Replies

1. 
   ohcomeon | Sep 22, 2007 05:22pm | #1

   Too short!

   Get a couple hand planes for stuff like this (and others); sanding will take much longer than a couple passes with a plane.

2. 
   [email protected] | Sep 22, 2007 06:30pm | #2

   You could make a sled from 1/2-in plywood to run them through the planer.  There have been enough articles written over the years that you should be able to find an article somewhere online, or find a book in the library that will detail the sled.  (If you can't find a detail on a sled, let me know and I can sketch one up.)

   The problem I would foresee is figured wood frequently does not do well in the planer, and you may get a lot of tear out. 

   Hand planes can let you do more figured wood than a planer.  With a plane you can adjust the direction you are planing from, depth of cut, and even cut a micro bevel on the cutting blade to decrease the angle of attack, to lessen the tear out. 

   Scraping is one alternative to getting a clean, smooth surface on figured wood.  And, if you don't own a scraper it is worth looking into.  But while they are one of those elegantly simple tools, they can be tricky to learn to get an edge on, and use. 

   If you don't have the hand planes, or the scrapers; sanding my in fact be your best bet of getting acceptable results on this project if you have a time line. 

   Do look into getting a hand plane, (or ten, they are addictive), and some scrapers and learning how to maintain and use them.  But not for this project if you have a time line you would like to meet. 

1. 
   jhounshell | Sep 22, 2007 07:53pm | #4

   Thanks guys. I have a small block plane and a larger bench plane. I'll give those a shot in this instance. I don't want to risk firing a block of maple across the shop through my powered planer. These pieces were cut-offs from a larger board. I didn't want to waste them, birdseye ain't cheap. So I thought I'd cut them down and make a small box from them. We'll see how it goes.Jeff

1. 
   [email protected] | Sep 22, 2007 09:51pm | #5

   Just for curiosity; did you plane the larger pieces in you power planer?

1. 
   jhounshell | Sep 22, 2007 10:07pm | #6

   I wet them with mineral spirits, heavily, and passed them through at odd angles. I had minimal chip-out, not so bad that I couldn't clean it up. I love figured woods, but they give me fits. The hand planes have not worked the best, either. I'm considering purchasing a drum sander. Any idea if this will be the answer to surfacing and thicknessing figured woods for a power-tool kind of guy?Jeff

1. 
   [email protected] | Sep 22, 2007 10:45pm | #7

   A friend of mine has one of the older performax units that mounts on a radial arm saw.  He uses it to thickness stock, and to the best of my knowledge he does not own a planer. 

    A lot of what he builds now is jewlery boxes from figured wood.  He is a maintenance carpenter for a large airport, and has access to a large well equipped shop at work, so he might use their planer on occasion, but for the stuff at home he uses the performax. 

2. 
   jhounshell | Sep 22, 2007 11:31pm | #8

   So, that is exactly what I am working towards, jewelry boxes out of figured wood. And some other keepsake boxes and such. For a power tool kid of guy, it sounds to me like I need a drum sander. Would you agree this will solve my problem?

3. 
   [email protected] | Sep 22, 2007 11:39pm | #9

   It will thickness highly figured wood with out tear out. 

   It is your project, and you need to make the decisions on methods of construction that you are comfortable with. 

   There are those who say that a sanded finish lacks the luster of one done with a plane and finished with a scraper.  I personally have yet to be able to tell the difference if both are done well. 

   Both of them require a knowledge of the tool and the material. 

   It is easier to get a high quality surface with tight crisp edges using the plane and scraper though. 

4. 
   oldusty | Sep 23, 2007 12:28am | #10

   jh,

         I have run a fair amount of stock through some 36" Timesaver / Sandingmaster industrial type of machines and you don't run 6 or 7" or any shorts like that without risk .

           Check with the company on any min and maxs recommendations.

                               dusty

5. 
   jhounshell | Sep 23, 2007 05:18am | #11

   These two small pieces I was dealing with are a rarity, they were cutoffs I didn't want to waste. Nobody has yet to answer my question, do I need to buy a drum sander to thickness highly figured wood if I don't want to do it by hand?

6. 
   saschafer | Sep 23, 2007 05:25am | #12

   You don't "need" a drum sander. You don't "need" any particular tool, since there are all kinds of ways to thickness lumber. A drum sander is one way to do it. Handplanes and scrapers are another way. A thickness planer followed by a random-orbital or belt sander is yet another way.

   It's up to you. How do you want to work? What are the tradeoffs for you (cost of equipment, convenience, speed, etc.)?

   -Steve

    

7. 
   oldusty | Sep 23, 2007 07:02am | #13

   jh,

           You could easily plane scrape or power sand / belt sander in a few quick moments to cleanup the re-saw kerf .

        With normal lengths a wide  belt sander can in 1 hour do the work of 1 man in many more  hours with consistent  results .

       These big wide belts range in price from $10,000 - $25,000 and more .

      There are the compact versions as well for much lower cost , the trade for performance and end results perhaps .

          If this is a hobby and you can afford it get the best , if your in business get the best you can afford .

        Let your own works demand dictate your needs , not wants .

                            dusty

3. 
   highfigh | Sep 22, 2007 06:38pm | #3

   One thing you didn't mention is how thin the parts will be after planing. You could make a jig but planers aren't made for small pieces like this. The possibility of the maple lifting out of the jig is there unless you bevel the edges and counter-bevel the jig. Mark the thickness you want on the sides and ends and scrape, plane or sand the pieces. Better to have planed them when they were big enough for the planer and then cut to size. If you sand them, just glue the paper to a known flat surface, like a piece of glass or a tablesaw top, if it's very flat.

   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
4. 
   WillGeorge | Sep 27, 2007 01:52am | #14

   Try some turners double sided tape. I have even used hot melt glue on the edges on a hunk of flat plywood as a base.

   By the way I just got a drum sander. Guess what.. It will tear out birdseye also even with fine grit and the drum set for a 'kiss'.

   I have even seen the birdseyes 'pop' out with hand sanding!

   
   

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   Edited 9/26/2007 6:57 pm by WillGeorge