Trim Router Planer Sled and a Big Burly Sycamore Slab

I know that I’m not the first here to make and use a router planer sled; I never would have been able to do it without seeing other LJ member’s postings. So, thank you.

I have two large Sycamore slabs that I got on my last wood buying trip. These slabs don’t even come close to being able to fit though the Jointer/Planer in my shop.

This is a beautiful slab that I’ve been wanting to work on for awhile. I finally had the time and decided to tackle it. After studying other people’s router planer sleds I came up with the plan for mine. It went together quick and easy. I made it just wide enough to straddle the widest part of the slab. The slats spanning the slab are hardwood (Ovangkol) scrap (so as not to sag) and are spaced a little wider than my dish carving router bit. The bit has a pilot bearing which I used to keep it between the slats. Because of the size and weight of the slab, there was no need to clamp it down, it wasn’t going to budge. I had to be careful not to push the sled off the front or back of my workbench; fortunately that never happened.

At one point during the process, I had to take the sled apart and put the runners though the planer to keep pace with having removed material from the slab.

My trim router only has a 1/4” collet and my dish carving bit is just 3/4” wide. So, this was a slow going process. It took six to seven hours to plane both sides. But, it was worth it. The results are great.

Hopefully, my next posting will be a beautiful Sycamore slab coffee table. Unless someone has a better idea of what to do with this.

The finished table.

-- Elwood, making sawdust in Germany, http://www.AnsbachArtisans.com