Using a router to joint wood.

[Samuel Hartpence]

Anybody use a Router sled for as a plane? I have some wood that I need to laminate and joint, but it's fairly rough right now and want to know what to use for the rails and what router bit to use. Would it be better to just use my 9 inch block plane?

[Matthew Lau]

Samuel, I'm not sure about the question.

How big is the wood? What are trying to make with it?

Regarding the router sled, there was a MIMFer that essentially used a router rail system to dimension stock quickly for electric guitar blanks. He was essentially creating a simple manual mill.

Louie Atenza and Mauro have also used a router sled system as I understand it.

[Greg Robinson]

Hi Samuel,
I've re-named your topic because there is a tool called a router plane which is a manual hand plane, and this might have caused confusion in what you're asking.

Onto your question, you can build the sled from wood, or if your router is designed for rails (that are thick enough to support its weight without flexing) you can use metal rods.
Use the largest straight bit that your router can handle, which will depend on its collet size and power.

I think you'll find that unless you are planning to do this operation repeatedly, it would be quicker to use your block plane for this one time than to build the jigs you are talking about.

[Steve Senseney]

Another tool that would accomplish this is a "Wagner Safety Planer". This is chucked into the drill press. Manufacturing of this was recently stopped. I am not sure if you can get one, or if there is a similar product from another company.

It has other uses in building guitars also. I depend on it.

[Arnt Rian]

Traditionally, different size bench planes are used for preparing wood for jointing, and type of plane used for the task depends on the size and condition of the piece of wood. Really rough planing of some magnitude should be done with a scrub plane, this can be substituted with a jack plane if things are reasonably level to begin with. Longer pieces can be finished with a jointing plane, for shorter pieces a finely set jack, or even smoothing plane can be used. It is a good idea to have an assortment of bench planes, as the set-up time, and execution of a task such as this, should be minimal. Block planes are really best for small trimming tasks, larger pieces that are "fairly rough", as you say, would probably be easier to do with a larger plane.

[Samuel Hartpence]

What I'm interested is something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXuh_Q02DP8

[Nick Middleton]

It will work just like the video. I made a smaller version of one of those, but I still prefer to use my Wagner Safe-T Planer. Regardless of which one I use, I only use them for the rough-work. I still finish up with a handplane to get rid of the machine-marks.

[Louie Atienza]

Samuel,

I had made a sled using ball bearings and 1" steel tube, and used it with the workpiece moved instead of the router position. The wood I needed surfaced was attached to a platen that fit exactly between the uprights. I would then move teh unit, clamp it to the platen, route, unclamp and repeat. My intention was to havev this carriage run on bearings as well, but I decided to go the CNC route.

Even then, I still finish up with a plane, and scraper plane.

[Samuel Hartpence]

Perhaps part of my question should include:
What level of effort should I go through to laminate some 2x6 (3 pieces thick)?

My plan is to laminate the three pieces then re-saw and joint the pieces to I have a book-matched top with dimensions that I feel I can work with. I have already run the rough lumber through a planer, but it was a DeWalt job-site planer that had seen better days, so the surface is less than perfect right now.

[Louie Atienza]

Perhaps part of my question should include:
What level of effort should I go through to laminate some 2x6 (3 pieces thick)?

My plan is to laminate the three pieces then re-saw and joint the pieces to I have a book-matched top with dimensions that I feel I can work with. I have already run the rough lumber through a planer, but it was a DeWalt job-site planer that had seen better days, so the surface is less than perfect right now.

If you make a platen for your planer out of melamine or such, and clamp it down to the existing infeed and outfeed, you'd probably get better results. I do this, and even "jointP" boards on edge once I get them straight enough on the tablesaw.

[Paul Doubek]

What level of effort should I go through to laminate some 2x6 (3 pieces thick)?

If you're planning on laminating them, you should go to whatever effort it takes to get the surfaces flat and smooth... no tool marks. I've got a simple sled I made years ago; 3/4" particle board base, oak rails, and oak sled. With the rails and sled waxed it's slides like a greased pig on a log flume. I use wedges to hold the stock and I move the router back and forth, side to side until I've milled the entire surface.

I use a 1-1/4" flat bottomed bit, but it wasn't designed for milling stock so the surface has a little more "swirl" to it than a good end mill bit would. In either case, you should finish up with a longish hand plane (Stanley #4, #4-1/2, or #5 would be my choice). Your 9" block plane is great for a lot of tasks, but it's really kinda small for this one. You could get away with sanding, but you don't want to gouge or round the work. Not only do you get the best glue bond if the surfaces are dead flat & smooth, but it doesn't take much of a gap to show up as a dark glue line.

Paul