Turning your rough boards into lovely smooth ones

[Peat]

I'm just now starting to process some of the 1st boards I milled with my Alaskan. I've got myself a big 1000w belt sander and i've been using it today on some big Sycamore boards that someone is buying off me me for their kitchen. Its taken about 4 hours of sanding on these 2 boards and they aren't finished yet. This is partly due to being inexperienced with the mill and getting a rough finish in places, especially at the beginning and end of the cut. Need to get some 40 grit belts.

 

Now i'm wondering about the sense in cutting big through and through boards like I often see posted (and like i've been cutting). I'm thinking that if I was to cut straight edged, narrower boards I could rent a mates planer thicknesser for a day and get loads of boards done in the time it takes me to do one with the sander. Also it would be flat and paralell, which is very hard to accomplish with a belt sander.

 

So i'm wondering what techniques people on here use? Do some of you then rip up your through and through boards and put them through a thicknesser? Any other tips or tricks?

 

Cheers

Pete

[SteveA]

Good questions Pete - looking forwards to hearing some answers for this. Cheers

[carpenter1]

I put mine through the thicknesser

 

Depending on width if I rip them up through

[se7enthdevil]

if they need raised areas removing then use an electric hand planer then go over it with 100 grit and refine.

[agrimog]

split your full width boards down with a thin kerf blade on a table saw, then you can run them through a planer, re-asemble them with either biscuits or a spline, finish with a light sand, saves a lot of grief

[GreenGui]

Thicknesser where ever possible given width issues. Love doing that job...

[alex_w]

Hi,

 

I just sell mine as they are. Most customers process them themselves and wouldn't expect them smooth. They are most interested in moisture. I don't think you would recoup your investment in time in sanding or planning yourself.

 

If you need some planed for personal use then try a timber merchant or joiner and pay their hourly rate for machining.

 

Alex

[Ukulian]

I'd follow Steve's advice re the hand planer, then go 60, 80, 120 grits.

 

Planer/thicknessers over 12" are hard to come by in single phase, so unless you have access to 3 phase you'll have to bear with it for the wider boards.

the alternative is to square edge them, plane them and joint them. Can make interesting patterns if you bookmatch.

[PeakOakFrames]

We use a Makita KP312 planer that uses disposable type knives but planes 312mm wide. We use it for planing oak and doug fir/larch beams before converting into timber frame buildings but it could be used to smooth out very wide boards before sanding to a finish. Not cheap though, you could get a startrite table saw and a cheap thicknesser for the same price but it takes up a lot less room.

[se7enthdevil]

I'd follow Steve's advice re the hand planer, then go 60, 80, 120 grits.

 

Planer/thicknessers over 12" are hard to come by in single phase, so unless you have access to 3 phase you'll have to bear with it for the wider boards.

the alternative is to square edge them, plane them and joint them. Can make interesting patterns if you bookmatch.

 

 

Peat, check out ebay for a 240v one and you should have some joy.