Shopsmith Forums

Steve,

Thanks for posting. Don't get me wrong, jointer and planers are expensive, but they are fast for this work. If budget is a concern, I can certainly see going the router sled way, but it has to be much slower to complete the same operation compared with a jointer & planer. IF the stock is particularly warped, bowed, cupped, perhaps your method with router sled + planer is faster in the long run than multiple passes through planer and jointer to get the same result? It looks like your base is plywood. Is that correct? Do you have any method to keep the 2 L channels in the same plane left to right? The L channels will be very straight and dimensionally stable along their length, but without orthogonal supports to stiffen the plywood between them then potentially you could end up with high/low spots on the finished top surface of the board being surfaced. Just something to keep in mind. Glad this is working well for you.

twistsol wrote: ↑Wed Mar 26, 2025 4:32 pm Woodcraft has a very good description of how a jointer works and how it can be used to straighten a board , flatten it or square an edge. you can see it at the link below.

https://www.woodcraft.com/blogs/cabinet ... ndamentals

I don't like the advice this guy gives about hand/finger placement or the photos that accompany that advice.

Agree. Not sure why he still has all his fingers.

Glad I searched and came upon this posting, recently acquired a standalone SS planer and wife is wanting me to build a potting bench from some rough milled red cedar she got at a yard sale. I've made sure the planer is tuned up and working properly but needed to make sure I was aware of the proper techniques needed.