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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Montville
    Posts
    83

    Default how to plane & thickness a large slab?

    Hi All,

    I just acquired a couple of rosewood slabs 1.5m * 400mm * 40mm.

    I plan on making 2 bedside tables 400mm wide using the 2 slabs with continuous grain running up the sides, over the top and down the other side.

    Problem is my planer/thicknesser only handles 260mm width and my hand skills are not up to flattening and squaring the slabs. (They would probably end up 10mm thick by the time I finished.)

    My plan was to slice the slab down the middle so each half would fit through the planer/thicknesser. Then I would glue the two halves back together to achieve the 400mm width. Hopefully the glue line would be invisible or virtually so.

    These slabs are bloody heavy too, so halving the weight by slicing down the middle will make them more manageable.

    Does any body have a better idea on how to square up and flatten the slabs?

    Cheers,

    Dan

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Central Coast
    Age
    33
    Posts
    372

    Default

    Find someone close to you who has a larger Thicknesser/Planer ( a shop would charge a small fee...or try and find someone kind enough to do it for free...)

    Are they very cupped along the grain?
    Buy the best tools you can afford and you'll only cry once...

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Hobart
    Posts
    5,105

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by daninjt View Post
    Hi All,

    I just acquired a couple of rosewood slabs 1.5m * 400mm * 40mm.

    I plan on making 2 bedside tables 400mm wide using the 2 slabs with continuous grain running up the sides, over the top and down the other side.
    Hi Dan

    For something very special like your rosewood I would follow Rhys's advice and get your local joinery shop to thickness it, and even to drum sand it. Cost will be minimal, and who wants a join in feature grain?

    Cheers

    Graeme

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Montville
    Posts
    83

    Default

    Thanks for the responses gents. Problem is here in Jakarta I don't know of anyone with a drum sander or wide thicknesser.

    Will keep looking around.

    Cheers,


    Dan

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2000
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    61

    Default Router rails

    Another option is to set up two parallel blocks to the ground (timber or metal) and then to use another 2 parallel straight edges at right angles over the top to guide a router with a straight bit as you make progressive cuts across the surface.

    This will then invariably need cleaning up with a plane and then sanding smooth. You will however be able to keep the timber without cutting it only to joint it together later.

    I have done this for a coffee table and found that it works ok (slow though) where the timber is vastly different in thickness.

    I have attached a sketch to help explain it a bit better.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Hobart
    Posts
    5,105

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by daninjt View Post
    Thanks for the responses gents. Problem is here in Jakarta I don't know of anyone with a drum sander or wide thicknesser.

    Will keep looking around.

    Cheers,


    Dan

    Sorry Dan.

    I didn't look where you are. But a lot of furniture comes out of Indonesia - most for the discounters, but some is very good. There must be quite a few joineries around - perhaps you could start with the Jakarta yellow pages.

    Cheers

    Graeme

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Central Coast
    Age
    33
    Posts
    372

    Default

    Yeah I didnt look at your loaction either.

    But as stated, have a look in a Telephone Book, or on the internet, for a shop close by.

    Otherwise...get out some handplanes
    Buy the best tools you can afford and you'll only cry once...

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