Thread: Flattening a slab top

Originally posted by Biggles:
Hi everyone!
< SNIP >
and steel rod thru router base
< SNIP >
Thanx

Don't mention steel, you end up in DOORSTOP's dog house with me

I was considering something the same, but using a square S%$#L jig with sliders on it to get coverage in both directions.I was thinking on a smaller scale as well.
Let us know what you do, and how you go.

CounT4


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CountTFit

Hey CT stoppers is ok its coastie u gotta watch
I have both types of benches wood and artificial wood

Originally posted by Biggles:
Hi everyone!
Does anyone have any information, plan or jig information about using your router to flatten a slab table top.The piece I have is roughly 1800 * 1100 * 60 cyprus pine. Thought i'd give it a try with 2 parallel boards either side and steel rod thru router base but would like some input before I try (......stuff it up????). Any comments or idea's would be appreciated. Thanx

Gooday Biggles,

I was in a similar situation as you are and
decided to buy two 3 x 2 inch 3 mt lengths
of aluminium for rails. To these I fixed a 3 mt length of aluminium strip whose top has a cove shape for the wheels of the carriage
to ride along.
The carriage I made from 1 sq. inch of
aluminium where the edge or face has a 6 mm recess the whole length. It measures 600 mm x 300 mm but you can make it suit your requirements, and I used plastic corner connectors which tightly fit into the
hollow square alum bar and pop rivetted to prevent them from slipping out during usage.

I then fixed 4 plastic gliding rollers, the
ones used for sliding cupboard doors to the bottom of the carriage ensuring that the wheels slide without resistance or loose play along the cove shaped strip which is fixed to the top of the rails.

The recess in the carriage frame is important to allow the router base to sit in without too much slack.
I made a square router base out of thick clear polycarbon plastic (10 mm) and counter sunk 4 holes identical to the routers' original base and fixed it to the router.

Before fixing the square base to the router I inserted a 1 inch diameter straight cutter to
the router, screwed the square base firmly and plunged the router to make a hole in the
base to allow the bit or cutter to protrude.

My square base measures 12 inches by 12 inches and sits in the carriage allowing me to slide the router across the width of the carriage.
The rails are clamped to a flat bench by cutting out holes with a hole saw in the electric drill in the sides large enough for the clamp heads to be to fixed ensuring that the carriage rides along smoothly the entire length.

I only take off no more than 3 mm for each pass so as not to force the router which can dislodge the carriage from the rails.

VERY IMPORTANT: The router needs to be held firmly at all times since there is no clamping mechanism to hold it in the carriage.
The alum and corner brackets were purchased from CAPRAL ALUMINIUM and the rollers from bunnings (yuk!)
This method of flattening boards or slabs,
although very basic compared to the methods used with proffesional machinery will produce a flat surface which will require some sanding or scraping.
To some this method may seem to be risky or
accident prone, but feeding the router at a slow pace and not trying to take off too much in one pass will prevent the risk of personal injury.

Cheers, Evan