Planer Simulation

[dchidester]

I would like to plane down a 15" wide board for a project, my bench top planner is 12". Is it possible to use my carve wright and plane down a board using a larger bit to save time and wear and tear. This is going to be hopefully a one time thing with a board 15" x 15". Thanks for any suggestions.

[chief2007]

Maximum width of the board can only be 14.5 inches in the machine.

[bergerud]

Even if you could fit the board in, you might not be happy with the results. There would be lines from each pass. Also, I think you would have to stay under the rollers.

[dehrlich]

What I have always done in this situation is rip the board in half, plane the halves then glue it back together as it was. If it has radial grain (straight) somewhere that is practical that is the best place to rip it, generally you will never see the seam or be able to tell. I have done this many times and it works great. Not to mention the fact that it releases stress and reduces the chance it will cup.

[DocWheeler]

I think it would be easier to build a frame similar to the scanning sled and use a router to manually move over the top of the piece.
Mount the router on a board long enough to stay on the "sled-rails" and route the board surface below it.

Still not as smooth as a planer but less tool damage.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Doc beat me to it.... Correct, building a frame and making a jig to slide over the whole top and a router would be the best for something like this... I bet it would take 12 hours to do it on the machine...

[cestout]

Even if I have wide boards, I rip them to narrower ones and glue them up, alternating the rings up and down to minimize cupping. The rings want to flatten out over time so you have to mitigate that or get quarter sawn.
Clint

[Ton80]

Like others, I buy wider boards and rip them down using the best grain for doors and other grains for parts that will have less of a focus put on them.

This glue up was made by buying 1x12 red oak, ripping several inches off the outer edges and gluing them back together but removing the center which had that typical curly grain. I don't like that grain on a set of doors. Instead , I will use that for the cabinet box.

I also wouldn't use the CW. For planing a board. 69200

[Ton80]

Here is a link to some more info on a router sled for planing boards. The nice thing is you can make it as wide as you need it. http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/flattening-workbenches-and-wide-boards-with-a-router/

[dehrlich]

Baring all of that, the best option if you really want to plane that board in one piece is find a friend (like me) that has a planer big enough to handle it. Check with a high school, they generally have large planers or sanders. Local cabinet shops have big machines but it will cost you. Or, get a good hand plane and get a work out. That's how they did it in the old days lol

[SteveNelson46]

I would like to plane down a 15" wide board for a project, my bench top planner is 12". Is it possible to use my carve wright and plane down a board using a larger bit to save time and wear and tear. This is going to be hopefully a one time thing with a board 15" x 15". Thanks for any suggestions.

I have a PerformaX/Jet 16/32 drum sander and I use it on almost every project. Even if the board will fit in my planer I still allow for a couple of passes in the sander. You can even use course sandpaper and use it as a planer but, it will take awhile. The sander has an open end so the board can be turned 180 degrees and a 32" board width is possible. They are a little pricey but, well worth the money.

[dehrlich]

I have a PerformaX/Jet 16/32 drum sander and I use it on almost every project. Even if the board will fit in my planer I still allow for a couple of passes in the sander. You can even use course sandpaper and use it as a planer but, it will take awhile. The sander has an open end so the board can be turned 180 degrees and a 32" board width is possible. They are a little pricey but, well worth the money.

Do you have any problem with flex on that? I have thought about getting something similar but I have heard the open end ones will allow enough flex to make the surface uneven sometimes.

[SteveNelson46]

Do you have any problem with flex on that? I have thought about getting something similar but I have heard the open end ones will allow enough flex to make the surface uneven sometimes.

If the machine is adjusted correctly and used properly there shouldn't be any problems. If I can, I rotate the board 180 degrees and make another pass just in case. Most people try to remove too much wood per pass and usually end up with burn marks or ruined sanding strips (they aren't cheap either). One has to keep in mind that it is a sander and not a planer. Even 1/64" per pass is too much with hard woods.