Planer sled steps to proper use

[Brian Runau]

Ok, I have a little Dewalt 735 lunch box planer. I built a 8ft x 11.75" planer sled out of melamine. Put a cleat at one end. I set up support on the infeed and out feed side due to the length and melamine sags like a wet noddle when not supported. Lumber I am using is cherry milled on a portable sawmill. Pretty good size saw marks, but at least 4/4 to start.

Piece I am trying to mill is a little over 7ft. Normally don't mill lumber this long. So I laid the cupped side down and it had a 5/16 gap on on edge at the end. I shimmed it so the gap was split between both opposite ends. I shimmed it on both side in the middle and in the middle of that on either side. Hot glued the shim to the lumber and sled.

Trying to not be to aggressive in my passes, but make it worth my while, lugging this back and forth.

My first effort I got the top side flat, but the thickness in the middle was only a 13/16". Seemed to eat up a lot of material. When I shim I try and be careful not to raise the piece more than it is already off the sled.

Appreciate any insight.

Thanks.

Brian

[Jacques Gagnon]

Brian,

Any chance your long sled bent at mid point (i.e. both ends sagged at bit), which would push the board up into the cutter, hence your thinner section?

Regards,

Jacques

[Dave Zellers]

It seems like you are very close to the math you describe here. Splitting 5/16" is 5/32" on each corner. If your board was an inch thick to start and you were left with 13/16", you lost 3/16 or 6/32" which is only 1/32" more than would be expected and that could easily be explained by the heavy saw marks you described.

[Jacques Gagnon]

Dave,

Your comment calls for clarification from Brian. I am under the impression that he is working with a piece that is 4/4 and just trying to plane to even thickness.

[Brian Runau]

Brian,

Any chance your long sled bent at mid point (i.e. both ends sagged at bit), which would push the board up into the cutter, hence your thinner section?

Regards,

Jacques

I am just trying to flatten one side. It could be it bent, even with supports, Technique could have been off. Dave Is also on point, maybe I did better than I think. Thanks brian

[Dave Zellers]

I am just trying to flatten one side. It could be it bent, even with supports, Technique could have been off. Dave Is also on point, maybe I did better than I think. Thanks brian

If you did flip it over and run it through, you do have a chance of getting 3/4 out of this board.

Jacques- Yes I assumed the same.

In the future tho, it would be best to come to final thickness by slowly working both sides before making the final pass on each side.

[Brian Runau]

If you did flip it over and run it through, you do have a chance of getting 3/4 out of this board.

Jacques- Yes I assumed the same.

In the future tho, it would be best to come to final thickness by slowly working both sides before making the final pass on each side.

Dave: I do not understand how I can flip a board and do both sides partially on a planer sled. I am under the impression I need a flat side before I can work the other side? thanks brian

[Dave Zellers]

Dave: I do not understand how I can flip a board and do both sides partially on a planer sled. I am under the impression I need a flat side before I can work the other side? thanks brian

Usually at about 80% you can flip it and run it through the planer without the sled. As long as the planed areas have good purchase on the platen the whole way.

[Mark Rainey]

Brian, some thoughts. I have planed 6 foot board ( 12 inch wide ) through the Dewalt 735 successfully, but it was quite an experience. A little over 7 feet long
is quite the challenge. I use melamine board for shorter boards. A 7 or 8 foot melamine board plus a 7 foot cherry board is quite heavy. For the 6 foot boards I just used 1/8 inch tempered hardboard as my sled...a lot lighter. As long as you have a flat surface for your hardboard, once
the hot glue dries, the distance between glue and sled is fixed as it passes under the planer blades. I do not use shims - the hot glue work as shims. Check out Phil Thien's sledhttps://www.jpthien.com/ps.htm.