately the same moisture content.

Not if you do it the right way (same amount off each side, at the same time).

[Andy H]

Well, Once SWMBO sees the huge mess, maybe then I can justify a Dust collector. I love it when a plan comes together!

Without the planer I couldnt really justify a DC, So I bought the planer! Genius!

Andy

[DLB]

Andy,

The Dewalt 735 has a blower in the chip chute and it will fire them a long distance. You may want to get at least a 4" hose and direct into a trash can. The blower is so strong that it inflates my dust collector bags to the point of looking like it is on.

Dave

[Doug Miller]

Ahh, I see you're a step ahead of me. Sounds like a good plan.