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Thread: Fool-proof flush-trim method?

  1. #1

    Fool-proof flush-trim method?

    I can't get the plane to work with the oak I use that has grain in whatever direction. Card scrapers don't work for the same reason, but also there's no way to control depth.

    Using the router and a flush trim leaves a bearing groove. At any rpm or bit or router I have. Maybe they're all dog crap and have balance problems?

    I think using a router with a jig like this only works if the ply is perfectly flat.

    Using a table saw and an aux fence like this only works if the ply is perfectly flat.

    I suppose my next step would be to buy a new router and bit and see what happens.
    Last edited by Robin Dobbie; 07-15-2018 at 9:44 PM.

  2. #2
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    Well, lipping planers are really good. But you're talking upwards of $700. Me, I carefully use a flush trim bit (the kind with the bearing in the tip) in a palm router. It works most of the time. You might need a new sharp flush-trim bit.

  3. #3
    Wow those are neat. But yeah, that's a bit much for me. Saw a Lamello and started getting the feeling I got when I bought the Domino. Clicked away immediately. Whew.

  4. #4
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    What router bit are you using? I have flush trim bits that leave no marks at all.
    Lee Schierer
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  5. #5
    What I've just done for my current project is get the edging trimmed to less than 1/16" with the table saw and an aux fence, then using the router and bit I have trim as flush as it would get. For some reason the A face of the ply would not trim flush. Although the A faces of this ply weren't getting bearing indentations, so that was nice.

    I was able to finish with a card scraper gently pulled along. No bending the card with the thumbs, just keeping it flat, and the majority of the scraper over the plywood as a guide, but almost all of the pressure at the edge. Most of what came up was powdery. I believe if I got aggressive enough to make shavings it would tear or take too much off the paper-thin veneer. I actually went ahead and did that, on the bottom panel, luckily.

  6. #6
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    Planer

    I never used that but I imagined a lunch box planer or even a heavy duty one could help.

    If you have to trim in a single side a flat piece, just use the opposite face from trimming as the reference and pass the piece thru the planer. If you have to trim both sides, support one of the sides temporary with a flat piece of wood in order to have the surface as reference and trim the opposite side followed of other side after remove the support.

    It looks simple and "fool proof".

    All the best.

  7. #7
    This is a plywood project, and it's thin and a bit warpy so using the planer is out. I have edging on all four corners, so even if the ply was perfectly flat and the veneer not paper thin, the planer wouldn't like one of the two orientations of edging. A drum sander would be nice, though. Someday.

  8. #8
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    How about a spiral flush trim bit?

  9. #9
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    Use a laminate trim router. They are manufactured for this purpose as well as thinner edge strips. It has an independent and adjustable guide wheel that leaves no marks. I have done actual thousands of metres of trimming this way when working in a shop that refused to replace the edgebander that would not trim accurately. Cheers
    Every construction obeys the laws of physics. Whether we like or understand the result is of no interest to the universe.

  10. #10
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    This is an easy job for a hand plane.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by mark kosse View Post
    How about a spiral flush trim bit?
    The cut isn't the problem, it's the bearing sporadically indenting the veneer. I've seen larger flush trim bits, so they may be less likely to cause damage due to the larger mass being more difficult to imbalance, and the force being spread over a larger area?

    Quote Originally Posted by Wayne Lomman View Post
    Use a laminate trim router. They are manufactured for this purpose as well as thinner edge strips. It has an independent and adjustable guide wheel that leaves no marks. I have done actual thousands of metres of trimming this way when working in a shop that refused to replace the edgebander that would not trim accurately. Cheers
    Can you go into more detail? I thought laminate trim routers were just *smaller* routers? I'd love to see a video of this guide wheel in action. I just spent 10-15 minutes looking at offset bases and various brands but my google fu must be at white belt levels.

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    This is an easy job for a hand plane.
    I've seen people use hand planes to trim edging. But I don't understand hand planes well enough to be that careful with them. I only have one plane and I haven't flattened the bottom. I think that could be why I have difficulty with it randomly grabbing too much.

  12. #12
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    It’s grabbing because you’re hitting grain reversals. The fix is to prep and set the chip breaker. I set it closely for work like this, very closely.

    Also, the blade needs to be quite sharp.

    This is the tip of the iceberg, indeed, but working it out for this will provide much insights to later use.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  13. #13
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    If this is edging you have cut yourself, it is worthwhile to take the time to select straight-grained stock so you do not encounter the grain in "whatever direction" in the first place.

    A fine wood file, skewed and held at a slight angle to the surface of the plywood, will do the trick. Taking light passes, you can approach in whichever direction is the most convenient.
    -- Jim

    Use the right tool for the job.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    It’s grabbing because you’re hitting grain reversals. The fix is to prep and set the chip breaker. I set it closely for work like this, very closely.

    Also, the blade needs to be quite sharp.

    This is the tip of the iceberg, indeed, but working it out for this will provide much insights to later use.
    I've spent almost $200 on sharpening supplies, but I still haven't gotten or made a honing guide. I was able to get shavings from a hand sharpen, but I think this kind of thing could use the guiding touch of a honing accessory. Plus I still need to flatten the plane sole. It's a contractor-grade Stanley and it's quite dished. And I need to make a new tote. So hand plane is out for this project.

    Quote Originally Posted by James Morgan View Post
    If this is edging you have cut yourself, it is worthwhile to take the time to select straight-grained stock so you do not encounter the grain in "whatever direction" in the first place.

    A fine wood file, skewed and held at a slight angle to the surface of the plywood, will do the trick. Taking light passes, you can approach in whichever direction is the most convenient.
    That's always a good idea. Sometimes hard when I have panels like the ones I'm working with that are 52" long. There's going to be at least something going on along its length.

    All my files are made out of metal, but I'll keep an eye out for a fine wood file!

  15. #15
    Whenever it's practical I like to over cut the dimensions a tad, then use my jointer and/or table saw to trim to the required size. Otherwise I use a trim bit with a bearing at the bottom, or my route table with the bearing over the cutters. I use Whitside bits because they are quality tools, if that's useful for you.

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