Is there a way to replicate a planer/thicknesser with a cheaper powe
tool?
I need to reduce the thickness of a 1200mmx90mmx54mm piece of wood to precise 11mm (from 54mm) and a different piece of wood one to a precis
27mmI need a clean cut.
Could this be done with a circular saw on a work bech?
Alternatively, does anybody know where in central London I could tak my timber to be cut to my specific measurements?
Thanks,
Antoni
-- asalcedo
Not really.
Normal practice would be to reduce it to say 13mm on a proper table saw then use a thicknesser to get to 11mm.
How much do you like your fingers/eyes/life???? Do not ever, ever, ever try clamping a curcular saw upside down on a bench.
If you meant that the timber stays on the bench and the saw moves over it, it could in theory be done but I wouldn't bet much on accuracy and a clean cut.
Try a local small joinery shop, they may help for a few quid in cash.
Dave
For narrow stock you may get away with a circular saw or band saw, and a plane.
You need skill with the plane then! ;-)
You may be better off using a rip fence on the saw to set the thickness. You will probably need to make the cut from both sides to achieve a through cut in the 90mm wood (unless you have a very larfge 9" diameter blade saw). A real table saw would do it as well.
I'd be optimistic about getting both pieces from one starting piece. Before starting to buy proper tools I did something similar (although perhaps to lesser quality finish) using a circular saw attachment for an old Black and Decker drill...
This is going to be easier if the workpiece is starting with one good face. It's also easier if there are some scrap ends on the workpiece that you can use to clamp or screw the workpiece in place without fouling the tools
A 'standard' full-size circular saw will cut about 50mm deep. I'd feel reasonably comfortable building a jig from MDF and aluminium/steel angle to allow me to make a cut from one side into the 90mm dimension, then flip the timber over to make the cut from the other side to meet up. I'd anticipate this would leave a small step, which I'd hope to take out with a power planer.
Personally I do this sort of thing on the garage floor. Making up the jigs takes more time than doing the final job, but generally gives the results you want. Key things for the job you describe are a good flat run for the saw's base that is independent of the workpice (since it is too narrow to give sufficient support itself), and something similar for the planer (since most have about an 80mm cut width so you'll want to make two passes from the same datum).
HSS hire out thicknessers. Many timber yards will also run guaranteed clean (no nails, preferably virgin timber) through for a few pounds a pass/piece.
HTH IanC
If faced with this problem using the tools I have to hand I'd rip the board with a hand held circular saw[1] then spend a while with a plane and a straight edge, but it might not be precise enough for your needs - why do you need this wood in these thicknesses?
[1] Clamp the board to the side of the bench, fit a "fence" to the top of the bench to set the cut thickness plus a couple of mm, cut half through the board. Then invert it, pack the kerf so you can clamp it and make the second cut.
Just about any timber merchant will machine their own timber to specific dimensions. Is there something special about your wood?
Thank you for your ideas, and good recommendations.
I will try to find a local shop, otherwise I may try the circular saw.
I need this to put on top of a couple of joists so that they ar level.
Then I will put on top two 18mm plywood boards and screw them al together.
Antoni
-- asalcedo
Not safely. You would need a 90mm depth of cut which is beyond the capacity of most hand circular saws anyway.
There used to be Workmate replacement top options for doing this, but I think they discontinued them.
This is quite a bit of material to remove by using a thicknesser, and a lot of waste. A better proposition would be to rip the piece on a table saw to two or even three pieces and then to plane one. That way, you would have spare material.
Even so, to get it accurate and square would need a planer and a thicknesser.
I don't live in central London or I would offer to do it for you - I dimensioned some cedar to pretty much these sizes this afternoon.
Options to consider:
- Rent a portable thicknesser. However, bear in mind that they make a large bulk of shavings very quickly and quite a bit of noise.
- Take the piece to a joinery firm and ask them to machine it for you. Let me know what they charge so that I can set my prices :-)
- Timber merchants such as Jewsons will machine most readily obtainable species of wood to whatever dimensions you like. However, they are expensive for short runs.
If you don't want to take it to a woodwork shop you can do it by hand. I take it you want an 11mm and a 27mm piece from the 54mm thickness so first rip it with a circular saw along a line 19mm from the face. If the saw cuts don't go all the way through then seperate the pieces with a hand saw down the slot.This gives you 2 pieces about 18 and 34mm thick i.e. 7mm oversize - but probably bent more than the original as tension is released. So next check that the bends are not too much for the desired thickness, If OK next plane up one face on each board until flat using a jack plane, boning rods etc. Then mark the thickness from the face and plane the back down to the line. Easy peasy. If you haven't got a marking gauge and a good hand plane or don't know how to use them then take the wood to a joiners shop and get them to do it.
cheers
Jacob
It's normal to use scraps of ply or hardboard to pack joists. Just build up in layers till you get to 11mm or whatever. 3 lots of hardboard should equal about 10.5 for example, plus a piece of cardboard from a cornflake box equals 11.01. You really don't need to go to all the bother of thicknessing
Its the "precise" which threw me. For your puposes something about 1/2 inch and about 1 inch would do. Any old scraps of ply, hardboard, plastic etc.
Jacob
I think this must be for some exposed interior where looks are important.
However, if the joists haven't been set level in the first place across themselves (ie from one joist to the next), I'd also be wondering if they are level along their length and whether tapered packers are needed.
IanC
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