Replies

1. 
   scooter1 | Sep 22, 2005 07:48pm | #1

   There is a difference between flat and parallel.

   A planer will not make the surface flat, only parallel to the other side. You need a wide jointer. Alternatively, a smoothing hand plane then a jointer hand plane.

   Regards,

   Scooter

   "I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow." WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

2. 
   DrChops | Sep 22, 2005 08:23pm | #2

   an alternative for those of us who are better with power tools than hand tools is to use a router with a straight bit.

   think of the face of the bard as over very big rabbet and you'll get the idea... put guide rails on either side of the board to be flattened -- make sure the guide rails are dead straight and that the supporting surface is also flat (eg, use your table saw if that's flatter than your bench). clamp the rails in place. then attach the router base to a guide jig which overlaps the rails, and work the router side to side as you slowly move the jig from one of the rails to the other in a tight "S" curve like fashion (a space-filling curve for you math-types). the end result will be a board with one surface as flat as the rails are.

   i learned this trick from a much-more experienced woodworking friend/teacher who owns a machine shop. perhaps it's well-known, but i'm giving jim the credit.

   cheers,
   bert

   if it's worth doing at all, then it's worth doing well.
3. 
   BenM | Sep 23, 2005 08:11pm | #3

   This info is published regularly by FWW.  See Nov 2004 (Issue 173) for an article by Rob Hare on flattening without a jointer.  See Jan 2005 (Issue 175) for flattening tabletops by Keith Rust.   See May 2005 (Issue 177) for an article on using winding sticks (in Fundamentals).