Lack of progress, planing jig

Hi,

Apart from the rain - it's pretty constant at the moment - I've realised that trying to plane anything on a B&D workmate is nigh on imposible. So, I've started to build a planing jig. So far, I have the base which is 18mm thick MDF with 2 strips (well 4 really that make up 2 layer) of 18mm MDF and then 20mm aluminium corner on top of that as the rails.

The sled will be 18mm MDF with a centre channel cut out, it will have some of the 20mm aluminium corner on the side edges for reinforcement.

I'm wondering 2 things:

1) will my router be too heavy for the sled?
2) The final heights of my rails at various points along are slightly different, will this really matter? i.e. how accurate are your planing jigs? Mine are out by .20mm or round abouts. Probably not a problem really.

Thanks,
Luke.

Does the sled flex under finger pressure? If yes, I'd get something else for the sled.

.2 mm across the breadth of a guitars surface is plenty accurate.

If your router is so heavy it flexes the sled, you'll have serious issues trying to get a flat surface. You may be able to strengthen the platform by attaching rails to it. These can be either a more substantial chunk of wood or for better results some aluminium box tubing.
My router planer base is 1/4 acrylic, which even my lightweight router would flex if it wasn't strengthened. I made a simple box arrangement where all the stiffness is carried by the walls rather than the platform itself.
You wouldn't need to be as elaborate as this if you're using a thicker base than I have, but you can see the idea.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h323/kamerawerk/2012%20Challenge/DSC_7867copy.jpg

I agree with R. Stratenstein. 2mm would be an issue, but 0.2mm is not really worth getting worried about.

Here is mine, FWIW. It's built to free-stand on a table or be clamped into my workmate :smile:. The sled now has stops installed as I have nicked the pvc pipe a couple of times, but these pvc cut-offs are quite cheap (at Home Depot at least :wink:) Works smooth as glass and can plane to a closer tolerance than I can build to :lol:. Win ,win :grin:



https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6Jybcho1Pb0/T2J71cGq-xI/AAAAAAAAA_I/CNQfL38vLaQ/s800/CD1351.JPG



https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xg_R7IKX33o/T2J72-cd0XI/AAAAAAAAA_c/teFEfcLW1xM/s800/CD1353.JPG



https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yZP3r8WVUVk/T2lDnPYQDkI/AAAAAAAAA_4/-YNqzGK_MlU/s800/CD1355.JPG

Does the sled flex under finger pressure? If yes, I'd get something else for the sled.

Only a very tiny bit and that's with a lot of pressure from my arm, but that's without the slot cut - yet to try that. This is why I was going to try the aluminium corner to stiffen it up, i.e. screwed from the bottom and the side.

Thanks,
Luke.

If your router is so heavy it flexes the sled, you'll have serious issues trying to get a flat surface. You may be able to strengthen the platform by attaching rails to it.

I know, if the aluminium doesnt work, then I'll try some pine around the sled instead.

These can be either a more substantial chunk of wood or for better results some aluminium box tubing.

Or that :grin:

My router planer base is 1/4 acrylic, which even my lightweight router would flex if it wasn't strengthened. I made a simple box arrangement where all the stiffness is carried by the walls rather than the platform itself.

Acrylic s expensive and hard to get hold of here really, not from diy shops anyway. I had to buy an A4 sized 6mm thick piece for the router table and I'm still not too sure on how flat that is yet :cry:

I agree with R. Stratenstein. 2mm would be an issue, but 0.2mm is not really worth getting worried about.

Yeah, that's what I was hoping.

Thanks,
Luke.

Here is mine, FWIW. It's built to free-stand on a table or be clamped into my workmate :smile:. The sled now has stops installed as I have nicked the pvc pipe a couple of times, but these pvc cut-offs are quite cheap (at Home Depot at least :wink:) Works smooth as glass and can plane to a closer tolerance than I can build to :lol:. Win ,win :grin:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6Jybcho1Pb0/T2J71cGq-xI/AAAAAAAAA_I/CNQfL38vLaQ/s800/CD1351.JPG


I think I'm going to look into the PVC pipes again, couldn't quite see the right size when I looked last.

Thanks,
Luke.

Works smooth as glass and can plane to a closer tolerance than I can build to :lol:. Win ,win :grin:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6Jybcho1Pb0/T2J71cGq-xI/AAAAAAAAA_I/CNQfL38vLaQ/s800/CD1351.JPG


What diameter are these pipes? B&Q only have around 25mm diameter piping, unfortunately.

Luke.

Here's how it looks right now...

Cutting the strips for the rails to sit on, I've had to use 4 strips to get the right length across the board.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7528222098_6932b0416d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11385838@N06/7528222098/)
MDF strips (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11385838@N06/7528222098/) by lucretia9000 (http://www.flickr.com/people/11385838@N06/), on Flickr

One rail complete:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7528223022_c4ef80f71f_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11385838@N06/7528223022/)
Planing jig with 1 complete rail (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11385838@N06/7528223022/) by lucretia9000 (http://www.flickr.com/people/11385838@N06/), on Flickr

Both rails, body blank and a piece of mdf (not the actual sled) riding the rails:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7528223416_ffa8d41e4e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11385838@N06/7528223416/)
Planing jig with body blank (http://www.flickr.com/photos/11385838@N06/7528223416/) by lucretia9000 (http://www.flickr.com/people/11385838@N06/), on Flickr

What diameter are these pipes? B&Q only have around 25mm diameter piping, unfortunately.

Luke.
The pipes on mine are 2" (50.8mm) ID, sched 40 PVC pipe, 2' long. Here, that is a common size for drain-vent pipe (common drain sizes being 2",3" and 4"). Burst pressure is 280psi (not normal op pressure). These same sizes (different composition) are sold for electrical conduit and will work as well.
Sorry for assuming here, it's just that we have a major pvc pipe producer generally close to me and they ship world-wide so I assumed it would be common :oops:

What diameter are these pipes? B&Q only have around 25mm diameter piping, unfortunately.

Luke.

Try a Plumbers supplies shop - like The Plumb Centre.