Planer problem

[DoubleTap]

So I've had a big stack of really nice 6/4 Curly Maple boards for a long time. I haven't used them because they need finishing planing to make them flat and take out some of the gouges in them. I bought a Bosch 1594K hand held planer thinking it would do the job ... but after just now trying, all I'm doing is making a big mess out of the board. I made some cuts to take out the gouges, then tried to make a few more down the middle to take out the bow, but when I tried to even everything out the board ends up just having stair-steps of different cut depths all over it.

First question, can I use a hand held planer to flatten a large (16" wide) board? And if so, what technique is there to doing so?

[mgrabow]

Re: Planer problem

Yes and no... You probably can but I cant>>>


Just kidding. Plea blade needs to be sharp and shinny as a mirror....

hid it at a slugh angle. have the blade not too deep>>>

I think there are some youtube videos on this...

It takes a sharp well set up plane... I cant do it but it can be done...

[DoubleTap]

Re: Planer problem

Yes and no... You probably can but I cant>>>


Just kidding. Plea blade needs to be sharp and shinny as a mirror....

hid it at a slugh angle. have the blade not too deep>>>

I think there are some youtube videos on this...

It takes a sharp well set up plane... I cant do it but it can be done...

Can I get an English translation please?

[bobbarkto]

Re: Planer problem

You need a different tool.

Those powered hand planes are wicked impossible to use on the face of a board. Gouges more than anything.
I've planed hundreds, maybe thousands of miles of wood by hand but never could get good results face planing with a powered plane.
They're great on edges however.

Can I get an English translation please?

[edlafontaine]

Re: Planer problem

really nice 6/4 Curly Maple

...equates to treasure...and should be treated as such.

It will be more expensive and time consuming.

Find a cabinet shop/custom woodworker with their own (well maintained) equipment and pay them to do the job. Be there when it happens to assure yourself they don't just make a bunch of chips. Planers with dull blades just dig chips out of curly lumber.

One with a thickness sander will do nicely.

[DoubleTap]

Re: Planer problem

Well I've called every specialty woodshop in town, hardwood stores, and mills in the area ... nobody will take my board and flatten it for me. Some will if I buy their boards

So I just tried again, making very shallow cuts ... like 1/64", and just trying to shave off the surface. I managed to get one of the boards pretty darn flat, a few little bumps and valleys, but good enough I can sand it flat.

No technique, just f'ing around till it works - which IS my method more often than not

[mgrabow]

Re: Planer problem

Can I get an English translation please?

Sorry my keyboard is going bad...

Keep it sharp...

[r-carpenter]

Re: Planer problem

Power planer is not the right tool for the job. You will ruin your boards.

http://www.acetoolonline.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MAK-2012NB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=Makita2012NB12PortablePlaner&utm_content=Makita2012NB12PortablePlaner&utm_campaign=googlebase&site=google_base

This thing is amazing. You almost don't have to sand after planing. Take 1\32 at a time, flipping the board and in a few passes it'll flatten out.
Or you could get one of this:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=47298&cat=1,41182

and be proud and strong. If the blade is shard, you'll have no problem at all shaving that maple.

[richardmoore]

Re: Planer problem

Go to home depoe and get a ryobi 13 in thickness planer for 199 dollars. It won editors choice for best value. Your boards are to valueble to mess them up with the wrong tool.

[DoubleTap]

Re: Planer problem

My boards are 16" to 18" wide guys ...

[r-carpenter]

Re: Planer problem

You are in a pickle then. I see 2 options.
1) Serious woodworking shop with Timesaver or an abrasive planer/jointer
probably will cost you a $100 or so.
2) hand plane.
$300 for a good hand plane, lots of sweat and tears but you get to keep the plane.

Regular thickness planer will tear the s...t out of your boards.
18" jointers are not very common even in hi end shops.

[DoubleTap]

Re: Planer problem

Well I did manage to get one board flat today, just by messing around with my 'style' until something worked. The board was about 24" x 18" ... with the grain going in the long direction. Going with the grain while planing didn't work at all, but going across the grain I was able to hit just the high point in the middle and leave the edges alone. Taking just a 64th or so shaving off with each pass got me there. Then belt sanded with 80 and 120, then 150 and 220 on the orbital sander and it looked pretty darn good.

The board that's about 6' long by 18" wide I'm afraid to try, it's gorgeous but one side needs some serious work.

Unfortunately the guy who stole a bunch of my stuff also had a drum sander wide enough that I could have ran these boards through. Since then I've had no luck finding anybody who can/will do the job.

[jims]

Re: Planer problem

Power planer is not the right tool for the job. You will ruin your boards.

http://www.acetoolonline.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MAK-2012NB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=Makita2012NB12PortablePlaner&utm_content=Makita2012NB12PortablePlaner&utm_campaign=googlebase&site=google_base

This thing is amazing. You almost don't have to sand after planing. Take 1\32 at a time, flipping the board and in a few passes it'll flatten out.
Or you could get one of this:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=47298&cat=1,41182

and be proud and strong. If the blade is shard, you'll have no problem at all shaving that maple.

For curly maple, I would tend to go with this one instead, with the 50 degree bevel blade: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=1,41182,52515

I think you're on the right track with your approach of going across the grain with the hand power planer. With hand planes you can do the same thing with interlocked grain. Go across the grain to get the board dimensioned right, then finish up with a really good smooth plain or a scraper. You can sand instead of the smooth plane or scraper.

Best of luck!

Jim

[Nowd]

Re: Planer problem

If you were in Virginia, I'd gladly help you flatten those boards.

[PassingInterest]

Re: Planer problem

A drum sander would work very nicely for what you need to do, but they are not cheap. Glad to see that you found a way to get it done.