Working with big slabs...

[Terry Hatfield]

Looking for some advice on working with big slabs. I've purchased some white oak slabs that I'd like to join to make a table top. Can't quite get my head around cutting pieces this big accurately enough to make a nice 10' long glue joint.

[Paul Girouard]

Track saw with 10’ saw guide. Would be a good place tp start.


Then you need to figure out how you’ll flatten the slabs, IF they are wider than surface planer or wide belt sander you have.

Are you looking at live edge slabs?

[Darcy Warner]

SLR.

extra characters

[Michelle Rich]

any circ saw and a straight edge.

[Van Huskey]

Interesting first three options, Michelle's cheap, Paul's sorta expensive and Darcy's expensive route. My first choice in my shop (even if I had a SLR) would be my TS75, depending on the thickness the 160mm saws (TS55, Dewalt, Makita et al) may not have the depth or guts for the cut.

[Jacob Mac]

I would use a track saw of some sort.

[Jerry Wright]

Circular saw and long straight edge followed by top bearing straight router bit and straight edge, followed by dowels for alignment. Works great.

[Terry Hatfield]

Thanks everyone. The slabs are 2.25" thick at this point. The saw mill has their mill set up well so they are pretty flat already. I suppose some sort of router sled is going to be necessary to flatten them and get them below the depth capacity of the track saws? The largest slabs are 30" wide and 11' long. The finished table will be 10'.

[Terry Hatfield]

Track saw with 10’ saw guide. Would be a good place tp start.


Then you need to figure out how you’ll flatten the slabs, IF they are wider than surface planer or wide belt sander you have.

Are you looking at live edge slabs?

Morning Paul. The slabs are currently live edge but I won't be leaving them. Too large for my planer or drum sander.

[Patrick Walsh]

Just get as far through as you can with a track saw then finish with a hand saw. Then clean with something known straight clamped to them and a router bit.

Jerry has the the best approach imop..

Now I would use my track saw, finish the cut by hand then build a sled to flatten then or probably use a hand plane. Then I would setup I feed and outfeed tables on my what is already nearly 12’ 20” extended bed jointer to joint the edges for joining.

A straight edge and a router should be all you need though..


Thanks everyone. The slabs are 2.25" thick at this point. The saw mill has their mill set up well so they are pretty flat already. I suppose some sort of router sled is going to be necessary to flatten them and get them below the depth capacity of the track saws? The largest slabs are 30" wide and 11' long. The finished table will be 10'.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks everyone. The slabs are 2.25" thick at this point. The saw mill has their mill set up well so they are pretty flat already. I suppose some sort of router sled is going to be necessary to flatten them and get them below the depth capacity of the track saws?

The TS55 (probably similar to all the 160/165mm track saws) has a 90* depth of cut around 2 1/8", the TS75 (210mm blade) has a DOC @ 90 of 2 3/4". The whole reason I bought the TS75 (already owning a corded and cordless tracksaw) was for deep heavy cuts like this but probably too much to spend for a one off cut... If you flatten the slabs first you are likely to be in 160mm saw range.

[Mike Cutler]

Terry

My first choice would be to get them to someone with the machinery to handle a large slabs like that. It may actually be cheaper and easier in the end.

Many years ago John Lucas and Bob Marino did a cut just like the one you want to do. They made a photo essay of it that was on John's website.
Essentially they used a track saw and being that it was Bob Marino, it was a Festool, but it didn't have to be. The sequence went basically as follow:
-Rip a clean edge on each of the material pieces of be joined.
-Butt the two newly ripped edges up against each other in the grain orientation you desire and clamp them in place.
- Set the edge guide, or track, up to rip both butted pieces simultaneously. Basically the edge guide will split the two butted pieces of material and the saw kerf will cut a new edge on both pieces at the same time. If everything is setup properly, you should have two edges that butt up to each other and any deviation in off set from 90 degrees will be cancelled.

Mark Singer used this same type of method to rip, and joint, some 12' wenge sections for a table, probably one of his last builds shared here. He did not use a track, or track saw, but used a straight section of aluminum. Same sequence though.

I used Bob and John's methods to cut some 8/4 padauk for a table top. The results were pretty good. It was this cut that maneuvered me to buy a Festool TS75, or get a 10" + circular saw for my EZ tracks.
Any track saw is going to lose some depth of cut running on the track. A 7 1/4" circular saw, on an EZ track will not make this cut, nor will a 8 1/2" worm drive on a EZ track. I know this from experience. The Festools lose less due to the design of the guide rails. I don't know that the FestoolTS55 will do it, but the TS75 will. If you were closer I'd just loan you my TS75 and guide rails.:(

As I said in the beginning, it may be easier, and cheaper, depending on the tools you already own, to find a place to have the slabs milled and joined.

[Darcy Warner]

Interesting first three options, Michelle's cheap, Paul's sorta expensive and Darcy's expensive route. My first choice in my shop (even if I had a SLR) would be my TS75, depending on the thickness the 160mm saws (TS55, Dewalt, Makita et al) may not have the depth or guts for the cut.

One SLR was less than a long guide rail (it is a super nice machine with a new chain and race) one was as much as a ts55 and the other was like two ts75s.

I would be done in 5 minutes though.

[Van Huskey]

If you were closer I'd just loan you my TS75 and guide rails.:(

When I read this I had to check where Terry lives... closer than you but still 600 miles from me.

[Ole Anderson]

Speaking of slabs, check out this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JMchU9neyU

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[Jim Becker]

My first choice would be to get them to someone with the machinery to handle a large slabs like that. It may actually be cheaper and easier in the end..

I agree with this...a wide belt to surface them and a big slider to get you the clean glue edges you want after they are flat. Money well spent for anyone who's shop really isn't setup for working with just large material.

[Darcy Warner]

A widebelt will work, sorta. They need faced, skip planed, ripped one edge, planed close, then sanded.

I haven't met a wide belt that will flatten lumber effectively.

The big 3 head machines with an abrasive head first come close, but it's just a bit better than shoving it through a planer thinking it will miraculously flatten twisted or bowed lumber.

[Jim Becker]

True, Darcy, but Terry did indicate they were already pretty flat so if they can be surfaced reasonably well to an even thickness with a wide belt, they may be workable from there via hand tools and other things he has available in his own shop.

[Patrick Walsh]

I agree.

I use a widebelt everyday and it will kinda flatten wood that is not perfect but not truely flatten.

Like to date we have had a crap planer that leaves terrible snipe and minor undulations. Properly jointed then planed then widebelt then joint two sides again then widebelt gets you a good result.

Your not gonna do that with a big slab though. If thenpiece is 96” x 24” or something like that with 1/8-1/4 of bow or twist your just gonna copy it into the piece with a widebelt. Just like a planer your gonna have to get one side flat to within a 1/16th first from my experience.

Just get yourself a jointer and smoother plane and do it by hand. You will be sore by the time your done but it builds character and is extremely rewarding.

[Terry Hatfield]

Figured I should share some pics of my growing slab collection. All white oak.

These are 24".

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4825/30896253007_627d5a8e2a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/P5cnBn)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/45786794592_4684e8a4f1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2cL2hQY)

These are the ones that will eventually be the dining table top. Center cuts from a 30" x 11' log.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/45928187031_8a67bcf250_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2cYvXTD)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/32057134888_4a10653f57_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QQMcmd)

I love dealing with my local saw mill guy. I get to meet my wood in log form.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/32057136338_b9e80d0e41_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QQMcMd)

Can't imagine how much I would have liked to have brought this entire log home with me but it's more important to remain married I suppose.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/32057133738_f87969eb82_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QQMc1o)

[Terry Hatfield]

As far as working with the slabs for the table top, I'm going to ask around and see who has equipment locally to do the job even though I'd prefer to do it myself. I really don't see me using a tack saw enough to justify the purchase. I've been wanting a big planer for years so I might take that plunge. I've been collecting big boards for a good while. If I decide to get a planer I'll likely trim with my circular saw and flush trim the edges with a router for the glue joint as Jerry suggested.

[Patrick Walsh]

You don’t need a track saw. Just a straight edge “ you can make on jointer” then a router with a bearing bit.

Should cost all of $50..

Oh and a router sled. You can use one of the same straight edges you used for your router sled to straighline the edges for jointing.

Take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt as it’s just my perspective and I get we all come to reason from different avenues often with different objectives. It’s just my perspective suited toward my path to reason and that’s all.

I would not pay someone to do the work as then they did the work. If your building a table out of large slabs much of the work is getting those slabs flat and edge glued together. There is a guy that rents space in the building i work that often does this. He is a older retired guy that just builds for fun. Often he thinks well I didn’t have the tools for that and I’m kinda thinking any of this can be done with a small hand tool set if your so motivated. Every time he does such I think to myself your not really building the piece but paying others to build it. Often our finisher will spray his work. His work is comprised of one off fairly small pieces he could have easily tended to start to finish on his own in pretty short time. Often I wonder if he really wants to even make the pieces he makes or is if his interest moslty lay in the finished product and not the actual making.

I get it different strokes for different folks but if I was just doing something for fun I know I for one don’t want a single nother persons hands on my work. Well that’s pretty universal for me regardless of if the work is for fun or not. When working for money I accept what I have to do based on my boss making money so he can pay me.

[Darcy Warner]

Just need a 30" jointer and a 36" planer.

[Patrick Walsh]

Darcy I do like your style.

It’s practically a must for this job. Might as well let the material acclimate in your shop till your get the above mentioned machines.

Darcy should be able to help you source both for a mere $20K. Compared to that much for one single new machine and of lesser capacity regarding width and I think your doing pretty good ;)


Just need a 30" jointer and a 36" planer.

[Terry Hatfield]

Just need a 30" jointer and a 36" planer.

LOL... True statement but I'm not a live edge kinda guy so these will finish quite a bit smaller than their present 30" width. I believe they would finish out plenty good with just planing.

[Terry Hatfield]

You don’t need a track saw. Just a straight edge “ you can make on jointer” then a router with a bearing bit.

Should cost all of $50..

Oh and a router sled. You can use one of the same straight edges you used for your router sled to straighline the edges for jointing.

Take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt as it’s just my perspective and I get we all come to reason from different avenues often with different objectives. It’s just my perspective suited toward my path to reason and that’s all.

I would not pay someone to do the work as then they did the work.

I get it different strokes for different folks but if I was just doing something for fun I know I for one don’t want a single nother persons hands on my work. Well that’s pretty universal for me regardless of if the work is for fun or not. When working for money I accept what I have to do based on my boss making money so he can pay me.

And there in lies the rub. I would much rather do the work myself. I've never subbed out anything and hate to start now but have never worked with material this size. I will freely take any help I can get to wrestle them though. :D It was all my neighbor and I could do to get them off the trailer and on the bench.

[Neil Gaskin]

I use a rail saw to cut then use the rail as a guide for a router with a spiral straight bit to clean up. A few passes with a jointer plane Makes it almost perfect. I have used just the jointer plane as well.

[Darcy Warner]

Darcy I do like your style.

It’s practically a must for this job. Might as well let the material acclimate in your shop till your get the above mentioned machines.

Darcy should be able to help you source both for a mere $20K. Compared to that much for one single new machine and of lesser capacity regarding width and I think your doing pretty good ;)

The slab craze has made it hard to find large jointers and planers. I have been looking for a 30" jointer for close to a year for someone. My 30" jointer will be the vault on my casket, unless I can track down a 36" machine.

I have two 30" planers showing up next week to go over and get set up for customers who mill the lumber, dry it and want to sell flat surfaces lumber to customers to build this slab craze stuff.

I make good money flattening and planing 30" wide lumber for people. Not everyone wants to do the flatten and surfacing, they want to do the make it pretty part.

I prep it, they do the stuff I dont want to do anyway.

[John TenEyck]

Use what you have; those slabs aren't that big, just heavy. I've done quite a few wider than that with a router sled. 30 - 45 minutes per side and they are flat. ROS from there. Then get the glue edges sort of straight with a circular saw, then dead straight with a router along a straight edge. Not hard and no expensive equipment needed.

John

[Patrick Varley]

When I've done this, instead of getting a perfectly square edge, I've used the trick to cut both sides of the glue line at the same time after butting them together. Can be done with a circular saw and sled or router (in multiple passes). This way if one side of off by a few degrees, the opposing edge should be off by the mirror image and still fit together without issue.

[Terry Hatfield]

The slab craze has made it hard to find large jointers and planers. I have been looking for a 30" jointer for close to a year for someone. My 30" jointer will be the vault on my casket, unless I can track down a 36" machine.

I have two 30" planers showing up next week to go over and get set up for customers who mill the lumber, dry it and want to sell flat surfaces lumber to customers to build this slab craze stuff.

I make good money flattening and planing 30" wide lumber for people. Not everyone wants to do the flatten and surfacing, they want to do the make it pretty part.

I prep it, they do the stuff I dont want to do anyway.

Interesting. I'd love to see those machines in action! What does a 30" jointer weigh? Do you use manpower to move and mill the slabs or do you have some sort of automation? Machines that big are out of the question for me in both size and cost. However, I am strongly considering a 20" or 24" planer. A not exactly local but close enough friend offered to loan his track saw and 12' guide so that piece of the puzzle is solved.

The whole live edge slab thing certainly is the craze of the month/year/decade isn't it? I wanted these slabs because they were wide. The fact that they are live edge is of no relevance to me. I've always bought most every wide board I see. I just love the things even though, as you well know, they present their own set of problems. 15 people have already asked me if I'm putting rocks with blue epoxy in between the slabs. :rolleyes: If I can finish out 20" wide boards from these I'd be thrilled.

[Darcy Warner]

Interesting. I'd love to see those machines in action! What does a 30" jointer weigh? Do you use manpower to move and mill the slabs or do you have some sort of automation? Machines that big are out of the question for me in both size and cost. However, I am strongly considering a 20" or 24" planer. A not exactly local but close enough friend offered to loan his track saw and 12' guide so that piece of the puzzle is solved.

The whole live edge slab thing certainly is the craze of the month/year/decade isn't it? I wanted these slabs because they were wide. The fact that they are live edge is of no relevance to me. I've always bought most every wide board I see. I just love the things even though, as you well know, they present their own set of problems. 15 people have already asked me if I'm putting rocks with blue epoxy in between the slabs. :rolleyes: If I can finish out 20" wide boards from these I'd be thrilled.

My 30" jointer is about 3500 pounds.
I use man power. You can pause in the middle of a pass and that slab isnt going anywhere laying there.

My 30" buss 4l is about 6k pounds, my 36" buss 44 is 8900, my 30" double whitney is 13k pounds.
Couple 24s kicking around as well, mostly other Buss's.

I would love a 36" straightOplane, but they are spendy, expensive to fix and about 18k pounds.

[Terry Hatfield]

My 30" jointer is about 3500 pounds.
I use man power. You can pause in the middle of a pass and that slab isnt going anywhere laying there.

My 30" buss 4l is about 6k pounds, my 36" buss 44 is 8900, my 30" double whitney is 13k pounds.
Couple 24s kicking around as well, mostly other Buss's.

I would love a 36" straightOplane, but they are spendy, expensive to fix and about 18k pounds.

Very cool indeed. I can't imagine that any of those machines are not spendy and expensive to fix.

[Van Huskey]

I would love a 36" straightOplane, but they are spendy, expensive to fix and about 18k pounds.

The 170s usually have something like 120hp between the three motors, right?

Oh and you are going to need a bigger forklift...

[Darcy Warner]

The 170s usually have something like 120hp between the three motors, right?

Oh and you are going to need a bigger forklift...

Pretty close on the HP. The itch heads required more hp than the straight knife ones.

I can use the forklift buddy system.

[Terry Hatfield]

The 170s usually have something like 120hp between the three motors, right?

Oh and you are going to need a bigger forklift...

Wait. 120 hp? Do all the lights dim in the county when one hits the switch?

[Darcy Warner]

Wait. 120 hp? Do all the lights dim in the county when one hits the switch?

My weinig 22al is 170 amps at 480v. 120hp is nothing really.

[Van Huskey]

My weinig 22al is 170 amps at 480v. 120hp is nothing really.

You preempted my cutesy answer about how when you start turning Redwoods into toothpicks you will be sucking all the power down from Chicago and the murder rate will double during the blackout... guess that's more dark than cute.

If you do get one and do the tandem forklift dance a video is mandatory. I also wanna see your kids playing on it like a jungle gym. <the last part was NOT meant to sound creepy, I always think its cool that you post pics on SM of your machines with the kids, it adds a funny layer of perspective.

[Darcy Warner]

They like helping, I like having them around.
Quality time that some day wont be there anymore.

[Martin Wasner]

A widebelt will work, sorta. They need faced, skip planed, ripped one edge, planed close, then sanded.

I haven't met a wide belt that will flatten lumber effectively.

The big 3 head machines with an abrasive head first come close, but it's just a bit better than shoving it through a planer thinking it will miraculously flatten twisted or bowed lumber.


They still don't flatten anything well.

Big jointer, or a cnc. If the material is much longer than 10' you're going to be pretty hosed with the cnc as well. 5x10 is super common, but bigger than that is an oddity.

[Van Huskey]

They like helping, I like having them around.
Quality time that some day wont be there anymore.


Some of the best times of my childhood were with my father in his machine shop. I also enjoyed the times when he was out of the shop and his workers would put me to "work" on machines I had no business running.

[Terry Hatfield]

They like helping, I like having them around.
Quality time that some day wont be there anymore.

This ^^ I wasted most of my children's formative years on trying to succeed in business. Looking back now, they were much more interested in having time with me than having the things. I'm employing my now 32 year old son to help get these slabs properly stacked for drying over Thanksgiving though. :D That'll be some quality time. We'll finish it off with some Advil.

[Greg Parrish]

Never tried this product and realize you can make your own but looks like a slick slab flattening setup with their flattening bit. Might give you some ideas if nothing else.

https://www.stonecoatcountertops.com/product-page/slab-jig

[Patrick Varley]

Never tried this product and realize you can make your own but looks like a slick slab flattening setup with their flattening bit. Might give you some ideas if nothing else.

https://www.stonecoatcountertops.com/product-page/slab-jig

They have a nice thought. But that's tragically overpriced for the design. No easy height adjustment, and the casters allowing easy "north/south" movement seems problematic. Nick Offerman's design from FWW #222 (https://www.finewoodworking.com/2011/09/29/level-big-slabs-in-no-time-flat) is more flexible, and cost me like $100 plus a few hours of work.

[Paul Girouard]

There’s a few different brands of “planer bits” ranging from $20.00 Uxcell brand 2” side cutter , to $80.00 , Whitesides brand four wing 1 1/2” width of cut.

It would seem the Whitesides bit would cut smoother and with less strain on th router due to the smaller section of cut, anyone have one of these wider bits??

I have a Offermen sled and us a Dewalt 3 HP plunger router DW618 IIRC is the big DeWalt plunger router. I‘Ve been using a 1” bottom cutting bit from Grizzly.

TIA so any comments.

[Patrick Varley]

I use the Amana RC-2250 (https://www.amanatool.com/rc-2250-insert-carbide-mini-spoilboard-surfacing-rabbeting-flycutter-slab-leveler-surface-planer-2-2-flute-design-1-1-2-dia-x-1-2-x-1-2-inch-shank-router-bit.html). 1/2" shank, 1.5" diameter. High price of entry, but the insert cutter design pays off in the long run. They have a 2.5" bit, but I don't feel comfortable using it in a handheld router.

[Prashun Patel]

If you are doing this a million times, you'll want something faster than my method:

- Use a track and a circular saw to cut a joint line as deep as each slab will allow.
- Use a hand saw to rip the remainder. This goes surprisingly fast.
- Use a hand plane (#7 jointer) to true up the edge, using a square to check for 90 degrees, and a straight edge to check for local flatness.

IMHO, it's worth it to train yourself to do this by hand. It's not hard if you take your time and will teach you a great deal; I would argue that the biggest joy I've ever had in this hobby was pulling the joint closed on two slabs jointed this way...

Unless the slabs are twisted, I wouldn't take too much thickness off using a router sled. It's incredibly messy, and the few times I've done it, I've had more subsequent movement than on the slabs that I just flattened with a hand plane and jointed this way. Of course, there's a million factors here. So, YMMV.

[johnny means]

This ^^ I wasted most of my children's formative years on trying to succeed in business.

Sigh, what he said.

[Terry Hatfield]

They have a nice thought. But that's tragically overpriced for the design. No easy height adjustment, and the casters allowing easy "north/south" movement seems problematic. Nick Offerman's design from FWW #222 (https://www.finewoodworking.com/2011/09/29/level-big-slabs-in-no-time-flat) is more flexible, and cost me like $100 plus a few hours of work.

Thanks for the link. That looks good.

[Paul Girouard]

Thanks for the link. That looks good.


That’s the article I built mine from. I did order the wider bit that came about after watching the Stone Coat Countertop link.
I got the cheap one , the Uxcell 1/2” shank one.



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I’ll report back when I get to use it , which should be next month. On these Madrone live edge slabs.


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[Terry Hatfield]

Very thankful for my large and strong son to be here for Thanksgiving. He helped me move the stack of slabs from my bench over to the wood storage area where they will reside until they are dry enough to work with. What a project just to move the crazy things!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/46015468221_94c5911a14_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2d7eixK)

[Bill Adamsen]

Just installed a semi built-in desk made of large slabs of red oak.

The planks started at about 2-1/8" thick +/- and finished down to 1-3/4". Each slab was ripped to 15" wide and just over 9' long. Had they been any larger I would have had my local mill joint and plane them - and in retrospect, wish I had. Instead, I man-handled these through all the machining processes using my own equipment (slider, jointer, planer). I estimated that each plank weighed perhaps 100+/- pounds to start and finished at about 85 pounds. Used the slider to initially machine the edges, then hand planed. I think there are many ways to "skin this cat" (so to speak) but the weight (still fresh on my mind) makes me think getting it milled by folks with the proper equipment and setup makes the most sense.

This was a short lead budget job so there wasn't a lot of opportunity for thinking. Finished with GF Endurovar (using a brush) to match some other naturally finished red oak detailing. First time brushing Endurovar and I was surprised at the success. The desktop was assembled using Festool's KD fasteners – the combined anchor/cross connector - and that worked quite well. Chamfers accentuated the joinery. Only regret was that when I got to the end of the finishing I wished I'd made the chamfer larger.

Client is happy.

[Paul Girouard]

I did some straightening of one of my slabs , a small one that’s going to become a shelf in a house I’m building right now.

I used a 2x12 that’s pretty flat. And some cleats that trapped the live edge piece held onto the 2x12.


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It had some twist in it, about 1/2” , so I put 1/4” ply under the two opposite corners to make it flat

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Once I had it trapped where I wanted it I fed the whole works thru the surface planer, taking a strong 1/16” off with each pass until the first side was flat.


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Then once the one side was flat , I just ran the other side side thru taking light passes.



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Once it was flat I attached it to a piece of plywood that I could run against the fence on my tablesaw, to square up and straight line the edge that will be attached to the wall.


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[Terry Hatfield]

Just installed a semi built-in desk made of large slabs of red oak.

The planks started at about 2-1/8" thick +/- and finished down to 1-3/4". Each slab was ripped to 15" wide and just over 9' long. Had they been any larger I would have had my local mill joint and plane them - and in retrospect, wish I had. Instead, I man-handled these through all the machining processes using my own equipment (slider, jointer, planer). I estimated that each plank weighed perhaps 100+/- pounds to start and finished at about 85 pounds. Used the slider to initially machine the edges, then hand planed. I think there are many ways to "skin this cat" (so to speak) but the weight (still fresh on my mind) makes me think getting it milled by folks with the proper equipment and setup makes the most sense.

This was a short lead budget job so there wasn't a lot of opportunity for thinking. Finished with GF Endurovar (using a brush) to match some other naturally finished red oak detailing. First time brushing Endurovar and I was surprised at the success. The desktop was assembled using Festool's KD fasteners – the combined anchor/cross connector - and that worked quite well. Chamfers accentuated the joinery. Only regret was that when I got to the end of the finishing I wished I'd made the chamfer larger.

Client is happy.

Beautiful work on the desk Bill. After moving them for the second time I am quite concerned about trying to mill them myself even with help. I don't even know if there is someone local to me that can or even would do the work and I really hate to farm it out. One thing for sure is that I see now why old men build jewelry boxes. :(

[Terry Hatfield]

I did some straightening of one of my slabs , a small one that’s going to become a shelf in a house I’m building right now.

I used a 2x12 that’s pretty flat. And some cleats that trapped the live edge piece held onto the 2x12.


397335


It had some twist in it, about 1/2” , so I put 1/4” ply under the two opposite corners to make it flat

397334

Once I had it trapped where I wanted it I fed the whole works thru the surface planer, taking a strong 1/16” off with each pass until the first side was flat.


397336



Then once the one side was flat , I just ran the other side side thru taking light passes.



397335


Once it was flat I attached it to a piece of plywood that I could run against the fence on my tablesaw, to square up and straight line the edge that will be attached to the wall.


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I like your methods Paul. Very good plan of attack. I see you epoxied an inclusion. What product did you use?

[Paul Girouard]

I like your methods Paul. Very good plan of attack. I see you epoxied an inclusion. What product did you use?


Some West System stuff left over from making a 1” x 15” x 36’ long curved fascia we glued up with summer.

We laid the first curved beam on the floor with the crane and traced out the radius on the floor.

We ripped 2x6 Clear Cedar to 7/16” thick , and used the wood right angle cleats we use when doing curved handrails.


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We brought the brand new company surface planer right to the jobsite so we didn’t have to have the local lumber yard haul the board around for us. It just fit thru the 15” surface planer.




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Fit perfectly.



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[Julie Moriarty]

Possibly the easiest and cheapest method of tackling big slabs it the router sled. Not only can you flatten practically any size slab but you can create any edge you want.

Some flattening pics
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_031.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_032.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_034.jpg

[Paul Girouard]

Possibly the easiest and cheapest method of tackling big slabs it the router sled. Not only can you flatten practically any size slab but you can create any edge you want.

Some flattening pics
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_031.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_032.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_034.jpg


I have a sled similar to yours, but setting it up and doing the routing on a piece the size I did today, was about twice as fast maybe more than setting up , routing , taking down restoring , and all the sanding I’d have to do.

That why I came up with this idea, which is limited to the size slab a person could do by the surface planer a person has.

I did just get a 1 1/2” bottom cutting bit that I’ll be using when I tackle the larger slabs I need to work on later for the same project.




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[Terry Hatfield]

Some West System stuff left over from making a 1” x 15” x 36’ long curved fascia we glued up with summer.

We laid the first curved beam on the floor with the crane and traced out the radius on the floor.

We ripped 2x6 Clear Cedar to 7/16” thick , and used the wood right angle cleats we use when doing curved handrails.


397365

We brought the brand new company surface planer right to the jobsite so we didn’t have to have the local lumber yard haul the board around for us. It just fit thru the 15” surface planer.




397366


Fit perfectly.



397367



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Wow! That's crazy! Thanks for posting those pics.

[Terry Hatfield]

Possibly the easiest and cheapest method of tackling big slabs it the router sled. Not only can you flatten practically any size slab but you can create any edge you want.

Some flattening pics
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_031.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_032.jpg

http://julimorcreations.com/2220/Kit/Island/Island_034.jpg

Thanks Julie! What bit are you using in the router?

[Darcy Warner]

I am getting ready to set up a 36" facer for a customer, I will shoot some video of it feeding some 30"+ slabs through it when the time comes.

[Terry Hatfield]

I am getting ready to set up a 36" facer for a customer, I will shoot some video of it feeding some 30"+ slabs through it when the time comes.

Cool! I'm looking forward to seeing that.

[Julie Moriarty]

Thanks Julie! What bit are you using in the router?

I use an Amana 45505 mortising bit. It's 1-1/4" in diameter. One thing I noticed is the cuts were much better running parallel to the grain rather than perpendicular but with my setup it was harder to control the sled when running parallel. I knocked down the imperfections with a belt sander then finished with a 6" orbital.

A couple of months later I ran across a video where they used an Amana CNC spoilboard bit, something like a RC-2257. It has a 2-1/2" diameter. Amana does not recommend that bit for a router but this guy had a pretty good extrusion rail setup that gave him complete control of the router travel.

[Terry Hatfield]

I use an Amana 45505 mortising bit. It's 1-1/4" in diameter. One thing I noticed is the cuts were much better running parallel to the grain rather than perpendicular but with my setup it was harder to control the sled when running parallel. I knocked down the imperfections with a belt sander then finished with a 6" orbital.

A couple of months later I ran across a video where they used an Amana CNC spoilboard bit, something like a RC-2257. It has a 2-1/2" diameter. Amana does not recommend that bit for a router but this guy had a pretty good extrusion rail setup that gave him complete control of the router travel.

Interesting! Thanks for the info Julie.

[Kevin Beitz]

All I do with my mill now is slabs. I'm in the process of building a 12 foot X eight foot self powered router sled using a molding head. I made one for my saw mill but it will only do 30" wide. This machine will hang from the barn rafters and will be lowered down with cables right over slab tables. Here is a video of the one I made for my saw mill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZMPOwQP1BU&t=34s&list=PLPmdHS4aWQkarJdxyJX_pwpR0Rtv7vGV_&index=6