New Tool!

[jigsue]

I have never done much intarsia, because of the difficulty of cutting up the pieces of wood etc. However, today we secured our latest toy on e-bay. A De-Walt planer/thicknesser. We are picking it up tomorrow. I am already working out how to make jigs and the like to thickness small pieces of wood. Hubbie wants it for his boat project (hence a big DeWalt and not the little table mounted job I would have bought)

Watch this space!

Sue

[Tor]

Congrats. You will have fun with what you now can do with that tool. Would you like us to go over the tips again for you?

Tor

[workin for wood]

I'm curious what is a small piece of wood that you would be making a jig for? Hopefully you won't be trying to plane pieces after they are scroll cut. I would not plane anything under 10" long, and I would not trust any jig to plane anything much smaller than that, especially if it is an irregular shape. I think chances are that if you were to try that, you probably won't get hurt, but the planer will likely suffer damage.

Oh..after re-reading I edit. A bigger planer is even more power and usually has a larger minimum size that is safe to run through it. Thus, I say the danger factor is increased big time with small pieces to both the planer and your personal safety. A small planer, the little piece explodes inside causing damage to the blades and possibly the head of the machine, but not much kicks out at you if any at all. The larger planers are less likely to stall during the explosion, which still damages the blades and the head, but also kicks shards of wood out all sides of the machine. The wood actually becomes like shards of glass and propels with some serious speed. There is alot of force and power being exerted on a piece of wood regardless how big or small the planer. Nothing short of screws into the sides of a small piece could possibly hold it to a jig. Double stick tape would be useless, as would even hot melt glue. You don't want to use metal fasteners of any kind of course, as you have a risk that they will get into the machine, like say if the piece still explodes. This whole post of mine of course based on the assumption that you might try anything that I'm thinking you might be saying. Stick with planing boards.

[jigsue]

I would only plane boards and only prior to cutting, but my hubby (an ex-cabinet maker), reckons he has thicknessed smaller pieces utilising a kind of jig. Once I know how we do it, I will explain. He has been working with wood for 40+ years, has many of his original tools and all digits on both hands, so I cannot imagine he would do anything dangerous.

Sue

[thecopperfish]

Congrats on the new tool Sue! I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Chris

[lucky788scroller]

I am thinking he wants a sled so he can get one side flat before flipping the board to get a perfectly even, flat board.Planers are noisy, can be messy, but very much worthwhile, I love mine. Dale

[michaelK]

Sue are you referring to a sled? Its usually used to make thinner boards than you can safely plane without it. It normally is a piece of wood the width of your planer with 2 rails on either side and a cleat in front so the wood can't move forward, its kind of like a sandwich where you are only removing wood from the top half, the rails are sacrificial as they get planed as well. Still the other points of safety are a good warning, really thin stock is probably best done with a thickness sander.

I'm glad your husband has all ten digits. I was kind of freaked out by my 7 digit high school woodshop instuctor.

[bearfretworks]

Congrats Sue, that is a GLOAT!!!!

[jigsue]

Well, I had a play tonight and WOW! Why did we never have one before? I was amazed, I hate sanding and with some of the wood I have picked up (I don't really like paying for it, so I get it where I can) I have spent hours and hours trying to get boards even and smooth. This takes minutes.

Of all the tools hubby has convinced me as "being a necessity", this is probably the only one I would agree with. (I have never used the lathe, I certainly do not use the circular saw, I don't like the bandsaw too much and as for the table saw and the big router, they scare me half to death)

I am off to the local joiner's shop tomorrow for more of his offcuts and, once I finish the couple of pieces I am working on at the moment, there will be no stopping me!!!

Sue

[f250]

Nice, there is just something really special about playing with a new power toy, I love it!