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Thread: Working with big slabs...

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,638
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Cutler View Post
    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.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #17
    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.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,638
    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.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #19
    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.

  5. #20
    Figured I should share some pics of my growing slab collection. All white oak.

    These are 24".





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





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



    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.

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  6. #21
    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.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  7. #22
    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.
    Last edited by Patrick Walsh; 11-17-2018 at 6:48 PM.

  8. #23
    Just need a 30" jointer and a 36" planer.

  9. #24
    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

    Quote Originally Posted by Darcy Warner View Post
    Just need a 30" jointer and a 36" planer.

  10. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Darcy Warner View Post
    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.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  11. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Walsh View Post
    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. It was all my neighbor and I could do to get them off the trailer and on the bench.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Eastern KS
    Posts
    406
    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.

  13. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Walsh View Post
    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.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,599
    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

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Posts
    313
    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.

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