With the new riser block I'm now able to re-saw wood up to 12 inches thick and would like to plane some wood which is 12" x 12" to1/8 inch thick.  Any tips for accomplishing this?  I have tried it on a few pieces and had trouble with some of it breaking.  

Any tips would be appreciated.

SQ

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Happiness is wood chips flying!

Usually if you want to go that thin you need a drum sander. Most planners recommend you plane only to 1/4".

You might be able to accomplish it with a belt sander but it will be difficult to keep it consistent.

You also could do it by creating a thickness sander but with the 12" it might be hard to do that also.

Looks like it is time for another new tool. LOL

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Susie, I can plane a piece as narrow as 1/8" with my Delta 22-580 planer but the 12" length would be the problem.  I'd have to plane a piece about 18" long and then cut it to length.  Does hubby have a planer?  You may have to use a 3/4" riser under your actual piece and use double back tape to adhere them until after the planing is done.

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Susie, Ron is on the right path. A thicker piece under it held in place with double sided tape. If you are going to do a lot of it, I would suggest making a planing sled. It is nothing more then a thicker bottom board with a small lip on the trailing edge going into the planer. If you are going to use it for 1/8" you can make the lip 1/8 tall and it will help hold the board on top, I would still use tehe double sided tape along the front and read though, just for safety and to protect the board. Hope this helps.

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Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.

Good call Ron and Wayne. I didn't even thing about using a sled. That is a great way to do and still protect the planer and the piece being planed.

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

It's not critical that I go as thin as 1/8" but would certainly like that option.  We have two planers a 12 1/2 inch DeWalt and a 15" Jet.  I haven't tried to plane anything with the Jet to 1/8 but the book says it's possible.  Will see if there is less breakage with the Jet. If not, will give the double faced tape on another board a try.  Thanks for the tip. 

SQ

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Happiness is wood chips flying!

John,

LOL  I have always wanted a drum sander.  I'm worse than my husband about always wanting to buy more tools.  

SQ

John Moody said:

Usually if you want to go that thin you need a drum sander. Most planners recommend you plane only to 1/4".

You might be able to accomplish it with a belt sander but it will be difficult to keep it consistent.

You also could do it by creating a thickness sander but with the 12" it might be hard to do that also.

Looks like it is time for another new tool. LOL

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

I love mine. It is one of the best purchases I have made. It gets used a lot.

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Charles,

Yes, one solid piece 12" x 12" is what I'm hoping to achieve at 1/8" thick.  Haven't tried my Jet 15 inch planer and it might do a better job.  Jet book says 1/8" is the thinnest it will plane.  I am going to have to give it a try.  Thus far I've only tried the 12 1/2 " DeWalt.  While it did accomplish the job, there was some breakage.  

SQ

Charles Nicholls said:

If the piece has to remain 12x12 and be 1/8" thick no I don't have any ideas for that, but do if it was just 1" strips. you could use a belt sander for that. One of the guys that i watch often on YouTube made a jig for that using the belt sander.

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Charles
nicholls61@att.net
http://www.nichollswoodworks.com
This website is new so it doesn't have much to it yet but you are welcome to take a look

Sue,

use a carrier board and take very light cuts. the reason you experienced difficulties is the grain of the wood probably wasn't straight so it shattered along the grain.

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Round Barn WoodCrafts, Plymouth WI
roundbarnwoodcrafts@hotmail.com

Ditto what John said about the grain (and other defects). I have a plexiglass capped insert tray for my Dewalt planer and can plane to 1/8" (or less). I must tell you that the thickness (drum) sander is a much better choice. Less stress on the material but it does take a little longer.

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Lew-
Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

John,

Thanks so much for the information.  When you say carrier board do you mean any type of straight flat board?  Do you use double faced tape to attach the wood you want to plane?

SQ

SQ

John Hechel said:

Sue,

use a carrier board and take very light cuts. the reason you experienced difficulties is the grain of the wood probably wasn't straight so it shattered along the grain.

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Round Barn WoodCrafts, Plymouth WI
roundbarnwoodcrafts@hotmail.com

Lewis,

Appreciate the information.  Did you make this plexiglass capped insert tray?  What do you mean by capped?

Do you happen to have a picture of it? 

SQ

Lewis Kauffman said:

Ditto what John said about the grain (and other defects). I have a plexiglass capped insert tray for my Dewalt planer and can plane to 1/8" (or less). I must tell you that the thickness (drum) sander is a much better choice. Less stress on the material but it does take a little longer.

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Lew-
Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

Exactly!  just make sure the carrier board is flat. MDF, or higher grade plywood wok well for this.

SQ said:

John,

Thanks so much for the information.  When you say carrier board do you mean any type of straight flat board?  Do you use double faced tape to attach the wood you want to plane?

SQ

I'll take a pix of it today and post it here. I did make it, yes. It's just a piece of stock (plywood, I think) and I had a piece of plexi the same size. Glued it on with contact cement. I hangs on the side of the planer cart.

SQ said:

Lewis,

Appreciate the information.  Did you make this plexiglass capped insert tray?  What do you mean by capped?

Do you happen to have a picture of it? 

SQ

Lewis Kauffman said:

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Happiness is wood chips flying!

John,

Thanks so much for the info.  I'm going to make one.  I even have plywood on hand for the job.  

SQ

John Hechel said:

Exactly!  just make sure the carrier board is flat. MDF, or higher grade plywood wok well for this.

SQ said:

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Round Barn WoodCrafts, Plymouth WI
roundbarnwoodcrafts@hotmail.com

Lewis,

Thanks a bunch.  I have plywood on hand for the job and I might even have a piece of plexiglass big enough to do the job.  This is going to sound like a stupid question, but do you put the plexiglass on the bottom of the plywood so it moves through the planer easier?  And to clarify, you attach the wood being planed with double faced tape, correct?  I think this planing tray is really going to take care of the problem.

SQ

Lewis Kauffman said: 

I'll take a pix of it today and post it here. I did make it, yes. It's just a piece of stock (plywood, I think) and I had a piece of plexi the same size. Glued it on with contact cement. I hangs on the side of the planer cart.

SQ said:

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Lew-
Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

SQ,

I routinely plane that thin for inlays. I use an MDF sled and carpet tape. I'm too cheap to use Baltic Birch. Just finished a batch of hard maple. It chipped the leading ends on a few pieces. Glad I cut long. 

BTW, the planer is a Delta 13" and I use a long piece of Formica covered MDF as an auxillary bed. No snipe on longer pieces.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Here are some pix

The "lip" shown at the rite edge of the piece hooks over the planer extension table to lock the "sled" into place. This sled does not pass thru the planer. It has the effect of raising the planer bed. The stock is pulled thru, sliding on the plexiglass.  Used this process instead of double sided sticky tape because of the volume of pieces I need to plane when making rolling pins.  

Here is a pix of a piece I was playing with when the drum sander project was completed. Can's do this with my planer!

SQ said:

Lewis,

Thanks a bunch.  I have plywood on hand for the job and I might even have a piece of plexiglass big enough to do the job.  This is going to sound like a stupid question, but do you put the plexiglass on the bottom of the plywood so it moves through the planer easier?  And to clarify, you attach the wood being planed with double faced tape, correct?  I think this planing tray is really going to take care of the problem.

SQ

Lewis Kauffman said: 

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Lew-
Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!

Gene,

Really appreciate you taking the time to post this.  Good information.  I'm sure glad I asked this question.  

SQ

Gene Howe said:

SQ,

I routinely plane that thin for inlays. I use an MDF sled and carpet tape. I'm too cheap to use Baltic Birch. Just finished a batch of hard maple. It chipped the leading ends on a few pieces. Glad I cut long. 

BTW, the planer is a Delta 13" and I use a long piece of Formica covered MDF as an auxillary bed. No snipe on longer pieces.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton