Newbie Question: How to flatten a cookie slab
Meshhat
| Posted in General Discussion on
Note, I’m a complete newbie at woodworking. About 3 years ago, I had a nice, large Oak tree cut down in my backyard. I saved a cookie slab (the diameter is about 3.5 feet) from it in hopes I could learn how to do something with it. Now that everything has shutdown, I thought it would be a good time to get to work!
My first question is what is the best way to flatten the slab? I don’t have the room to invest in a lot of machinery, and like I said, I have no idea what I’m doing. I was wondering if I could use an electric hand planer to flatten the slab. Is there a way to ensure it would be flat? Appreciate any advice.
Replies
A slab is a slab. "Cookie" or "regular" the basic process is the same. You can find all kinds of videos and plans to build an inexpensive router sled. The bigger issue will be getting the cookie to dry evenly. They are notorious for cracking. You should try to take the same amount off both sides to mitigate risk.
A hand power plane will work, depending on how potato chipped it is. When it starts getting close you can use a level and winding sticks to dial it in. Once one side is flat, you can address the other side.
I would do it in stages and be sure to keep it in a plastic bag between sessions to allow it to stabilize equally.
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