Using a router to joint the edge is doable on a router using either a router table or handheld router.You Tube Video Except for a router sled for flattening/planning I don't know of a way to joint the wide side. An over the top/expensive sled
Jointing with a router
1 - 20 of 31 Posts
You can use a router to joint a narrow edge close to the height of the bit. But use a half inch shank because there will be a lot of lateral force against it.
The key is to use a split fence with the outfeed side slightly (1/16th) forward of the infeed side. If the wood is bowed, you feed it with the tip of the U toward the fence. If you use the outside curve, you will simply reproduce the curve.
There are numerous advantages to using roughsawn material, including being able to resaw and plane to exact thickness. Having just priced a long precut chunk of Cherry, and as a hobbyist, I'll go for the roughsawn, thank you.
To start sizing a roughsawn piece, I'd start with a jig to hold it in position and run it through the table saw, using a glue line rip blade (Freud industrial brand, full kerf) to give it one straight edge. I happen to have a jointer so I'd index that straight edge to the fence and flatten one side (up to 6 inches wide). From there, I'd use a planer to get a parallel flat on top. Then the table saw to finalize width.
Or if I were going to resaw a 7/4 piece, I'd do the flat edge first for the base, and joint one side to reference the fence. And there are fairly simple jigs you can use with small wedge shaped shims you use to stabilize the rough cut as you pass it through a planer. This will give you a nice flat wide surface up to 12 inches wide. Then you can proceed to resawing. Or use the planer to flatten the other other wide surface.
There are many options for those who are not doing production work and have to mind their budgets. And there are a lot of us who enjoy the entire process and have time to indulge ourselves. Budget wise, do it yourself lumber milling might allow you to use a better roughsawn wood variety than buying something already dimensioned. And of course, not everyone lives within workable distance from a good mill. I'm lucky, my supplier is only 60 miles away, and I have a long bed pickup.
You most certainly can buy your lumber from lumber yards and get nice, straight dimensional lumber. But you can't expect to find more than one straight, unwarped, flat, not bowed or twisted piece out of any dozen you check.
For those who relish hand tools, a #6 or #7 jointing plane will also do the job. But get a good one and set it up carefully, including back flat and sharpening the iron. I have and love using a #6 WoodRiver V3 jointing plane. Sweet, but the motorized jointer is easier, and so is the planer sled for the wide stuff.
![399301]()
Below is a picture of a planer sled: This is fancy and has a T track and clamp to hold it at the end. You can just use a small block attached at the end of the jig that's lower than the thickness of the piece you're working on. Make this jig as long as you are able, and be careful to feed it into the planer as level as you can. A roller support may be helpful.
![399300]()
Here's a video of the table saw jig for cutting a straight edge.
I hope this is helpful.
The key is to use a split fence with the outfeed side slightly (1/16th) forward of the infeed side. If the wood is bowed, you feed it with the tip of the U toward the fence. If you use the outside curve, you will simply reproduce the curve.
There are numerous advantages to using roughsawn material, including being able to resaw and plane to exact thickness. Having just priced a long precut chunk of Cherry, and as a hobbyist, I'll go for the roughsawn, thank you.
To start sizing a roughsawn piece, I'd start with a jig to hold it in position and run it through the table saw, using a glue line rip blade (Freud industrial brand, full kerf) to give it one straight edge. I happen to have a jointer so I'd index that straight edge to the fence and flatten one side (up to 6 inches wide). From there, I'd use a planer to get a parallel flat on top. Then the table saw to finalize width.
Or if I were going to resaw a 7/4 piece, I'd do the flat edge first for the base, and joint one side to reference the fence. And there are fairly simple jigs you can use with small wedge shaped shims you use to stabilize the rough cut as you pass it through a planer. This will give you a nice flat wide surface up to 12 inches wide. Then you can proceed to resawing. Or use the planer to flatten the other other wide surface.
There are many options for those who are not doing production work and have to mind their budgets. And there are a lot of us who enjoy the entire process and have time to indulge ourselves. Budget wise, do it yourself lumber milling might allow you to use a better roughsawn wood variety than buying something already dimensioned. And of course, not everyone lives within workable distance from a good mill. I'm lucky, my supplier is only 60 miles away, and I have a long bed pickup.
You most certainly can buy your lumber from lumber yards and get nice, straight dimensional lumber. But you can't expect to find more than one straight, unwarped, flat, not bowed or twisted piece out of any dozen you check.
For those who relish hand tools, a #6 or #7 jointing plane will also do the job. But get a good one and set it up carefully, including back flat and sharpening the iron. I have and love using a #6 WoodRiver V3 jointing plane. Sweet, but the motorized jointer is easier, and so is the planer sled for the wide stuff.
Below is a picture of a planer sled: This is fancy and has a T track and clamp to hold it at the end. You can just use a small block attached at the end of the jig that's lower than the thickness of the piece you're working on. Make this jig as long as you are able, and be careful to feed it into the planer as level as you can. A roller support may be helpful.
Here's a video of the table saw jig for cutting a straight edge.
I hope this is helpful.
1 - 20 of 31 Posts
