# Evolution of my router planer



## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*First Version: 1.0*

One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.

The results of my search were mixed. The very first option I found, and the one I decided to use as my baseline, was a design for a router planer in one of my old *WOOD* magazines (April/May 2005):

While the design in this issue was excellent for thinner pieces, I needed something that would also be height adjustable because many of the pieces I was working with were a lot more than 2" thick. So, I designed a small router planer using pipes and plywood height adjustors based loosely on the Wood maganzine design.

*VERSION 1.0*

This first router sled I designed used aluminum tracks with a clear plexiglass bottom (see photos below). The movement of the router back and forth over the piece was controlled by using the router handles rather than separate handles as in the design in *WOOD*. Width adjustment was made by opening the table the router planer was mounted on (width adjustment on this table was minimal, so I knew I'd need to come up with something bigger sooner or later).


















The concept worked great! The sled needed some work, however. With this design, the router sled was too "wishy-washy" in its movement back and forth, and there was too much of a chance that it would slip off the plywood cross rails if I got careless and wasn't watching what I was doing close enough. As a result, I went to a "track" sled:


















This version worked much better than the first one, but it was still too small to handle the larger slabs I wanted to plane to a flat surface. So, back to the drawing board. Next up - Version 1.1.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


Nice design, I'm curious to see some of these "large slabs", they must be massive not to fit your router jig!


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


May only be version 1 but it is still pretty cool. I see the pipes are holding up the guide rails on the sled, but I can't tell what is holding them up on the pipe. Is it just a threaded flange that you screw up and down?


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


Manirario, I'll be posting photos in upciming posts for this series of blogs. Yes, some of the pieces are very large. I actaully flattened an 8' fireplace mantel using the larger router planer that will be shown.

Swirt, I used stop collars on this version. I'll be using 1/2" pipe clamps from here on as they are so much easier to adjust. Photos and explanation to come.

TZH


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## dakremer (Dec 8, 2009)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


cool design!


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


How thick is the "plastic" base on your jig in photos 1&2 ?
I was thinking about using 1/4" x 8" x 12" Poly Carbonate as a "window" to mount my router on and to be able to see what I was doing.The PC would be able to be installed on any size "sled" that I needed to make.What are your thoughts ?
Thanks : )


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


Dusty56: the plastic base in the photos is 1/4" thick (just like what you were thinking of using). I used plexiglass (assume it's the same as PC), and it works great. So, basically, you're idea is exactly what I did. I've made several refinements since this first version (please see later installments of this blog), and I've found this jig is now the most used tool in my shop. I can plane just about any size or shape piece to make anything from pedestals for tables and benches or flat surfaces for bases and tops. I've even done fireplace mantels with it. Good luck with yours, and go create some sawdust!

TZH


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the feedback…your plexi appears to be quite a bit thicker than 1/4" in the photo , that's why I asked : )
I'm going to look into the plexi versus poly and see if there are any differences other than the spelling .LOL

edit : Looks like the polycarb is stronger than the plexi , but scratches easier and may discolor over time with exposure to UV rays , depending on which brand you purchase , and of course is more expensive.
Thanks and have a great day : )


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


Dusty56: I think the reason it looks thicker in the photo is because of the aluminum runners I was using at the time and also the overall length and width gives it that appearance. I started out with my "sled" concept using the router base in the runners, but found the base was wearing pretty badly, and my control was still an issue. So, I went with a smallish plexi plate like what you are thinking, and voila - I had me a planer. I'm still undecided which lubricant works best for sliding in the sled and on the rails, and I think I've decided on carwax. I was using beeswax, but the buildup was getting to be a bit much to stay ahead of. The carwax seems to last awhile longer and is more slippery than the beeswax. Thanks.

TZH


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

TZH said:


> *First Version: 1.0*
> 
> One of the things I found out very early on in my type of woodworking is that the slabs I use in my projects are often in dire need of planing. The problem with this is the thickness planer I had was not large enough to accommodate the width of most of these slabs. So, I began reviewing my old book and magazine libraries and surfing the Net to try and find something else that might meet the need for the type of work I planned to do.
> 
> ...


Hahaha I've got plenty of car wax…might as well put it to use on something ! 
I think I can see the aluminum now.Thanks : ) I guess it was an optical illusion on this end.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*Version 1.1*

The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.










Now here was a design I really took a liking to right away. This one allowed me to plane much larger pieces without fear of slipping off the edges of the runners because the router moves within the confines of the angle iron glides.

The angle iron glides also allowed the router to slide back and forth (gotta use beeswax on a regular basis to grease the skids, so to speak) and the edges of the iron glides also keep it straighter and truer when planing. The sled was made just wide enough to accommodate the width of the router baseplate, so there is virtually no chance the router will slip out when planing.

However, this process is time consuming and hard on the back if the piece is very large or the angle makes for a long reach. To address this issue, I found working on half the piece at a time, and then switching to the other half when done with the first half, works very well (see photo below). I also found that a larger router works a lot better than the smaller ones (a 1/2" shank router straight bit that cuts a larger diameter is definitely a plus, too). Anyway, this improved design router planer was a lot closer to what I needed than anything I'd found so far.










The photo above shows just one example of a large slab being planed. This piece is almost 3' at its widest point. It started out over 5" thick and the "wings" on it were so warped, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to save it. The photo below shows this slab as a coffee table top that I've gotten a lot of drooling over, but so far I haven't had a buyer for it.










Next up - Version 1.2.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


Drool…


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## KayBee (Jul 6, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


Nice. I've seen these before, but have never seen anyone use angle iron. Great idea, that!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


Good strudy design. Do you have any trouble with the rough angle iron wearing your router base?


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


TopamaxSurvivor: I did notice some wear after a lot of use. My solution was twofold. First, beeswax, beeswax, and more beeswax. But, even with a good coating of beeswax, the base still showed wear. So, I decided to switch the base with a piece of plexiglass cut in a rectangle just wide enough for the sled runners. This way, if I need the router for something else, the base will still be in good condition, and the plexiglass actually helps stabilize the router when in use. It also gives me a better view of the workpiece as I'm taking down the stock. Hope that answers your question.

TZH


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


Do you still use the beeswax with the plexi base ? I can't find a cheap source for beeswax around here .
I like the angle iron guides. 
Is it any special "grade" or thickness of steel ? I was wondering about flexing issues if any.
thanks : )


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


Dusty56, try some beekeepers in the fall, you may find dumpsters full of it. It will be a lot cheaper if you are willing to clean it up yourself. Melt on low heat or a double boiler and strain though cheesecloth. The commercial beeswax is more refined than what I ever needed. I just wanted the dead bees and most of the debris out of it.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


Dusty56: I haven't had any issues whatsoever with flexing so far. The only advice I would give here is to get angle iron in a thickness you are comfortable with. I was a little reluctant to use 1/2" piping fearing that it might flex (thought 3/4" would be better), but found 1/2" is plenty rigid. Same with the angle iron. I cut up a bed frame thinking bigger is better, but the angle iron I'm using right now (much smaller, but close to the same thickness) is plenty rigid. Unless you plan on leaning on the sled with your body weight, the router is light enough that there should be no flexing at all. Hope that helps.

TZH


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.1*
> 
> The next design I came up with for my router planer was based loosely on some of the designs some fellow woodworkers had posted right here on Lumberjocks. The biggest design change was that I eliminated the sled pictured in the first photo in my last blog entry and used angle iron glides instead.
> 
> ...


*TPS* , thanks for the beeswax tip ….I can handle the straining part of it…no problem : )

*TZH *, I'll check out my local hardware stores to see if they stock different grades of AI , and go from there. Thanks for all of your experience with this matter : )


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*Version 1.2*

Movin' right along, here's Version 1.2 of my router planer.

Because I'd made the router sled larger in order to accommodate larger pieces, I now needed to design something bigger for the sled to ride on. That's when I came up with the idea of using longer piping for the end poles and cross rails (instead of the 12" pipes and the plywood cross rails shown in my first design). The photo below shows my first attempt (my "beta" version) at this new design.


















As you can see, this first "beta" version looked pretty wierd. I thought if I made it triangular in shape, I could manipulate the widths of the slabs I worked on while still allowing me to work on thicker pieces, as well. I didn't like this one at all because even with my newer sled design (not shown in these photos) that used angle iron as the runners, I couldn't keep the sled on the rails when I needed to. So, I came up with the following version, Version 1.2:










This one worked much better than the triangular configuration. The slab in the photo started out at about 8" thick and was planed down using this version to a thickness of about 5".


































With this design, I found that having the extra height afforded by the 48" corner posts was a real plus, but adjusting the height was really hard to do to get it straight and level on all four sides because of the cross rails. The stop collars (see below) had to be in almost perfect alignment in order to get the most exact cut/plane with the router, and that was very hard to do with the cross rails in place. Plus, the flanges the corner poles went into weren't the best quality, so the poles went cattywampus in different directions which made it that much more difficult to get the height adjustment correct.










It's not that it couldn't be done. Rather, it was just more difficult, frustrating, and time consuming to get the height exact. So, once again it was back to the drawing board.

Next time - Version 1.2a.


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## toolferone (Aug 31, 2010)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2*
> 
> Movin' right along, here's Version 1.2 of my router planer.
> 
> ...


Since you have some height adjustment in the router could you drill holes in the 4 posts for pins to go through to hold the cross pieces up? Of course you will need to drill all 4 verticals the same which will require another jig for your drill press to index the pipes with.

Also, what router bit are you using to route the slabs and how deep do you go with each pass?


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2*
> 
> Movin' right along, here's Version 1.2 of my router planer.
> 
> ...


toolferone: I believe you could, in fact, drill holes to hold the cross peices up. But I think that would be a lot of work to get them all the exact same. I even thought, at one time, of using vertical 2×4s and drilling holes in them, but decided I liked the sliding effect of the sleeves over the 1/2" pipe instead. I even considered using slotted shelving brackets at one time, but settled on this method as the best one for what I needed. As far as the router bit is concerned, I've been using different size straight bits and cutting no more than 1/8" to 1/4" deep each pass. On the fireplace mantels, I use a 1/2" shank straight bit and go a little deeper on the pass because the sheer weight of the mantel keeps it from moving as I make my passes with the router.


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## ArtistryinWood (Apr 21, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2*
> 
> Movin' right along, here's Version 1.2 of my router planer.
> 
> ...


Try this for the friction/wear issues, I've used it on several jigs works great and lasts.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32182&cat=1,110,43466

Andrew


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2*
> 
> Movin' right along, here's Version 1.2 of my router planer.
> 
> ...


Nice improvements. I like the sled in the angle rails. Could you put a knob on each end of the acrylic so you could slide it back and forth just by one end? I'm not sure if the weight of the router and led is enough to keep it down without your help.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2*
> 
> Movin' right along, here's Version 1.2 of my router planer.
> 
> ...


ArtistryinWood: Thanks for the tip. I'll have to try that.

swirt: I don't see why you couldn't put on knob on each end. It would certainly make it a lot easier to move the router back and forth in the sled. To address your concern about keeping the router down without your help, I've pushed the router back and forth using only one hand and one handle of the router with no problems. The only time I think there might be a bit of a problem keeping it down is if too much of a cut is being tried. With less deep cuts, I've never had that problem.

TZH


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*Version 1.2a*

*Version 1.2a*

At this point I decided to get more "radical" in my design approach. I removed two of the cross rails (found out through experience that I didn't need them anyway). Then I took the corner poles out of the flanges and put a "sleeve" on the side of my table for the corner poles to slide into (see photo below). Electrical conduit clamps work great for attaching the sleeves.










This design also allowed me to adjust the height of the router sled in two ways:

1. The corner poles were now adjustable up and down by sliding them up and down in the sleeve. The stop collar you see in the photos just at table level can then be used to hold the corner pole securely in place.

2. Because the stop collars in my earlier designs were so hard to get positioned and secured properly, I decided I had to try something different for the rails the router sled rode on. That's when it hit me that pipe clamps have a self locking base plate that would be perfect for this type of application. Voila! Why didn't I think of this earlier? I still need to buy two more pipe clamps to put on the back two poles.










The beauty of this design is that now I have a method that allows me to easily move the cross rails up and down, plus it serves a "dual purpose" that gives me 48" pipe clamps when I need them, as well.










As you can see by the height of the two stumps shown in the photos, this jig allows planing of sizable pieces. In fact, any piece up to a height of 40" can be done with relative ease. I've done sofa and coffee table bases/pedestals with this jig with close to perfectly parallel tops and bottoms. I can hardly wait to try it on a lamp base, too!

The square in the photo below is what I use to measure where to set the pipe clamps to get them the same height on all four corners. I set the sled as close to the top of the piece I'm working on as I can, and then I micro adjust each corner using measurements on the square to get it close to perfect.










The trick for getting the top and bottom of the piece(s) parallel is to shim them prior to the first planing effort in order to get everything as straight as possible and to minimize the amount needing to be planed off (see photo below). Cardboard pieces, thin plastic, or other suitable material works well as shims.










Once the piece is shimmed, the procedure is simple:

1. For these two stumps I had to fasten them to each other because they were intended to become the legs for a simple bench I was making and these legs had to be exactly the same height. As you can see in the photo below, I fastened them together by lag screwing a 2×4 onto each stump to help prevent movement.










2. The next step is to secure the piece to the table (I use ratchet tie downs most of the time, but I've also used bungees which are not as secure). In the photo below, I used only one tie down, but I would advise using two most of the time for this type of work, if possible.










3. Once the top is planed down evenly, it is a simple matter to flip the piece over (it won't even need to be shimmed for this next step), remove the 2×4 and refasten it at the bottom as before, secure the piece using the tie down(s) as before, and plane away. The result looks like this:








!

Here's a photo of the rough bench prior to finishing.










Next up - Version 2.0 (for the really BIG pieces!)


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> ...


Nice job. Wonderful concept.


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## ArtistryinWood (Apr 21, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> ...


Would an adjustable Bar Gauge similar to this, http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32585&cat=1,43513 but maybe using thicker lumber, work for setting the correct height.

And yes i do have a Lee Valley bias lol.

Andrew


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> ...


ArtistryinWood, can't remember if I contacted you about your question, so if I'm repeating myself, please indulge. The adjustable bar gage you asked about would work well, I believe. I agree thicker lumber would be necessary for this application. The reason I like my setup the way it is right now is because the square is very rigid up against the sled cross rails. So, I do get a very accurate height adjustment. I may cut a slot in a 2×4 to slip the square into for more stability when standing on its edge, but haven't done that so far. What I HAVE found is that it takes a little time and patience to get it right, no matter what method I've used.

TZH


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> *Version 1.2a*
> 
> ...


Wow , you've come a long way in the improvements to your original sled. 
Congratulations and thank you for your blogs : )


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*Version 1.2b*

Awhile back, I began posting a series of blogs on the evolution of my router planer. Since that time I've actually made three more minor modifications that have had a huge impact on how well this thing works.

The first modification: I was always frustrated with how long it took to measure the height at which to set the cross members of the planer using my square in a slotted 2×4. Well, I finally came up with a solution so simple even I was amazed (not the brightest bulb in the pack I guess). Anyway, here it is:


















Basically, it consists of one 3/4" pipe over which a 1" diameter stop collar and a series of 1" diameter pipe connectors are piled up on top of each other to give a simple measurement. The router I use has a 3/4" depth of cut, so every time I reach that depth, I just remove a stop collar (about 3/4" thickness) and I'm back to cutting depth. When I get to a pipe connector, I just remove it and substitute two stop collars which leaves me with about 1/2" cutting depth before I can take out the first of the two stop collars. Hope this all makes sense. For anyone out there using this type system, flat washers or large enough nuts would also work.

Second modification: For width of planing, I was always struggling with the "wishy-washy" aspect of the sled my router rode in. It sometimes even caused the router to "run" if I wasn't quite vigilant enough (after a whole bunch of repeated passes, it gets to a point where the attention span isn't necessarily what it should be). So, I replaced the "fixed" stops on the sled with a couple of simple homegrown "clamps". Here they are:


















The "clamps" consist of two pieces of trex stiles I had left over from a deck project cut to the width of my router base, drilled through the center of each with a half inch forstner bit and held together by one 6" bolt with a wing nut. Tightening down causes the center of the trex to flex together causing the ends to clamp down on the sled angle iron runners and holding them very solidly exactly where I want them. An added benefit of using this type of clamping system is that I can now adjust the width of a pass I can make based on the width of the piece I'm working on.

And that brings me to the third, and final, modification (probably the best one of all as far as I'm concerned). If you take a look at the two photos showing the clamping system, you should also see wheels on their sides. These wheels allow me to move the sled easily in small increments for each pass of the router. I had originally thought I'd use ball bearings of some kind for this purpose, but decided I needed to use what I had on hand (finances, you know), and decided wheels turned sideways should work just fine. Well, they exceeded my expectations. The fact the sled rides on the two runners gives it enough drag resistance so that the sled stays in place while I make the pass. But the wheels on both ends of the sled allow me to use my hands and my body to move the sled over just enough to make the next pass. Works for me. Hope it works for someone else, too.

Thanks for looking.
TZH


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2b*
> 
> Awhile back, I began posting a series of blogs on the evolution of my router planer. Since that time I've actually made three more minor modifications that have had a huge impact on how well this thing works.
> 
> ...


This is a great idea! Another favorite and future project for me. Thanks for taking the time to post this.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*Version 2.0*

A long time ago, I said I would post a blog entry showing how I plane really big pieces using my router planer. Well, here goes.

I started out with some really big cottonwood rounds (that's my son in the first photo):


























I cut them into 5" to 6" thick slabs and had to figure out a way to plane them down to 3" to 4" thick to use as table tops for TV stands and coffee tables. That's when I came up with the Big Boy Router Planer below:


















I just happened to have two 4"x4" metal tubes that are each 14 1/2' long to use as my runners. I clamped them to my mobile table, and then had to figure out how I was going to raise and lower them to accommodate the router sled. It didn't take me too long to realize raising and lowering these two runners wasn't going to be practical (too heavy and cumbersome). So, I decided I would "raise" the piece 3/4" every time I used up the 3/4" depth of cut of my router by putting a 3/4" MDF shelf under the piece to raise it up to the needed height (max number of shelves I ever had to use was three, and the weight of the cottonwood slab kept it in place without clamping - even during routing).

That's about it. This system works great. I can plane a slab up to 14' long by 40" wide (I could do wider if I were to make a longer router sled - just don't see the need to go that route just yet. Besides, I'm getting too old to keep stretching that far over the table anyway).

Thanks for looking.
TZH


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## ratchet (Jan 12, 2008)

TZH said:


> *Version 2.0*
> 
> A long time ago, I said I would post a blog entry showing how I plane really big pieces using my router planer. Well, here goes.
> 
> ...


Very innovative and looks to work a charm. Thanks for sharing.


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## studie (Oct 14, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 2.0*
> 
> A long time ago, I said I would post a blog entry showing how I plane really big pieces using my router planer. Well, here goes.
> 
> ...


Great idea! I like the wheels also. Thanks for sharing, Im sure many will now be able to brave a task that was before impossible if not daunting. The steel 4×4s should keep things rock solid & true.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*Version 1.2c (had to tweak it again)*

Found out the trex clamps I talked about in my last version (http://lumberjocks.com/TZH/blog/24588) weren't strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by the bolt going through, plus didn't hold the sled rigidly enough (too much diagonal movement). So, back to the drawing board. Figured a clamp should function like a clamp no matter what the design is, so I used 2×4's for the stationary clamp (first photo) and 2×2's (oak - second photo) for the moveable/adjustable clamp. Then I cut slots in one each of the clamps to hold onto the angle iron brackets the router moves back and forth in. Also, did away with the wing nuts (too cumbersome to hold while trying to tighten down the bolt) and went with a regular nut on the end of the bolt instead. Requires two wrenches, but the results are much better. Finally, decided to try this without the wheels to run along the guide rails. Haven't used it like this yet, but it sure does slide nice and smooth. If wheels are necessary, I'll add them later. Anyway, here are some photos explaining my revised design. Hope this helps, and thanks for looking.

TZH


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2c (had to tweak it again)*
> 
> Found out the trex clamps I talked about in my last version (http://lumberjocks.com/TZH/blog/24588) weren't strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by the bolt going through, plus didn't hold the sled rigidly enough (too much diagonal movement). So, back to the drawing board. Figured a clamp should function like a clamp no matter what the design is, so I used 2×4's for the stationary clamp (first photo) and 2×2's (oak - second photo) for the moveable/adjustable clamp. Then I cut slots in one each of the clamps to hold onto the angle iron brackets the router moves back and forth in. Also, did away with the wing nuts (too cumbersome to hold while trying to tighten down the bolt) and went with a regular nut on the end of the bolt instead. Requires two wrenches, but the results are much better. Finally, decided to try this without the wheels to run along the guide rails. Haven't used it like this yet, but it sure does slide nice and smooth. If wheels are necessary, I'll add them later. Anyway, here are some photos explaining my revised design. Hope this helps, and thanks for looking.
> 
> TZH


You never know what you'll use a tool or jig for till you have one. Now that you've got a router sled, just change the router plate for a skill saw plate and you've got a panel saw, put in a straight bit and you've got a dado jig. It helps to build some fixed stops to hold the frame to make a cut or a dado. You can also search e-bay for some Thomson linear bearings. I have found them as cheep as $20 a set. They make your jig tight and free from slop.


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## studie (Oct 14, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2c (had to tweak it again)*
> 
> Found out the trex clamps I talked about in my last version (http://lumberjocks.com/TZH/blog/24588) weren't strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by the bolt going through, plus didn't hold the sled rigidly enough (too much diagonal movement). So, back to the drawing board. Figured a clamp should function like a clamp no matter what the design is, so I used 2×4's for the stationary clamp (first photo) and 2×2's (oak - second photo) for the moveable/adjustable clamp. Then I cut slots in one each of the clamps to hold onto the angle iron brackets the router moves back and forth in. Also, did away with the wing nuts (too cumbersome to hold while trying to tighten down the bolt) and went with a regular nut on the end of the bolt instead. Requires two wrenches, but the results are much better. Finally, decided to try this without the wheels to run along the guide rails. Haven't used it like this yet, but it sure does slide nice and smooth. If wheels are necessary, I'll add them later. Anyway, here are some photos explaining my revised design. Hope this helps, and thanks for looking.
> 
> TZH


Looks good but I still like the 4×4 steel sled rails from your last build. I was thinking of mounting a chain saw in a jig like this to come down to a fairly flat plane & then use a router to finish up. Much of the slabs I get (for free) are way tapered and in need of a lot of work to get flat. Thanks for sharing, let's all get on the same plane.


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## studie (Oct 14, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2c (had to tweak it again)*
> 
> Found out the trex clamps I talked about in my last version (http://lumberjocks.com/TZH/blog/24588) weren't strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by the bolt going through, plus didn't hold the sled rigidly enough (too much diagonal movement). So, back to the drawing board. Figured a clamp should function like a clamp no matter what the design is, so I used 2×4's for the stationary clamp (first photo) and 2×2's (oak - second photo) for the moveable/adjustable clamp. Then I cut slots in one each of the clamps to hold onto the angle iron brackets the router moves back and forth in. Also, did away with the wing nuts (too cumbersome to hold while trying to tighten down the bolt) and went with a regular nut on the end of the bolt instead. Requires two wrenches, but the results are much better. Finally, decided to try this without the wheels to run along the guide rails. Haven't used it like this yet, but it sure does slide nice and smooth. If wheels are necessary, I'll add them later. Anyway, here are some photos explaining my revised design. Hope this helps, and thanks for looking.
> 
> TZH


Oh and this set up may also work with a belt sander for a poor mans wide belt sander!


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## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2c (had to tweak it again)*
> 
> Found out the trex clamps I talked about in my last version (http://lumberjocks.com/TZH/blog/24588) weren't strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by the bolt going through, plus didn't hold the sled rigidly enough (too much diagonal movement). So, back to the drawing board. Figured a clamp should function like a clamp no matter what the design is, so I used 2×4's for the stationary clamp (first photo) and 2×2's (oak - second photo) for the moveable/adjustable clamp. Then I cut slots in one each of the clamps to hold onto the angle iron brackets the router moves back and forth in. Also, did away with the wing nuts (too cumbersome to hold while trying to tighten down the bolt) and went with a regular nut on the end of the bolt instead. Requires two wrenches, but the results are much better. Finally, decided to try this without the wheels to run along the guide rails. Haven't used it like this yet, but it sure does slide nice and smooth. If wheels are necessary, I'll add them later. Anyway, here are some photos explaining my revised design. Hope this helps, and thanks for looking.
> 
> TZH


Proof is in the pudding, eh? Try it out.

This looks great to me, simple and keeps the angle iron in place.

Back in my homebuilt CNC days, I found that black pipe flexed quite a bit. You can always add a 2×2 with a V-cut along the length underneath it to stabilize it (and level it with the table top). Add shims it you want it taller.

Steve


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Version 1.2c (had to tweak it again)*
> 
> Found out the trex clamps I talked about in my last version (http://lumberjocks.com/TZH/blog/24588) weren't strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by the bolt going through, plus didn't hold the sled rigidly enough (too much diagonal movement). So, back to the drawing board. Figured a clamp should function like a clamp no matter what the design is, so I used 2×4's for the stationary clamp (first photo) and 2×2's (oak - second photo) for the moveable/adjustable clamp. Then I cut slots in one each of the clamps to hold onto the angle iron brackets the router moves back and forth in. Also, did away with the wing nuts (too cumbersome to hold while trying to tighten down the bolt) and went with a regular nut on the end of the bolt instead. Requires two wrenches, but the results are much better. Finally, decided to try this without the wheels to run along the guide rails. Haven't used it like this yet, but it sure does slide nice and smooth. If wheels are necessary, I'll add them later. Anyway, here are some photos explaining my revised design. Hope this helps, and thanks for looking.
> 
> TZH


Thanks, everyone, for the feedback. Hal, I do plan to use this as a dado jig, and I'm waiting until I can afford it to buy some linear bearings. I do believe that would ultimately be the way to go. For the time being, though, I'm on a really tight budget and will continue to try to use what I have in my shop already in order to keep costs to a minimum (economy, you know).

Studie, I use the 4×4 steel rails for my really big projects. The smaller black pipes in these photos is there for my smaller projects. When you figure out how to use your chainsaw with this jig, please post your process. I am looking for something that will work similar to what you are suggesting. In the meantime, you might want to take a look at this video (



) where the guy uses his chainsaw as a planer. I tried this, but ain't good enough to pull it off so far.

SPalm: So far, the weight of the router on this apparatus hasn't flexed the black pipe at all. I'm light enough on holding it, too, so that flex hasn't been a problem (the V-cut idea will be kept in my vault for future use, though, as it may be a solution on longer projects - thanks for the idea). As far as the shims are concerned, I've been using stop collars for the size of black pipe to adjust my height along with pipe connectors and stop collars to use as shims to adjust the stop collars themselves, and they've worked very well (http://lumberjocks.com/TZH/blog/24588).

Again, thanks, everyone, for the feedback.
TZH


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

*Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*

Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.

Problem with the setup I had already used was the sled didn't ride the rails as nice or as easy as I'd hoped they would, even with using some wheels/casters as guides. Got some enclosed ball bearings for Christmas and decided to give those a try.










Had to add a spacer to accommodate the bearings so they'd ride on the inside of the rail. One obstacle out of the way, a couple more to go.

The next thing I decided to change was the fact nothing was really holding the rails in place except their own weight. Made for some pretty wishy washy planing. So decided to use the existing pipe stiles to get an even width on the rails.










Once all four of the pipe stiles were inserted and the rails were placed up alongside them, the width was even steven all the way along the 16' length of the rails. But the pipe stiles stood proud of the rails by about 4 or 5 inches which wouldn't allow the sled to pass beyond their location. Next step was to either go buy shorter pipe stiles or figure out something else. Chose the latter. Took some big eye bolts and opened the eye to accommodate a 1/2" pipe. Put it into the side of the table, and dropped the pipe stile down into the opening so the "stub" held the rail from moving in toward the other rail.










Sorry the image is way fuzzy. Gettin' so excited to use this thing, my hand musta moved as I snapped the picture. I'll try to get another one for the next blog post to give a better idea of what I'm talking about.

Anyway, this last tweak worked great! Kept the rails from moving any at all, and the width between rails remained very constant. Ball bearings helped immensely, but need to make one that runs on top of the rails, too.










Couple more minor modifications, and it should be where I need it to be.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


I need to get one of those built


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


Monte, they're pretty easy, and don't cost a whole lot - most of the parts I already had. The rails are probably the most expensive. Fortunately, I had some 4×4 steel beams I used, but even 4×4 posts would work. Guarantee when you have one, it'll become one of the most used tools in your shop.

TZH


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


That is one of the nicer router sleds posted. Having the sled stabilized to keep it from racking between the rails hadn't occurred to me. Bearings under the sled are another good idea. Thanks for posting this one.


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## JulianLech (Jan 13, 2011)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


The roller bearings are a great idea. Using steel beams & angle iron is the best option for large slabs. Look forward to seeing how your project turns out.


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## junipercanyon (Jan 10, 2011)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


TZH: Just a thought on your set up, which is really cool by the way….and with a little modification, you could make it even more versatile by mounting up your chainsaw to do the planing and be done in one cut. Using the router would be nice on small projects, but for those big slabs, if you just ran your chainsaw down the rails you would be done in seconds. From what I can see from your setup, you can use the rails and sled the exact same way as you are now, you just need to mount your chainsaw to the sled with the bar under the rails, and either make the rails adjustable up/down, or make the chainsaw mounting points adjustable to set your thickness. If I remember right, you mentioned in another post that you had a 32" bar that you don't use, but if it was mounted to a sled, you might find it to be one of your favorite bars???!! Below are a couple of youtube videos of slabbing with an alsaskan mill that might give you some ideas on how to mount the bar if your interested.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


JC: Thanks for the input. I liked the last design the best of those you provided. My old bones have a hard time pushing anything like what the first two seemed to take from the video. Question for you is do these type of mills accommodate irregular shaped logs like the one in my last photo? I usually try to go with the weirdest shapes possible, so would need to be able to adjust for that. I do have a 32" bar that would work with something like this. Thanks, again.

TZH


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## junipercanyon (Jan 10, 2011)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


That's the neat thing about the sled setup you have to start from….all the weight sits on the rails so for just planing off the top of your slabs it wont take any effort. I like the setup in the last video as well, but I was just suggesting a small modification to what you have already built though. The videos were just to give a sense of how to attach the bar to use it on a rail system.

For the purpose of planing the slabs just as you have them in the photos, and using your existing set up exactly as you have it, here is a quick possible modification you could do. 
1. Are the rails adjustable up and down? It looks like they are so I am going to assume or suggest that the rails are your leveling/depth system. 
2. Add wood blocking to the bottom of your existing wood block roller ends on each side to drop below the rails. If you added 2 more pieces of 2×4s you would be about 1/2" below the steel rails right?
3. Drill a hole through your chain bar at the tip behind the bar tip roller, and also next to the powerhead and screw up through the holes into the wood blocking. Make sure to use a shim or clearance the wood blocking where the chain will make contact with the wood blocking. If you don't want to drill holes through the bar, then make a clamp system like the alaskan mill has…but I think screwing up through the bar into the wood blocking would be quick and easy though. 
4. Now that your chainsaw bar is mounted to the rail system, just attach your power head.
5. Adjust the rails level and to the height you want to cut the slab and there you have it, one cut and your slab is now "planed" level.

Your limitation on what you can cut is going to be what fits between your mounting points on your bar. So with your 32" bar, your going to loose a couple inches at the tip, and a couple inches at the power head so you could probably cut about 28" wide or so??

Now if you want to go even further and modify this setup to cut slabs, all you need to do is make the connection from the chain bar to the wood blocking adjustable or drop the blocking down to what you would anticipate your thickest cut would be and use the rails to adjust your up/down cut depth through the log. Hope this helps give you an idea how to easily use your chainsaw for this task…I think it would save you a lot of time on your large slabs, and once your set up it will be really easy to use.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


Good instructions, JC. Thanks. Not sure I'll give it a try right now, but down the road a bit, it sure is something to think about, cuz the router on large slabs is definitely time and labor intensive.

I also promised a couple photos to replace the blurry one in the OP, and here they are:



















And this last one is of the clamping system I used to make sure the rails didn't move outward while in use.


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## chris_d (May 31, 2016)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


Thank you for sharing your design and experience. After doing a lot of research, I designed and built a router planer that employs some of your ideas. The "green machine" is pretty wide, and racking and jamming of the sled was going to be an issue, so I employed a system of pulleys and cables that mimic a parallel rule on a drafting table. It works quite well. Thought I'd share in case others looking to make a router planer find it useful. Here's a picture:










The pulleys are standard garage door pulleys and the cable is cheap vinyl-coated steel both from the big box store, all told, about $30. Here's the machine in action:






and here's a little video explaining how the pulleys and cables work:






Hope it proves helpful.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


chris_d,

Dang, but you done good in making that thing slide the way I wish mine would. That pulley system is something else.

The only thing I'd have a problem with is my aching back. Looks to me like you're bent over for the entire slabbing process. Would there be any way to lift it higher?

Thanks for the idea(s).

TZH


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## chris_d (May 31, 2016)

TZH said:


> *Tweakin' it again. Version 2.1*
> 
> Didn't know whether to post here in this blog or in the walnut tv stand blog. So here it is. Found I had to tweak my router planer a bit more in order for it to work as well as I wanted it to work. The slabs I'm doing right now were too long for the regular planer, so had to get out the really long rails once again.
> 
> ...


Oh boy, you said it. I did two of these slabs in two days and spent hours (maybe 10?) hunched over the machine pushing the router back and forth. All the while, I kept thinking of an easy solution; rather than lift the work (I can heave a 200 pound slab around by myself, so long as it ends up prone near the floor when the work needs to be done) I figured I should affix a handle to the sled that lets me operate it where it is on the floor from a standing position.

I tested it with a piece of scrap wood I had handy, and it worked just fine. Like walking a dog. Ha! This also lets you make far fewer passes, as the router does the planing in the long direction instead of the short one. The only thing i didn't take the time to figure out was how to get the router to stay put in the sled. As you can imagine, when you're pushing on the sled with a handle from a standing position, the router is free to slide around back and forth in the sled as it wishes, which means it slides away from the track you want it in to the track you just planed.

There's a simple solution to that in there somewhere (a series of detents in the sled?). Might need to get a more stout router, drive a bigger bit, and build a sled with more friction. I put paste wax on all the bearing surface to make everything glide along smoothly.

If I figure something out, I'll come back and post it up. As wacky as the thing looks, it was pretty easy to build, really quick to set up, and tears down to store with a footprint of less than 1 sq foot.


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