[RickKr]

Continuation of making (more) Kapla blocks. I first tried to use the two remaining split treads from the ladder. All was going well until I resawed them to pre-planing thickness before planing them to width, making them too thin to plan for width (see photo). I discarded them at first and went of with making a much larger batch out of a very nice, clear, straight grained Douglas fir 2x4. Almost was a shame to use it for this.

So, after slicing and planing up the nice 2x4, I came back to the discarded tread strips and thought I could salvage them if I ganged them together and pinned them so they could not tip over in the planer. I am posting to ask if this is a feasible and safe thing to do. Photo shows the groupings I plan to do. The two groups of six are just convenient groupings for pinning with 1/4" dowels on the ends. The small group of three have rounded corners, on one corner, and those corners need to be trimmed/planed down to finish width, prior planing each strip to thickness.

I plan on pinning each group laterally near the ends with 1/4" dowels and leave a little sticking out of each side. This is to prevent individual strips from tipping over while going through the planer. Any reasons why I should not do this?

Rick

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

Doweling them together should work okay. Sticking them together with hot glue would probably also work and the hot glue isn't that hard to get off after. I often use an old sink cutout with my planer for small stuff. You attach a cleat on the underside on the in feed end so that it stays put. The laminate surface is slick and flat so little pieces go through pretty easy that way. You could attach blocks to a piece like that (plain mdf is also slick and flat) that the stacks run between. Slot one side an inch or so so that you can move it enough to keep the stack together.

They look wide enough that you could use a small clamp on either end but I've only done that with 6" and wider or maybe 4" and wider. My planer will do 2x10s on edge so that leaves lots of room below the head for that option.

 

[Bob Adams]

I would make a sled from ply. Use hot glue to form a "U" shape frame from scrap. The "U" will keep the stock from tipping and prevent kickback. You can add wedges to prevent any side to side movement. Using hot glue will allow you to move the frame for last 3 pieces.

 

[Stick486]

Doweling them together should work okay. Sticking them together with hot glue would probably also work and the hot glue isn't that hard to get off after. I often use an old sink cutout with my planer for small stuff. You attach a cleat on the underside on the in feed end so that it stays put. The laminate surface is slick and flat so little pieces go through pretty easy that way. You could attach blocks to a piece like that (plain mdf is also slick and flat) that the stacks run between. Slot one side an inch or so so that you can move it enough to keep the stack together.

They look wide enough that you could use a small clamp on either end but I've only done that with 6" and wider or maybe 4" and wider. My planer will do 2x10s on edge so that leaves lots of room below the head for that option.

I'd hand plane 1 edge and glue line rip to thickness...
dress plane if need be ripped sticks.. by hand or machine...

joiner 1 edge and glue line rip to thickness...

substitute joiner 1 edge and glue line rip to thickness...

carrier ply...
add a piece of scrap for a cross stop to hold the pieces to be planed... glue or screw it into place...
add a piece of scrap to either side of the pieces to be planed to hold the pieces vertical... glue or screw them into place...

 

[difalkner]

I've done that with blue tape on each end and it worked just fine. The stack remained in formation until I took the tape off.

David

 

[RickKr]

Great ideas. Thanks. I had forgotten about using a sled. I've never used a sled, just was told about it by my pattern-maker friend, year or so ago after I got the planer.

Rick

 

[mgmine]

Looks like you have a 735 planer. Using the same planer I do edges all the time. I don't do anything special and have never had one fall over. I gang them together or do each one separately with the same result. I have found that when I used a jointer (don't anymore) I was constantly having to go back and joint all the edges because one or two boards had to be redone and in order to get them all the same width there was no other option. When you put them all through at the same setting they all come out the same width. There is a problem if the bottom edge isn't square or if the board has a bow in it but otherwise it's the fastest way to go.

 

[DaninVan]

Just curious, Rick; you mentioned that your nominal size is 5/8" x 1" (x 4 1/2"). Did you rip the 2 x 4 into 2 - 3/4-" x 3 1/2" planks first, then rip those into 1" strips? If so, wouldn't it have been easy to take a 1/8" cut of one rounded edge first, before ripping the rest to width? Or do you run out of necessary material width in order to get that last strip?

 

[DaninVan]

Never mind; you had already answered that question...
https://www.routerforums.com/genera...-problems-encountered-solved.html#post2096659

 

[JOAT]

I made a couple of planer sleds long ago for doing things like that. I stack the stuff in on the thin edge, then if not enough to get to the side, put in some small pieces of wood, then clamp it all in with the cam clamps built in on one side. No fuss, no mess. Then plane down until everything is the same width.

The cam clamps were taken from some cam clamps I had made way before, then modified to fit in my planer sleds. Two clamps on each sled. Hmm, might even have a picture of one - but don't count on it. Still got the sleds tho.

 

[Herb Stoops]

I do the same on the drum sander on a sled.
Herb

 

[RickKr]

I do the same on the drum sander on a sled.
Herb

After this project, I wish I had a drum sander. A buddy (350 mi. away) has one and I was wondering how much use he might make of one.

I had the "bed" of what I called a "side-car-crib" that I made for my daughter/granddaughter thickness sanded by a commercial shop. Their drum sander was huge, could take at least a 3 ft wide piece, maybe bigger. I was impressed.

At this point, I cannot justify the cost or the space for one, but it is now in the back of my mind.

Rick

 

[Herb Stoops]

After this project, I wish I had a drum sander. A buddy (350 mi. away) has one and I was wondering how much use he might make of one.



I had the "bed" of what I called a "side-car-crib" that I made for my daughter/granddaughter thickness sanded by a commercial shop. Their drum sander was huge, could take at least a 3 ft wide piece, maybe bigger. I was impressed.



At this point, I cannot justify the cost or the space for one, but it is now in the back of my mind.



Rick

I use the drum sander on every project I make, it is a very handy tool. Once you get one you will always wonder how you did without. It also allows you to do projects you would not attempt before. I used a belt sander on the job and at home most of my life, but the drum sander is a whole different world. You do have to have a Dust collection system to use one though, so that is down the road for most beginner wood shops.
Herb

 

[JOAT]

At this point, I cannot justify the cost or the space for one, but it is now in the back of my mind.

There are a lot of plans on line for making drum sanders.

 

[DaninVan]

I have a stack of 2x4x2' SPF offcuts sitting outside the Family room patio door. It was supposed to be firewood but you know, maybe I'll rethink that. I think there must be at least 80 lin. ft. in the pile...that's 8-10'ers. Even if only 50% is clear lumber that's still 40 lin ft.
I think I got 40 tiles out of a 2' piece that I did that trial run with so that's what, maybe 800 tiles?

I hope it rains... (shop time!)