Replies

1. 
   BG | Nov 03, 2003 05:20pm | #1

   Ask,

   I did this last week and it worked...kinda.  I put some thin strips of white oak on 3/4 ply and ran it through the planer.  At first, I was concerned the oak would stay put so I sprayed the ply with glue...that made a bit of a mess ...but the oak pieces came out the other end and I just re-feed back on top of the ply.... 
2. 
   Bengst | Nov 03, 2003 07:43pm | #2

   I've been successful at getting thicknesses of about 1/128th of an inch on my Performax drum sander. Cost of a sander may make that not feasible for you. Call around to cabinet shops with wide belt sanders. They may charge you for the use of their machine but if the table is for a client you could charge more.

   Jeffrey

    

1. 
   johnhardy | Nov 04, 2003 05:04am | #11

   I've tried the "sled" approach (mentioned by others) with my planer with mixed results. I've planed walnut down to 1/8th inch but if the grain is going the wrong way at the end you'll lose the last 3 to 6 inches of the board. It's very loud when it explodes.

   I've also used this approach with my Performax 16/32 (now replaced by a Woodmaster to get more horsepower, etc.) with extgremely good results. I was able to "plane down" veneer to what looked like a hand plane curl.s

   Try the planer method out but don't be surprised if you get mixed results.

   John

3. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Nov 03, 2003 07:48pm | #3

   Use double-sided carpet tape to hold the thin piece to a thicker piece, particularly the leading edge.

1. 
   ASK | Nov 03, 2003 08:20pm | #5

   Thanks, I think I'll try it with a scrap piece first.

   ASK

4. 
   forestgirl | Nov 03, 2003 08:19pm | #4

   Can't you just put an "extra table" in your planer (3/4" ply with a stop-strip on the infeed end, running cross-wise, to keep the ply from moving through the planer)??  I'm gonna be trying this today or tomorrow for some scroll-saw stock.  Eliminates the need for glue and such.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   ASK | Nov 03, 2003 08:23pm | #6

   Good thought, let me know if it works.  What happens when the cross stop gets to the planer?

   ASK

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 03, 2003 08:59pm | #7

   This is actually a pretty standard way to plane extra-thin stock, I just didn't want to make it seem that I, personally, had performed the deed, LOL.  I think most people would use a base that was pretty slick, not plywood as I had said, but MDF or even waxed particle board.  Laminate of couse is vunderbar.  You insert the sled into the planer bed so that the stop is up against your infeed table, meaning that the sled can't go any further into the planer.  Plop your stock onto the new table and plane away.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   DustyTom | Nov 03, 2003 08:59pm | #8

   I tried the "extra table" method with 3/4" melamine. The planner body bottomed out on the sides of the board and wouldn't let the knives cut much thinner than without the table. Taping the board to the a narrower (less than the width of the planner) board will yield good results. You've got to make sure the front is taped down securely. It makes a nasty noise, not to mention some shredded wood, if it comes up into the knives.

3. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Nov 03, 2003 09:04pm | #9

   Forestgirl --

      When really thin wood is fed through a thickness planer, the knives can bend it into the knives.   The worst area is the leading edge, before the outfeed roller can catche it.   Sometimes there's deep scalloping, and sometimes the wood just explodes as the planer catches the whole thickness of the wood.   Using tape or glue or even vacuum to hold the wood down helps a lot.  Really sharp knives help too.   Even if the wood manages to get past the leading edge without terrible damage, the surface quality can be kinda ugly, with scallops in the middle of the board.   If I did a lot of really thin work, I think I'd get an abrasive thickness planer.

             Jamie

1. 
   Elcoholic | Nov 03, 2003 11:38pm | #10

   I use the sled method but the typical home center thin carpet tape proved to be a pain to scrape off the planed wood each and every piece through.  I switched to faceplate turning tape from Rockler and a melamine sled.  I run two strips lenghtwise and can get 6-8 passes from one application of tape.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne