Planer Sled

[Andrew Kertesz]

I need to build planer sled and not sure of which to use; BBC plywood laminated together or MDF. Any thoughts?

[Allan Speers]

Plywood.

MDF is much too flexible. It also weighs more.

I built mine out of plywood, with steel L-channel glued to the edges, plus a few strips going across as well so sort of a torsion box. Then I put thin strips of UGMW plastic over the steel, so it slides nice. Doing this, you lose an inch or so of height, but that doesn't matter for face planing.

I highly recommend this.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Allan,

Do you have any pictures of your sled? I'd like to see how you used the steel L-channel for stiffness.

[Doug Herzberg]

I've been using Phil Thein's idea http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?184199-What-is-the-latest-in-planer-sleds/page3, post #32, and never wanted for anything more. It doesn't matter if the sled flexes if you have a flat surface for the glue up. like a table saw or bench, so I just grabbed whatever was around my shop at the time I needed a sled. It does use a lot of hot glue sometimes, but that's not a big expense.

[Rich Enders]

+1 for Phil Thein's design. I doubled his length in order to do 80 inch (tall) bed posts and used it for years with a lunch box planer. When I finally got a wide jointer the sled was donated to Habitat and who knows where it is now.

[glenn bradley]

Definitely ply. As mentioned MDF will flex too much. I made Keith Rust's (http://www.finewoodworking.com/workshop/video/a-planer-sled-for-milling-lumber.aspx) version but, the ShopNotes/Woodsmith version (http://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/double-duty-planer-sled/) looks to be superior (Issue 137) and uses hardboard skins and a torsion box interior to keep the weight down. Either is a weekend build.

[Mark W Pugh]

I just use 2 pieces of MDF/Ply/whatever, then use hot glue underneath high spots, and run it thru. The hot glue does not compress, and just break the hot glue off.