Advice on Producing Thin Lumber

[Carl Eyman]

In the process of making my dexk/bookcase project I need to produce a quantity of thin walnut boards 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" thick.These are for the gallery (pigeon holes) above the writing surface. My planer is a 1950 version of the Craftsman (Parks) machine. Unlike lunchbox models the work rides on rollers that are a few thousandths of an inch above the bed. I've never tried to plane much real thin stock before. 1/2" I can handle. but I'm afraid stock thinner than that will flex too much and I won't get consistent results. In the past for really small quantities I've let the work ride thru with a thicker piece under it, but this isn't always reliable. Sometimes the thin stock slips on the carrier board and sort of slides off the carrier.

Can anyone give me some good advice?

[Jerry Clark]

You could make a sled and run that through with your thin pieces.:cool:

[Dino Makropoulos]

In the process of making my dexk/bookcase project I need to produce a quantity of thin walnut boards 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" thick.These are for the gallery (pigeon holes) above the writing surface. My planer is a 1950 version of the Craftsman (Parks) machine. Unlike lunchbox models the work rides on rollers that are a few thousandths of an inch above the bed. I've never tried to plane much real thin stock before. 1/2" I can handle. but I'm afraid stock thinner than that will flex too much and I won't get consistent results. In the past for really small quantities I've let the work ride thru with a thicker piece under it, but this isn't always reliable. Sometimes the thin stock slips on the carrier board and sort of slides off the carrier.

Can anyone give me some good advice?

Hi Carl.
At the swap meet I will demo the EZ-REPEATO.
It will allow you to have repeatability on the cutoff side and make veneer strips from the narrowest piece of wood. Until is no more wood to cut.
What is the length and the thickness of the wood?
YCF Dino

[Jamie Buxton]

To make thin lumber with a planer, you can use a sled. Use double-stick tape to fasten the workpiece to the sled. Carpet tape works well.

There's a limit to how thin you can go. The lumber gets so thin that you break it trying to unstick it from the carpet tape. However, you'll be fine with 1/4" thick stuff.

[Keith Christopher]

And be sure to flip the piece. I once took all off of one side and ended up with a longbow. All I needed was some string and some arrows. :)

[chris toomey]

To make thin lumber with a planer, you can use a sled. Use double-stick tape to fasten the workpiece to the sled. Carpet tape works well.

There's a limit to how thin you can go. The lumber gets so thin that you break it trying to unstick it from the carpet tape. However, you'll be fine with 1/4" thick stuff.
thats what i have done. if the peices weren't too long, say 2-3 feet, i'd only put tape at the begining and end of the piece. its enough to hold it, but makes removal easier. then i cut off the ends where the tape made them thinner.

[Doug Shepard]

thats what i have done. if the peices weren't too long, say 2-3 feet, i'd only put tape at the begining and end of the piece. its enough to hold it, but makes removal easier. then i cut off the ends where the tape made them thinner.

I've sort of done the same thing, except I made the stock and the carrier board about 6" longer, then just put the whole carrier and strips on the TS and cut off 3" from each end where the tape was. That carpet tape is pretty strong stuff and I was still getting occasional breakage on the ends trying to remove them (at least on 1/16" stuff).

[Mike Sheppard]

Carl

I have had good luck using a pc. of marlight with a cleat so it can not go through the planer, and just feed the work pc. through. I have taken oak and cherry down to less than 1/8", so thin you can see light through it.

Mike

[Carl Eyman]

Hi Carl.
At the swap meet I will demo the EZ-REPEATO.
It will allow you to have repeatability on the cutoff side and make veneer strips from the narrowest piece of wood. Until is no more wood to cut.
What is the length and the thickness of the wood?
YCF Dino


I wish I could go to the Swap Fest, but one trip to Virginia a year is about all my budget allows.This year's was in January for "Working Wood in 18th Century". It would be neat if someone could take a simple home video of the process and make it available on a loan basis.

Meanwhile thanks to all for suggestions. Pieces are all 3' or less.

[Mike Wilkins]

Hey Carl. I have the same planer and have planed many thin boards with no
problem. Make a sled out of some melamine or laminate covered material, with
2 grooves to go over the rollers for clearance. Clamp it to the table on each
end so it will not walk away from you. Make sure to wax this surface so it will
slide easier.
I just used a dado to groove the underside of the board approx. 1/4" .

Good luck and watch those fingers.

[lou sansone]

hi carl
one way to handle this is to resaw surfaced thicker stock into 2 thinner pieces. Take those pieces and send them through a wide belt sander. Since you don't have one, I would be glad to process them for you for free, just pay the shipping both ways. If that is something that you would like to have done, then give me a PM and we can work things out
lou