Project by RiaanK | posted 03-31-2014 06:14 AM | 15778 views | 81 times favorited | 25 comments | ![]() |
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Hi
The one tool that I have been wanting badly, for a very long time, is way above my budget, and that’s the thickness plainer.
So after looking at some jigs from all over, I came up with my own version.
The same principal as all the jigs available, but with a thickness adjuster.
What I have done.
Where the stock will be, I made an adjustable platform, with bolts on all corners on the bottom of it.
And with rulers on all sides of the housing. The rulers stars 5MM from the top where the slider holding the router slides on.(I just need to replace this with stainless steel rulers, this is all I could find at the time)
I placed the platform on zero, placed the router in, and pushed it down so that the bit is also on zero then, and locked the router.
Removing the router, I placed it on top of the sliders sides, and routed a piece out. So now, when I need to plane, I place the router on top of the slider, push it down, and lock it, then the bit will be sticking out 5MM on the bottom of the slider. So, zero with the rulers.
Now I can adjust the platform to a required thickness, and plane away. I also added the two pieces on the platform, that fastens at the ends of the platform, this allows me to “clamp” the stock down, as in picture 3.
Hope you like it, because this work like a dream for me (until I have the cash for the machine)
Thanks for looking.
-- Riaan
25 comments so far
Hawaiilad
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3386 posts in 4518 days
#1 posted 03-31-2014 08:18 AM
You know, I do own a thickness planer, a jointer as well as allot of other shop tools, but I’ll bet your set up works just a good if not better…because you built it. I love hearing how other woodworkers make the jigs they use…something I have never been good at.
-- Larry in Hawaii,
robscastle
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8618 posts in 3701 days
#2 posted 03-31-2014 08:32 AM
Nice work there. possibly more correctly named as a “slabber” but it is a thicknesser just the same.
I t will do exactly the same job!
I built one some years ago but not as friendly as yours, keep up the good work!!!
-- Regards Rob
Bill_N
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238 posts in 3776 days
#3 posted 03-31-2014 09:09 AM
I think this will be great for flattening boards also.
Looks well built and useful
-- I have the Saw Dust Fever
michelletwo
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2795 posts in 4513 days
#4 posted 03-31-2014 09:49 AM
like the rulers
KnotCurser
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2040 posts in 4566 days
#5 posted 03-31-2014 10:44 AM
Very nice build and well thought out.
If/when you build an endgrain cutting board you will find out that this will do much better than a thickness planer!
Thanks for sharing this!
Cheers!
-bob
-- Robert Rhoades WoodWorks / Email: [email protected] / www.rhoadesclan.com
oldrivers
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3151 posts in 3064 days
#6 posted 03-31-2014 11:42 AM
Very Good and Practical tool, I have a 20” thickness Planer but I can see a use for this to flattened boards that are cupped and too wide for my jointer prior to using the Thickness planner.
-- Soli Deo gloria!
Oldtool
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3542 posts in 3688 days
#7 posted 03-31-2014 11:58 AM
Great build, well designed and constructed. A thickness planer and face jointer, great tool for woodworking. Have fun with it, happy woodworking.
-- "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The point is to bring them the real facts." - Abraham Lincoln
dvail12
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22 posts in 3469 days
#8 posted 03-31-2014 01:51 PM
This will do something a thickness planer will not. And a lot cheaper than a jointer wide enough to handle a wide board. As long as the platform is true and the board supported where it does not meet the base, flattening a twisted slab would be a snap. I like it. Do not lament, this is a fine piece of workmanship. And let necessity continue to mother invention. Terrific!
-- Dvail12
DMC1903
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285 posts in 3825 days
#9 posted 03-31-2014 02:33 PM
Nice work!!
helluvawreck
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#10 posted 03-31-2014 02:35 PM
It should be a great addition to your shop. Well done!
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
PaulDoug
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2702 posts in 3201 days
#11 posted 03-31-2014 02:44 PM
Well done. I can immediately see an advantage to it and that is the ability to thickness plane short pieces. I guess you can do it on a planner but it would require some type of sled. How smooth of a finish can you get?
-- “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing"- Edmond Burke
bit101
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106 posts in 3374 days
#12 posted 03-31-2014 05:20 PM
I’ve been planning on building one of these for a while now myself. Probably not as elaborate as yours though, at least to start. Great work.
tyvekboy
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2185 posts in 4510 days
#13 posted 03-31-2014 05:37 PM
You done good!
I have a DeWalt 13 inch thickness planer but there are times when it won’t handle some of the stuff that I have to flatten. You design is really good and I may use that idea in the future to make me one. Right now I just use 2 L-shaped guides that are about 8 feet long that I clamp to a flat board.
My Router carriage is about 3 feet wide and rides the guides. I actually made it to flatten my glued up bench tops when I was building my workbench. So the capacity of my setup is about 8 feet long by 3 feet wide.
I don’t need it very much so it is not a permanent as your setup is. Again, good work. Thanks for sharing the idea.
-- Tyvekboy -- Marietta, GA ………….. one can never be too organized
Allen4
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9 posts in 3020 days
#14 posted 03-31-2014 08:23 PM
Nice. Just got my first planer. Bought it used off craigslist. It works great for cutting thickness and smoothing a board, but I am stuck if the boards not flat to begin with. I think this will be a great value to you now and in the future. Planers you will come by fairly inexpensively for 12-13”. A jointer of that capacity will break the bank. Looks like another project on my list.
MarkTheFiddler
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2068 posts in 3686 days
#15 posted 03-31-2014 09:16 PM
Rian,
Thanks very much for the NEXT innovation in thickness planers. Well done. I really like your solution.
A few questions for you.
What bit are you using?
What’s the HP on the router?
How much material (depth) do you remove in a pass?
Any tear out issues?
I may go ahead and build one of these. I’ll be using your solution for thickness. I’m like you. I’m still watching where the next $ goes. My woodshop is years from being fully equipped.
-- Thanks for all the lessons!
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