Planing plastic

[Gene Howe]

I want to reduce the thickness of a plastic (unknown composition) cutting board from Walmart. Tried the DW735 with the straight blades and the board shattered. I was only taking a 32nd off. 

Maybe a router planing jig would work??? 

Or, may wait till the Shelix head is installed in the planer???

Any ideas?

[Artie]

For the cost of the Shelix head, do you wanna risk it on plastic?

[Stick486]

35 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Tried the DW735 with the straight blades and the board shattered. I was only taking a 32nd off. 

must be in the acrylic family...

UHMW planes...

polycarbonate does too (LA)...

go buy what ya need...

[Allen Worsham]

I would not use a planer for that purpose, but I would use a drum sander for that purpose. I had been asked by the operator of my local Chick-fil-a run some plastic-type cutting boards to get them cleaned up from all the cutting. NOTE: these were not used for cutting chicken but for other items. They were about 3/4 to 7/8" thick and ran them through the Jet 16/32 drum sander. Once I got them all sanded and gave them back to the operator he was very happy. I did this twice for him before they got too thin.

[John Morris]

37 minutes ago, Allen Worsham said:

I would not use a planer for that purpose, but I would use a drum sander for that purpose. I had been asked by the operator of my local Chick-fil-a run some plastic-type cutting boards to get them cleaned up from all the cutting. NOTE: these were not used for cutting chicken but for other items. They were about 3/4 to 7/8" thick and ran them through the Jet 16/32 drum sander. Once I got them all sanded and gave them back to the operator he was very happy. I did this twice for him before they got too thin.

Answer (Solved)

Good one Allen

[Gene Howe]

Unfortunately, I don't have a drum sander/thicknesser. I do have a Flat Sander, though. I'll give it a try. 

I'm trying to make ZCIs for my Smithys. 

[Stick486]

how thick do you need...

acrylics aren't the way to go.. too brittle...

[Stick486]

would a rabbet or or a counter bore give you the thickness you need???

[Smallpatch]

Gene I use the Walmart cutting boards on all my extra long clamp pads I adapted to use on my Vise Grip c clamps but I just use the thickness the boards are.. Whats a VCI and I do know what Smithy's are for I use to have a set on my chevy. So why need an exact thickness?

[Stick486]

it's ZCI and it stand for Zero Clearance Insert.

those that have table saws know this...

[Gene Howe]

2 hours ago, Stick486 said:

would a rabbet or or a counter bore give you the thickness you need???

Yes! In fact, that's how I make them from wood. May need to do it that way. 

[Dadio]

39 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Yes! In fact, that's how I make them from wood. May need to do it that way. 

That is how I do it too, a rebate around the edges.

But beware,with the thicker ZCI you may have to relieve the center for the saw washer. I have to and I use a dado which is a smaller diam. on the arbor ,set the ZCI and slowly raise it to cut the underneath of the ZCI a tad for the arbor washer to clear.

Herb

[Kevin Beitz]

Make a small router planer.