Anyone build the FW planer sleld?

[Joe Cowan]

I started yesterday and cut two 14" wide pieces of 3/4" cabinet grade ply from one of the big box stores. Both have a bow in them from front to back (they are 5' long). I was just wondering, with the spacers in between the two pieces of ply being 3/4" thick, and not strong enough to straighten this out, how to handle this problem.

[glenn bradley]

Yes. Even though I have upgraded to an 8" jointer I still use it several times a year. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?58735-Planer-Sled-2-0

[John Lemke]

Assuming you mean the Keith Rust designed sled Glenn linked to, then yes -- I've built one and used it a lot. I have three thoughts in response to your problem, not necessarily consistent with each other.

1) Why mess around with junk plywood you can't easily straighten out for a jig you can reasonably expect to use for years? Seems like one option is to trash the crap.

2) When I assembled mine, I used the surface of my table saw for assembly, pulling things flat to it. It might be that you can salvage things this way, once the glue holding your skins to the cross members cures.

3) If I had it to do over, I might be less elaborate. A couple lengths of MDF glued face to face and sized properly would likely be plenty flat and rigid if done on a known flat surface. Then you could just use cedar shims to support the work piece and hot glue them down.

[Joe Cowan]

I went ahead and glued the hardwood strips on the bottom piece while clamping it to my dead flat workbench. After fastening the top to this, it is flat. I just finished making the wedges and the applied the adhesive sandpaper to the top of the leveling pieces. All I have to do to finish is the bungee cord and it is good to go. I did not apply the plastic laminate to the bottom side and probably will not. Will make that decision once using it the first time.