A Planer Sled for Milling Lumber
A sled lets you use just your planer to mill wide boards to any thickness.
Working with wide lumber is a joy: The figure and color are seamless, just as it came off the log. But many woodworkers face a problem when it comes to flattening one side of a wide board. We can rip the board into narrower pieces, use a 6-in. or 8-in. jointer, and then rejoin the parts, but a perfect match is not always possible. The alternative is to handplane one side flat, a laborious process.
Now, I like handplaning as much as the next guy, but I prefer to save my energy and let machines dimension lumber. To this end, I designed an adjustable sled that allows me to face-joint lumber with a thickness planer. The planer sled is reliable and quick to set up and adjust without using any tools.
In this video, Rust demonstrates flattening one side of a wide board with the his planer sled. He explains how to set up and adjust the jig for good results. Read Keith’s full article, including plans and more detailed explanations, click here.
More from FineWoodworking.com:
- Turn Your Planer into a Jointer
- A Smarter Planer Sled for Flattening Wide Stock
- Flatten Wide Boards on a Small Jointer
- Mill Lumber Safely: A bandsaw and a jigsaw make the process less intimidating
- How to Mill Lumber and Cut Parts to Size
- How to Get Square, Stable Stock
- From Rough to Ready: a one man system for prepping more stock in less time
Comments
Im surprise there aren't any comment on this procedure considering so many can benefit from such a clever way to get a wide board flattened. I'm planning on trying this soon and I am curious if anyone else has ever tried this method?
This is the best sled I've seen!!!! Definitely will be making this sometime this year! I wonder why he used two base beds instead of just using a 3/4" sheet of ply? The bungee and its fastener only needs to be below the cherry stock support slats? Any input on what materials would be best/cost effective?
One sheet of plywood won't be reliably flat. The sandwich is a crude torsion box providing both stiffness and flatness. Even thinner plywood that 1/2" would probably work.
Wow. Such a brilliantly designed jig.
I'll be building this for sure
It's a great invention saving me time along with improved looks on my projects. Easy to use.
Thanks a whole bunch Keith!
I don't understand the purpose of the bungee cord.
The bungee cord keeps the supports in place when there is no board on the sled.
I've used this technique but with bespoke jigs for the one-time board. I have an 8 ft Jointer and, after removing the guard, am able to make several 8" passes on one edge/side of a wider board (rabbet), flip it over and send it through the planer with, say, a piece of plywood that sits into the rabbet.
IMO, you don't need to get it 100% flat on one side in th planer. If you get it mostly flat, to the point where it can be flipped and trusted to run through the planer flat, you can come back and finish the first side last. This is how I do it. I just find it easier and preferred to be able to eliminate the sled as soon as I can, getting that board down onto the planer bed where it belongs.
I have seen this before on u tube the construction of and use it's a great and efficient way to get'er done. I have got to build this!
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