Planing to 1/8 Thickness

[RangerJay]

The first time I saw the need for 1/8 inch material I started to sweat wondering how to do this. I seemed to recall (but couldn't find) that my planer manual had dire safety warnings about planing to anything less than 1/4 inch.

I did try re-sawing to close to 1/8 inch and then bringing it down the rest of the way with a belt sander - but I wasn't good enough with the belt sander to get a uniform thickness.

So I went ahead with an experiment to use the planer.

I've done it several times now - pine, walnut, cherry and elm.

Nothing too serious has happened but I have noticed that tear out seems to happen more frequently and with more consequence (deeper, larger). So I now spend a whole lot more time considering the consistency of the grain, seeking pieces that are cleaner (i.e no knots - even tiny ones - or other imperfections in the grain), paying more attention to the direction of feed and making sure I'm planing longer and narrower pieces.

What do others do? Am I doing something I shouldn't?

Thanks,


Jay

[Steve_S]

I do this quite frequently since my 12" band saw isn't the best on sawing the wood parallel. I use a piece of 3/4" MDF under the thin stock to keep it flat.

Learning to read the grain really helps. I find it is easier to read it on the board before cutting it down and draw arrow on the thin stock right after or before the band saw.

If the wood is a real keeper and could damage itself in the planer, I put a sacrifice piece just a bit thicker on the MDF in front of it with blue tape. The sacrifice piece has to be long enough to get past the first roller and to the knife, which in my case is about 3".

I've gone thinner, but the risk of it exploding inside the planer goes up.

Make sure you don't store it near a window where the sun can get to it. It will most always curl on you. Then you have to take it outside and let the sun bake the other side until it returns to flat.

[Rolf]

I also do it all the time on my Dewalt 735. 1/8 is really, as you have discovered, very critical. I wiped ot a new set of blades because a piece of cherry detonated on me.
Eventualy I will buy a drum sander for the thin stuff. Something like this (not the sand flee style)
Jet 10-20 Plus Drum Sander

[Tenfingers 2]

I thickness sand wood for many hobby woodworkers I know. Ask around or maybe join a club.
Before I got my sander I had boards thicknessed by a cabinet shop near me. They did it because I know the foreman. Since I got my sander they refer people to me because it's a money loser for them. I'm not in it for the money, so I have people buy the abrasives so it dosen't cost me, and I give the time and use of the machine.

[WoodCarverOH]

Rolf,
I agree planing that thin even with a backer board is dangerous.
I have the Jet 16-32 Plus Drum Sander and have safely done 1/16 in thick material for inlays.

[Bill Wilson]

I've gone down to 1/8", but the pucker factor goes up exponentially. It pays to closely examine the grain and texture of the board for potential problems (knots, wild swirling grain) first. But even that isn't a guarantee. Probably the safest way to plane very thin boards is to double back tape them to a carrier sled and take very light passes.

[RangerJay]

Thanks for the tips and the cautions.

I don't think I would care to imagine what a piece of cherry destroying a set of blades might sound like ......

A thickness sander is not in the near future - but there is a local Fix-It club that I can look into so maybe with a bit of luck they might have one. In the meantime - I'm glad I'm not the only one doing it - but will examine the grain even closer - and take even finer passes than I was already doing.

Thanks,


Jay

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Bill Wilson

I've gone down to 1/8", but the pucker factor goes up exponentially. It pays to closely examine the grain and texture of the board for potential problems (knots, wild swirling grain) first. But even that isn't a guarantee. Probably the safest way to plane very thin boards is to double back tape them to a carrier sled and take very light passes.

I agree with using double face tape. I have planed down to less than 1/16" to

make stock for book markers this way. The key is to have a very good bond to

the sled with good quality double faced tape. I always use clear red oak. For

safety I make VERY LIGHT passes and NEVER EVER stand

directly in front of my planer.

[Northerner]

yeah, just use a thick board that is planed flat and double face tape your board to it and then just start planing down your new board. just hang onto your old board as a 'jig'

or build yourself a planing sled as described below

Woodsmith Tip: Planer Sled

[oregoncarver]

I plane down to 1/8 using a backer board with the board taped down to the backer as well. I also take on boards like maple I spray a little mist of water on the board being planed. It seems to help reduce the tear out a lot.

Arthur