Planer Sled: I Made a Board!

[Steve H Graham]

I guess I am the most boring person here, because I am just starting out, and the things I manage to do with my tools are pretty stupid, but I'm going to post anyway, because I'm all excited. I used my recon Dewalt planer today, with the planer sled I made, and I succeeded in making a 1/4" flat board!

I use sawhorses for table saw outfeed, but they aren't going to work for the planer sled. I need something right at the level of the planer, and it has to be low-friction. I'm thinking rollers. Suggestions solicited.

I got an incredible amount of snipe at first. Like four inches. That was because I couldn't control the sled on the way out of the planer. But once I took the board off and flipped it, the planer corrected the snipe, and I ended up with a perfect board with no snipe at all. I didn't know a planer would do that.

The recon Dewalt seems to be a good buy. Works fine, and looks like a new one. I used the fast setting to thin the board down, and then I followed up with the slow setting to polish it up, but the finish seemed really good at either speed. I was using a piece of scrap softwood. Maybe it's just easier to plane.

I don't think I'd use MDF for a planer sled again. It's just too heavy. But it's what I had lying around when I needed a sled, so it's what I used.

[Chris Padilla]

Steve,

Uh, congrats but we need pics. No pics...didn'ta happen-a! ;)

:D

[Steve H Graham]

Do you really want a picture of my board or are you just trying to humor me?

[Matthew Hills]

...But once I took the board off and flipped it, the planer corrected the snipe, and I ended up with a perfect board with no snipe at all.

Not sure I followed this. By "flipped", you mean you were planing the other face, or you just switched which end you put in first? (and not sure why either would affect snipe)

Matt

[Brent Leonard]

I used 1/2 birch ply, torsion box design for my sled. Works well and isn't too heavy. I use my roller stands and they work very well, better than my ridgid outfeed supports.

I too get snipe when using the sled. Haven't figured out why, other than the roller is pushing down just ahead of the tail end of the board, causing it the flex the tail of the board up, into the cutter head.

I too just flatten the face of the board on the sled, then actually get a nice finished surface while getting it down to the desired thickness, getting rid of any snipe from the sled.

[Chris Padilla]

Snipe is a fact of life with most planers. Just learn to accept it, do your best to avoid it, and plan to cut it off when it does happen....

[Gordy Anderson]

Do you really want a picture of my board or are you just trying to humor me?

Read through old posts. We're easily entertained, and there has to be pics. I've read it a thousand times..
\"

[Steve H Graham]

What if I admitted I lied about the board because I wanted to impress everybody?

Just kidding. Here it is.

Funny, it seems to be bowing now. Is that normal?

[Michael O'Sullivan]

Also, your hands make a great outfeed table. Just keep the board from dipping as it comes out of the planer.

[Steve H Graham]

Also, your hands make a great outfeed table. Just keep the board from dipping as it comes out of the planer.

Sure, if I were coordinated enough to do that.

[Walt Kenny]

I'd like to see pics or drawings of the sled and why you use one?

[Rick Thom]

Steve, this is the roller stand that i use http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060&ap=1. $89 from Lee Valley. It's got all sorts of adjustments to get it level and both rotating swivel wheels and solid metal flange to support your work as it exits the planer. A good solid piece of equipment.

[Porter Bassett]

I too just flatten the face of the board on the sled, then actually get a nice finished surface while getting it down to the desired thickness, getting rid of any snipe from the sled.Could you explain this a little more? I'm getting really annoyed with snipe, and I'd love to know things that I can to do limit it.

[Rob Young]

I guess I am the most boring person here, because I am just starting out, and the things I manage to do with my tools are pretty stupid, but I'm going to post anyway, because I'm all excited. I used my recon Dewalt planer today, with the planer sled I made, and I succeeded in making a 1/4" flat board!

Congratlations! Just tell me it wasn't a 6/4 board BEFORE you started... ;)

Let the games begin!

[John Schreiber]

What if I admitted I lied about the board because I wanted to impress everybody?

Just kidding. Here it is.

Funny, it seems to be bowing now. Is that normal?
Thanks for the picture. It's not that we don't believe you, it's really that we want to make sure there is sawdust and a general mess in the shop behind the board so we can tell that you are a real woodworker.

Any time you plane a piece of wood, you are changing the tension inside and it may bow. That will happen especially if you take most of the thickness from one side. Depending on what you are going to use it for, it may not be significant at all, just build it into your project and the other pieces will keep it straight. If it has to be straight, it's often a good idea to plane it down close, then let it sit for a couple of days, then plane out the remainder.

I know how it is to be excited about something, but nobody nearby understands what you are talking about it. That's when it's good to have the Creek.

[Brent Leonard]

Could you explain this a little more? I'm getting really annoyed with snipe, and I'd love to know things that I can to do limit it.

While "flattening" the board, using the sled, I get considerably MORE snipe than planing without the sled.

So,
after getting the flat surface I desired (main objective of the sled in the first place), I then remove the sled, lower the cutterhead of the planer, turn the board over and plane the opposite surface to a smooth face.
Hopefully, at this point, my board is not to the desired thickness yet. if not, I go back to the original surface that has the excessive snipe (from using the sled) and plane the face down. This final process will remove the snipe, or come very close to removing it.

I have learned how to put just the proper amount of slight lifting pressure on the board as it exits the planer to virtually eliminate all snipe. Just haven't figured out how to avoid it with the sled. Probably won't!

I plan for snipe, by allowing an extra 4"-6" of length to my board prior to planing, but I still try to eliminate it if I can.

[glenn bradley]

I'd like to see pics or drawings of the sled and why you use one?

I and a few others have made this one. I would like to see Steve's as variation is the spice of life and all that.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=58735

[glenn bradley]

I use sawhorses for table saw outfeed, but they aren't going to work for the planer sled. I need something right at the level of the planer, and it has to be low-friction. I'm thinking rollers. Suggestions solicited.

I picked up a few of these when they went on sale at half off: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00922295000P
They work just fine and stay put. they do have the tendency to direct your material whatever direction the roller is facing so you have to line it up right. Not a big deal with a sled.

I have ones with the roller balls but if your material is very heavy at all the balls leave marks as you roll by. They offer a position without the balls in play and that is what I generally do.

I also modified one and replaced the balls with casters. This works nice as they are non directional like the balls but don't leave dents. The Lee Valley is pricey but it is the Cadillac of this style of stand.

[Jules Dominguez]

Remember the board being planed is cantilevered at the beginning and end of the cut and the cantilevered weight wants to lever up the opposite end of the board - into the cutterhead. Thats one of the causes of snipe. Roller stands help. I think you need to have either infeed and outfeed tables - in addition to the add-ons that DeWalt sells for the planer - or roller stands at each end.
It can also help to give the tail end of the board a little upward pressure with your hands as the board enters the roller/cutter area and ditto to the front end as the tail end of the board clears the cutter.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I think Jules has the cause of excess snipe with the sled. You can counter it somewhat with the Rust sled by making sure the supports are set to the very ends of the board being planed.

[Dewayne Reding]

What if I admitted I lied about the board because I wanted to impress everybody?

Just kidding. Here it is.

Funny, it seems to be bowing now. Is that normal?

That' a fine looking board Steve. Possibly the nicest we've seen today. Now could you pop the grain with a little BLO, hand rub a little varnish and repost another PIC please?

And BTW it looks like pretty flat from here. It should make very fine door jamb shims.

:D

[Dustin Powers]

This is going to sound really dumb to you experienced folks but we all start somewhere! I still don't quite understand the purpose of the sled. I don't have a jointer or planer yet but I was under the impression that I would just take rough stock and run through the planer on both sides until I reached my desired thickness and I would have a flat board...is that not the case?
Remember go slow for me and someone may have to get some crayons out and draw me a picture!:D

[Rob Young]

This is going to sound really dumb to you experienced folks but we all start somewhere! I still don't quite understand the purpose of the sled. I don't have a jointer or planer yet but I was under the impression that I would just take rough stock and run through the planer on both sides until I reached my desired thickness and I would have a flat board...is that not the case?
Remember go slow for me and someone may have to get some crayons out and draw me a picture!:D

A planer will not flatten both sides of a board, if your board is bowed going in, it will be bowed going out, just thinner and bowed. However, you can use a sled to support the full length of the piece as well as give you places to shim below the board so that the rollers can't press it flat. Now when it runs through, the knives will start to flatten the board because the rollers haven't completely compressed the board. The knives will only touch the high spots.

A sled is also good for shorter pieces to fully support them and minimize snipe. Portable/lunchbox/benchtop planers don't have long beds, some have no extension beds at all. A sled is a way of adding to the bed length.

A sled is also good for thin stock because you can't run the head of most planers down to deal with 1/4 and 1/8" stock. Just be careful how you fix the stock to the sled. Anything like nails or screw heads hitting the knives is a bad thing.

[Steve H Graham]

I'd like to see pics or drawings of the sled and why you use one? I use one because I am cheap and have limited space.

Here's a photo I posted a while back. This is before I added the screws in the ends of the supports.

I don't think the post-thicknessing bowing of the board is going to be a problem; I plan to use it for practice. I'm going to make a small box. Over a short distance, the bowing shouldn't amount to anything.

[Steve H Graham]

I'd like to see pics or drawings of the sled and why you use one? I use one because I'm cheap and have limited space.

I tried to post a photo, but it won't display, so I deleted the post.

Here's a link to a thread where I already posted a photo:

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1024851#poststop

I plan to use this board to make a little box. I assume the bowing won't amount to anything over tiny distances.

[Bill White]

I have learned to adjust for the snipe by lifting the "tail end" of the board as the "nose end" enters the planer, then lifting the "nose end" as the board end exits the planer. This is a gentle lift. Just don't want the board doin' any dips and dives.
Keep your rollers clean and your blades sharp.
Bill

[Bruce Page]

Steve, this is the roller stand that i use http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=50231&cat=1,240,41060&ap=1. $89 from Lee Valley. It's got all sorts of adjustments to get it level and both rotating swivel wheels and solid metal flange to support your work as it exits the planer. A good solid piece of equipment.
I picked up a couple of these last month when LV had their free shipping deal going on. They are excellent!
(I still had to pay an extra $15 ea handling charge though. :()

[Dustin Powers]

Thanks for that Rob! I'm starting to see the light! So that's why we want to use the Jointer if it is wide enought? It would correct the bow? Now I understand why everyone says buy an 8" jointer...I kept thinking if you are just doing the edge of the boards why do you need something so wide!:confused:

[Lee Schierer]

Snipe is a fact of life with most planers. Just learn to accept it, do your best to avoid it, and plan to cut it off when it does happen....

Snipe can virtually be eliminated on portable planers with helper tables on teh infeed and outfeed. The sheet metal tables on protables flex when longer boards are placed on them creating conditions for snipe. If you make your own extension tables that are rigid, 99% of the snipe goes away. I get less than.002-.005" of snipe with the table setup you can see in the background for my planer. The infeed table is about 24" and the outfeed is about 30" inaddition to the metal tables that come on the planer.
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/lsfence1.jpg

[Chris Padilla]

Another way to avoid snipe is if you have lottsa boards to do, feed them in as if they were one long continuous board and you may only have snipe at the beginning of the first board and end of the last board.

Snipe is also planer dependent. Some will snipe more than others and it usually depends on roller pressure, amount you are taking off, sharpness of knives. Typically, thicker boards won't snipe because the cantilevered action that causes it isn't strong enough to lift the board. Also, really long boards may snipe less because of this.

Even my massive 16" planer will snipe here and there. Sometimes it is unpredictable although I've tried to pay attention and figure out why it does and why it doesn't.

[Steve H Graham]

I would love to get one of those, but it looks like the base is very wide, so I would worry that I would not be able to get it very close to the planer. I'm thinking I should get some casters, put them in a piece of scrap, and fix up a small gadget that can ride on top of my existing sawhorses.

Actually, that would be really easy. And with two clamps, I'd have total control of the height.