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General Category => Tutorials, Techniques and Tips => Topic started by: KarlB on November 20, 2011, 06:20:11 pm
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I recently bought some wood platters from Goodwill (see this post: http://stevedgood.com/community/index.php?topic=7970.0) and want to plane them to 1/4". I also have a lot of small scrap pieces of some exotics and likewise want to mill those.
I have a couple of ideas, but want to get feedback from others.
One idea is to get a piece of 1/4" mdf (or other waste wood) and cut out the small pieces in this and inset them into this jig. Then setup an outside perimeter wall about 1 1/2" tall all around this. Then using an auxiliary bottom to my router and a 3/4" straight bit "plane" the smaller pieces to 1/4". (Probably use double stick tape as well.)
For the platters I was thinking of cutting them in strips on a band saw, joining one edge then either re-sawing to 5/16" and sanding to 1/4" or planing to 5/16" instead and sanding.
Really I'm looking for safety first, maximum use of wood second.
Ideas, tips?
Karl
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Hey Karl, do you have a planer?
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i save thin strips of scrap & glue them to my short stuff. i then run them thru the planer,cut the strips off use them that way
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That's why I asked if he had a planer!
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Yes I have a planer and I'll be using it to plane the longer stock.
It's the stock smaller than, let's say 9 - 10" and they vary in thickness from 5/16" to 3/4" and the shapes are not always straight.
As for taping/gluing smaller scraps to a waste board do you have a problem if an individual piece is shorter than the distance between rollers?
I could see using one board and several thicknesses all taped/glued on and start the planing at my thickest scrap stock then going down to my desired thickness. I guess I should keep all pieces close together in width and length.
(Perhaps this is how you are suggesting?)
Karl
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Hey Karl, Here is what I do when I need to plane stock that is shorter than the distance of the rollers. first you need to have parallel sides, you can do that on the band saw. Rip some cleats approximately the thickness of the board you want to plane. The cleats need to be longer than the distance between the rollers. I usually make them about 12" to 18" long. I glue them to the board with a hot glue gun, placing the board centered between the cleats. Now you have a long board to run through the planner. after you are done planing, just break off the cleats and you are good to go!
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I don't mean to sound insensitive or something, but is decent wood that dear to you guys? I simply can't find enough scrollsaw projects I need to cut to even keep up with the offcuts I make doing other woodworking. I've got about 3 plastic tubs of small pieces of poplar, oak, cherry, purpleheart, jatoba, monkeypod, maple, all kinds of odds and ends. If you can check with a local woodworker's guild and talk to some guys that make larger projects, you could probably find someone to donate a bunch of the off cuts like i am talking about. I have a 15" spherical head floor planer, & I would be afraid to put something like the platters through it. Not worth the risks to me. Now I wouldn't hesitate to run them through the drum sander. If they screwed up in there, no harm no foul.
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When you run out of storage space you can send those cutoffs my way. LOL
Gabby
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I don't mean to sound insensitive or something, but is decent wood that dear to you guys? I simply can't find enough scrollsaw projects I need to cut to even keep up with the offcuts I make doing other woodworking. I've got about 3 plastic tubs of small pieces of poplar, oak, cherry, purpleheart, jatoba, monkeypod, maple, all kinds of odds and ends. If you can check with a local woodworker's guild and talk to some guys that make larger projects, you could probably find someone to donate a bunch of the off cuts like i am talking about. I have a 15" spherical head floor planer, & I would be afraid to put something like the platters through it. Not worth the risks to me. Now I wouldn't hesitate to run them through the drum sander. If they screwed up in there, no harm no foul.
Hey Bill you insensitive #$%@!&! Just kidding! Actually I am a member of a very large woodworking club, and at one time I was getting a lot of scrap wood that came from local furniture makers. The problem was that most of it was 1" to 4" thick and less that 1' long. Great for turning projects but not for scrolling projects. So they would have to be resawed then planed in order to use for scroll saw projects. The technique described above works very well for that.I have a DeWalt 733 bench top planer, and have never had any problem planing small wood like this.
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I read you Dan, and I guess that's one of the places that the drum sander comes in so handy. It can handle a much shorter piece than the planer, and a lot thinner as well. I don't have a problem with using some sort of sled or carrier through the planer, but the image of those platters had me wondering.
Gabby I would send you a box, but I doubt it would be worthwhile with the cost of the postage.
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I don't mean to sound insensitive or something, but is decent wood that dear to you guys? I simply can't find enough scrollsaw projects I need to cut to even keep up with the offcuts I make doing other woodworking. I've got about 3 plastic tubs of small pieces of poplar, oak, cherry, purpleheart, jatoba, monkeypod, maple, all kinds of odds and ends. If you can check with a local woodworker's guild and talk to some guys that make larger projects, you could probably find someone to donate a bunch of the off cuts like i am talking about. I have a 15" spherical head floor planer, & I would be afraid to put something like the platters through it. Not worth the risks to me. Now I wouldn't hesitate to run them through the drum sander. If they screwed up in there, no harm no foul.
Well now Bill you got me thinking a bit after reading your post. I have a couple of reasons for getting the most out of my wood (esp. the exotics).
One is for the challenge of it. I am always squeezing the tube of toothpaste to get the last bit of it. My shampoo sits upside down for quite a while to get the last out of the bottle. I've been known to shake a bottle of ketchup quite hard to get the last of it. (Yes, my Mom taught us to add a bit of water! ;D ) And finally at lunch I clean my yogurt container so well with a spoon, you'd think I used a finger! So what I'm saying it's fun to see how far the wood will "stretch".
Another reason is cost. Right now I buy very little wood. My finds at Goodwill is my first purchase of hardwood of any kind in quite a long time. I got quite a bit of rips out of one piece that will make a number of key chains, ornaments or letter openers, etc. I have been given purple heart, yellow heart, walnut, and redwood burl as well as others. I would never have bought them on my own considering the price. Other woods I've scrapped from work so again free. I haven't sold any of my work so I can't re-coup my purchases if I were to buy wood. (When I do sell my work, it will be priced as if I did buy the wood so I'm not unjustly undercutting others who have purchased the wood.)
I also like to see my small key chains in as many species as I can put together. It looks neat seeing all the different looks the species give. (Unfortunately I will have a hard time parting with some of them. ::) )
Well sorry for being long winded, but you did make me think of my motives and I appreciate the chance to examine them!
Hey Karl, Here is what I do when I need to plane stock that is shorter than the distance of the rollers. first you need to have parallel sides, you can do that on the band saw. Rip some cleats approximately the thickness of the board you want to plane. The cleats need to be longer than the distance between the rollers. I usually make them about 12" to 18" long. I glue them to the board with a hot glue gun, placing the board centered between the cleats. Now you have a long board to run through the planner. after you are done planing, just break off the cleats and you are good to go!
Thank you Dan for the advice. I'll try that
I will say I also have a large belt sander at work. I used the band saw, joiner, table saw and belt sander this morning to take one of my finds and got a number of boards out of it!
Karl
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Oh and by the way Bill. Since I see you are just a bit north of me, maybe I'll come by and pick up those scraps when you're ready to part with them! ;D
I've never seen or used jatoba or monkeypod.
Thanks again!
Karl
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I have developed quite a skill at using a belt sander to get small pieces flat with out skinning my knuckles. I also have mad spindle sander skills for even smaller pieces. Remember I love making jewelry so even Karl and gabby would throw out pieces I save ;)
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i too hate throwing any wood away. i get scraps from a cabinet shop & they have a lot of thin
strips in the scrap. i keep a five gallon bucket full just for small stuff. the people that use mdf
would have a fit if they saw how much of that stuff goes to scrap bin every week. i dont use it
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Different strokes for different folks! The situation often determines the perspective. I am as tight fisted as most. I got the majority of my hardwood last year in a stroke of luck deal while buying the planer (also a steal). I also hate to scrap anything, and that is why I have the tubs of shorts and pieces. I just don't have any room to keep storing it. Besides, when I put it out of sight in a tub, I forget about it and next thing you know there is another tub going into a shed I will forget about! Still, I have to admit I have odd pieces piling in the corners of the shop which I know will wind up stored somewhere because I can't bear to let it just go.
How about a new reality tv show, "Wood scrap hoarders!"
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My husband says I am a packrat......Maybe! but whenever he needs a scrap of wood as a shim or whatever I always have it. I cringe when people throw out perfectly good wood. Have two neighbors building house. I have already been by to claim their scrap wood piles.
When I scroll and have bits and pieces left (I have some really tiny pieces) I put them in a box for later use..............Here's one thing I plan on doing with the scraps. I do mosiacs! I plan to make a couple of trays and mosiac the inside bottom with these scraps of wood. My grout will be sawdust! Another idea is random puzzle pieces also can be used for the bottom of trays or as keychains or ornaments. The possibilities are endless.
Chels
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Hey everyone: For a long time the ONLY wood I threw away was "SAW DUST". Now thanks to an e-mail, I keep the pine saw dust also. A piece of pine wood thats 3/4 by 3/4 by 1" long, I turn into 12 - 16 petals for making wooden roses. Waste not want not. Even the side cuts from doing that can be turned into "Fire starters" with a paper cup and some candle wax. I camp A LOT. Sometimes to get away from the wife, mostly to get away from the world. "Of broken blades" ! LOL
Vince