Yes, the router method can work if you use the proper bit.
The result won't be perfect smoothness but some scraping and sanding will get you where you need to be.
You can test out this method and decide if you find it acceptable without much of an expenditure. The crossbars
and base to which your router is attached must be without flex. With a bit of jig ingenuity you could probably do
rough thicknessing on a tablesaw also.
-tommy
Hey Brian, Congrats on your in print contribution in American Lutherie!
Thank to the good advise I got here I have now decided that instead of the Planer /thicknesser I will instead go for a drum sander {as we call them over here in Europe}.
Not cheap either but I also was toying with the idea of making my own rolling pin version--see a lot of them on you tube but a little worried about accuracy.
tippie53 wrote:The power planer is not the best for acoustics as it tends to destroy wood at the thickness we need in acoustics A thickness sander works best.
I've had some luck with my Ryobi planer by using double-sided tape (the kind of tape that Woodcraft sells for turners) to attach the piece to a sort of "carriage" board. This board is 1-1/2" (36 mm) thick, with slots cut into it at regular intervals so that I can use a butter knife to gently separate the work from the board. Using this system, I've been able to plane down to 2 mm in thickness without anything exploding. You do have to be very careful, as the action of the knives alone will tend to lift the work up. So I measure each pass and lower the cutters by mini-smidgens each time.
I've heard of people using a high-tack carpet tape with good results, but you'd be wise to experiment before using your good stock.
One drawback is that my planer is only good for up to ten inches (240 mm) wide, so I have to do all this before jointing the plates and gluing them together.
tippie53 wrote:The power planer is not the best for acoustics as it tends to destroy wood at the thickness we need in acoustics A thickness sander works best.
I've had some luck with my Ryobi planer by using double-sided tape (the kind of tape that Woodcraft sells for turners) to attach the piece to a sort of "carriage" board. This board is 1-1/2" (36 mm) thick, with slots cut into it at regular intervals so that I can use a butter knife to gently separate the work from the board. Using this system, I've been able to plane down to 2 mm in thickness without anything exploding. You do have to be very careful, as the action of the knives alone will tend to lift the work up. So I measure each pass and lower the cutters by mini-smidgens each time.
I've heard of people using a high-tack carpet tape with good results, but you'd be wise to experiment before using your good stock.
One drawback is that my planer is only good for up to ten inches (240 mm) wide, so I have to do all this before jointing the plates and gluing them together.
Yes, anything larger than 10 inch planer gets very expensive. I think I may go for a drum sander to get started--already have a bandsaw and belt/disc sander--so if theres anything left in the kitty-which I doubt very much--I might still try get myself a nice little planer
I have a fairly large amount of experience with planers - I have been using a DeWalt 12.5 inch for years. It is a two knife type. I would caution you and echo the others who said that this kind of machine is ok for general woodworking but definitely not for tone woods - planers will tear out the board. Instead, what you need is a sander. I made one (I have a small machine shop, but there are kits available) that is 24 inches wide, powered by a 1/2 hp motor. On the ends of the shaft that powers the 24" drum I have a 4 inch drum sander for sanding curves, and on the other side, a sanding mop. The main tool though is a drum sander with a flat platen that could be used for thickness sanding.
btberlin wrote:I have a fairly large amount of experience with planers - I have been using a DeWalt 12.5 inch for years. It is a two knife type. I would caution you and echo the others who said that this kind of machine is ok for general woodworking but definitely not for tone woods - planers will tear out the board. Instead, what you need is a sander. I made one (I have a small machine shop, but there are kits available) that is 24 inches wide, powered by a 1/2 hp motor. On the ends of the shaft that powers the 24" drum I have a 4 inch drum sander for sanding curves, and on the other side, a sanding mop. The main tool though is a drum sander with a flat platen that could be used for thickness sanding.
bert
Wow that sounds like some machine you have there Bert. Feel free to post a pic anytime. Thats interesting that there are kits out there as well for a sander --must have a look out for one of them. When I mentioned to a friend who is a carpenter - unlike myself-- about building one he seemed to think the accuracy could come into question . Whats your opinion on that ?
Seen and used one of these thickness sanders a couple of months back. It's on my shopping list for the future! At its price range I don't know if there is a comparable product on the market for the home woodworker.
