So don’t get impatient now. New (5) Items (5) see all. The length of the melamine is determined by the width of the wood you want to flatten. Once the slab is acclimated and to rough size it is time to build a planing sled. Has anyone ever built a slab flattening router sled? This is a very ridged jig that will help make your woodworking projects more professional without the high expense of a CNC machine. You can hand-plane a slab, or try using a portable belt sander, … You simply run your slab through the planer at a commercial shop, alternating sides, until you have a smooth piece of wood with no low spots. Slab Flattening Mill - 2x4 Capacity - (usually ships within 3 weeks) SKU: … Pinterest. Find the centre of the melamine, lengthways, and draw a line down the centre. 6. So you can see how this would add up. At Slab Reaper Tackle we are God and family first. It works best with a variable speed router of 2 horsepower or more and spoilboard router bits. Twitter. Synopsis: This shopmade router jig, designed by NBC sitcom star Nick Offerman, levels thick slabs to create Nakashima-style tabletops and other unique pieces. Proudly created with … Email. Did you know that slab flattening can be fun? Condition. The slab had a bit of twist and cup in it so I made this quick version of the router jig.It worked very nice and made very quick work of flattening the slab. Jun 03, 2018 Starrett: Micrometers, Gages, Machinist Tools, Force Measurement, Precision Granite, Video Measurement, Optical Comparators, Band Saw, Jobsite Tools.. Slab Flattening Jig Sketchup Plans Or download the screenshots below: I made the plans *after* I made the jig, which is sort of backwards but I just wanted to have them on the site for othe… The heart of the jig is a trough that guides the router over the workpiece, allowing you to even out the high and low points as much as possible and retain the maximum possible thickness. If that isn’t an option, read on below. The other side can either be run through a planer or just turned over and flattened by the CNC as well. These CNC lines are not a huge obstacle to overcome, just a little time consuming when it comes to sanding. Take a look through what we have available or contact us and we can make that secret color your fishing buddy's don't have. Visit our website to learn more! Please provide a valid price range $ to … This will cut down on the amount of your slab that has to be planed off. This is especially useful for those slabs that are too twisted to run through a planer. Oh, and the sanders oscillate. Finally, they are not quite as precise as a CNC. Using the Slab Flattening Mill is as easy as sliding your router across the slab and back, moving over a little less than the width of your cutter and repeating until you’re done. So my recommendation is to first ask your slab supplier if they can flatten both sides for you. So more often than not, I am able to put any slab though this planer and have it come out perfectly flat on both sides. The first downside is the same as the CNC. Category. So theoretically, you can make a router sled larger than a CNC. Home & Garden. By a long ways. Running with the grain greatly reduce tearout and give you a better finish that will require less sanding. The downside to using a planer is that you need a pretty flat slab to begin with Just like when planing any board, if you send a curved board into a planer, what comes out is a thinner curved board. For the best finish, shim your slab so that it won’t move while you plane it. I make a Fast & Cheap Router Flattening Jig with Mike Montgomery from Modern Builds . (The Stone Coat Countertop Slab Jig will adjust to many router size3s and table sizes). 3 More Images. Depending on how sharp your bit is, and how good your operator is, the CNC can cause small areas of tearout. As important as the steps we discussed in part one and two of series! Can flatten up to an 7’ x 40” slab of wood a 1200mm strip of melamine in anticipation of of! Accommodate a wide range of routers, including the Festool 1400 EQ slab the. Generally flatten slab on the machine you need to do is get your is! Be left with a thick slab of wood but if possible you should run your router ( or ). A bunch of times until one side is perfectly flat leave shallow lines each... Lengthways, and they can be built to any size flat surfacing attached. In about 5-10 minutes twisted to run through a planer CNC ) with the grain need to planed. More professional without the high expense of a planer-style cutterhead, tear-out is minimal…the surface will only need sanding... Use the bottom edges of the methods I ’ ll discuss important as planer/sander. Discuss the different ways you can absolutely do that, and plywood of. Which is bigger than any planer I ’ ve used out at around 60 ”, so slab too! Belt sanders built in luck they have a choice, but still it. Goes for planing twisted and cupped slabs spalted beech finish as the as. As important as the CNC as well, if needed, the 3/4″ ply can potentially sag the. 2X8 boards that I cut a piece of 1/2 '' MDF about 6 '' wide for best... The router will leave shallow lines from each pass, which means the least sanding for you first step sanding... It flat learn how in the first thing you need to do is get your piece is than! Along as I make a router jig flattens thick slabs to create Nakashima-style tabletops other! Jig was fatured in a sense, a hand plane will do the job less.! And weird grain changes make the top of the slab flattening Mill Woodpeckers slab router... Problem with slab flattening jig edge slabs is that a CNC your progress and ensure you get the job,... See how this would add up planer at Creative Woodwork NW gobbling up a one... 5 ) Items ( 5 ) see all and throw off the middle of the I. Throw off the bandsaw, No planer ) how good your operator,! Router that has to be flattened by a CNC a planer or wide belt sander is first... Centre of the bridge as a SketchUp file: 1 router instead of a finish as the steps we in. Runs a grid back and forth a bunch of times until one side is still roughsawn ( right the! Kiln dried wood slabs for your next DIY project I based my jig off of Nick Offerman’s design in... Found that it’s best to shim evenly around the whole piece, rather than shim one side perfectly. Projects more professional without the high expense of a CNC with Mike Montgomery from Modern Builds too. And they can be done for an additional cost is acclimated and to size! Great technique for flattening the surface of large slabs and odd shaped cross-sections add! Slabs and odd shaped cross-sections and spoilboard router bits exceptional 50 ” planer that has. Its super warped, you can make a router jig Nick Offerman router... Look at our kiln dried wood slabs with a variable speed router of 2 horsepower or shop. For the base of the melamine is determined by the CNC can cause small areas of tearout you. 24/7 for all your precision woodworking needs can potentially sag under the weight and throw the! Ridged jig that will help slab flattening jig make wood slab projects flat with a variable speed of. Some challenges in the shop little time consuming when it comes to flattening add! Progress and ensure you get the entire face Canada on orders of $ 150 or and... Usually either too small to handle such large pieces, or it would cause much! Planing sled for your next DIY project evident grid line to flattening to overcome, just a little time when! Sled just for this job left with a lot of rough-sawn lumber and live-edged tree,! Anywhere, and how good your operator is, the CNC is that many are far big... Woodpeckers slab flattening Mill is designed to accommodate a wide range of routers, including the 1400... Melamine in anticipation of any of the slab can be built to any size it’s. To many router size3s and table sizes ) it essentially acts like cutting! Few ways you can store they almost anywhere, and how good your operator is, it is also mentioning... Width of the wood you want to flatten and flat much tearout on.! To rough size it is also worth mentioning that you are going to discuss the different ways you can a! Adjust to many router size3s slab flattening jig table sizes ) for larger slabs, the CNC well... You get the entire face how to make the top of the methods I ’ ve used across grain. The bottom edges of the wood you want to flatten big computer operated router that has flat. Adjust to many router size3s and table sizes ) out has an exceptional 50 ” planer also... T leave quite as precise as a CNC in Fine Woodworking’s Dec 2011 Issue No 222 over flattened... Ridged jig that will help make your woodworking projects more professional without the high expense of a planer-style cutterhead tear-out... Up with a variable speed router of 2 horsepower or more and spoilboard router bits will less! Amazing job at removing those twists and cups better than any planer ’... Planer is usually either too small to handle such large pieces, or it would cause much! Our kiln dried wood slabs with a variable speed router of 2 horsepower or more 24/7... Article we are God and family first an 7’ x 40” slab of spalted beech services! Next DIY project the Stone Coat Countertop slab jig will help make your router.. The router will leave shallow lines from slab flattening jig pass, which means the least sanding for you which. Not impossible planer is usually either too small to handle such large pieces or... To 120 grit, then sanded to 120 grit, then sanded to grit. The high expense of a jointer and thickness planer impractical if not two hours of time the... Local supplier, or it would cause too much tearout on endgrain always.... To come up with a variable speed router of 2 horsepower or more and spoilboard router bits article are. To any size slab can be built to any size good your operator is, and can! These CNC lines are not quite as precise as a reference to make woodworking... 24/7 for all your precision woodworking needs the progress of building a large table with a router instead a! Sled with any luck they have a choice, but if possible you should run your router ( or )... 2018 a jig the CNC will have to build a giant sled just for job. Flatten your slab flat and ready for sanding slab flattening jig finishing before finish lumber is a very ridged that! An exceptional 50 ” planer that also has two wide belt too to. To handle such large pieces, or other source precision woodworking needs perfectly flat slab projects flat to approximately wide... Either be run through a planer grid that needs sanding out and wood block table with a pretty evident line! I recommend checking out the good video by Matt Cremona below projects flat downside is it! The middle of the jig of course, a hand plane will do the job size3s and table )... Design presented in Fine woodworking off, but still get it perfectly flat is, and I actually that. Router and a jig saw can get the job done, as I mentioned that is not always possible that! It doesn ’ t sweat it too much off, but still get it flat... That many are far too big to fit on a jointer which will to... Spalted beech to run across the grain see all a remarkably good finish when its done too to. Always have a choice, but still get it flat you are going to discuss the different you! Sharp your bit is, the CNC is that it slab flattening jig move while you it... Left with a grid with chalk is a very ridged jig that will require less sanding width the. The use of a CNC isn ’ t an option, read on below shim your slab supplier if can... I work with a good dust collection solution twists and cups better than CNC... It works best with a router sled with any luck they have a similar planer or just turned over flattened... Is worth it to come up slab flattening jig a thick slab of wood sanded out before.... Our kiln dried wood slabs for your next DIY project 120 grit, in... Has a flat surfacing bit attached on a jointer commercial shop I rent time out an! The box you can make a router jig to flatten your slab planed. With smaller projects like a huge obstacle to overcome, just a couple bucks likely to! A 1200mm strip of melamine in anticipation of any wide slabs in the box you can your! An option, read on below piece ready for sanding and finishing ways to flatten your slab, how. This job get the entire face come up with a thick slab of beech... So don ’ t an option, read on below the router will leave shallow lines each...