Flattening a Chainsaw Milled Slab | DIY Router Sled

[@cabman86]

My brother ground the point off a 2" forstner bit and uses it for flattening. It worked!

[@williamjones6053]

Builds router sled ..has more lumber in it than a 🏠...hired two people to move sled...but has quality tools ..another Makita pro here ...great video

[@michael.schuler]

Good economical flattening jig. Regardless how fancy your router sled or how perfectly straight your main support rails, an absolutely essential element in the setup is to be sure that the rails are in plane with one another, i.e., not in winding (twisted). If your setup fails in this regard, the result will be generally flat work pieces, side to side, but with a twisted face, end to end. You can either use winding sticks or a reliable level to assure that the rails are co-planar. I happen to have a digital level, so I am able to accurately achieve this planar result, even if my rails are not truly level. But you can achieve an excellent result with careful use of a standard level.

[@oneofthosepeople2101]

Call me the wonky sawer! 😅 Thanks for the video. ✌️

[@diowk]

your lumber levelers are an amazing idea! so many times in our shop when we assemble, we glue up a piece and stack it, glue up a piece, stack it, etc. the glue dries while on the stack so if it isnt flat then the installers get angry because they get warped gables or something. this is such a great solution.

[@CommercialForest]

Timely video! Live edge slabs & slab projects are very poplar now. Unfortunately, many people take it for granted that every slab, regardless of size is flat as a pancake. Rarely is that the case. "How can I get this flat?" is not a question you want to start thinking about after the purchase.😉 Your router sled jig is something every slab woodworkers should have in the shop.

[@CommercialForest]

GenealogistWoodworker One of the worst abominations i’ve ever seen in the lumber business involved a 30” x 40 inch long buckeye burl slab turned into a coffee . Possibly one of the most spectacular slab specimens I’ve seen in my career - completely covered in dense burls, almost no open inclusions, wild colors running from copper to black to silver to tan. Basically everything you look for in an A+ grade buckeye Burl. Someone just dumped a ton of epoxy all over it and ruined it. Epoxy was uneven, turned yellow from UV exposure, bug holes were appearing as live bug bore through the Epoxy from inside. I think some people think rustic = anything goes. Not true! 😆

[@mauroheck1]

Great video. Thank you. Have been planning to build one for years. The time has come.

[@johnpoole699]

Wow.....that slab was cupped just like the one I just flattened. I used a 3/4 inch bit and it turned out very well.

[@NewtonMakes]

Yeah I hit a lot of metal and it threw off my cuts a bit. But it's all good now!

[@johnathanryan8140]

Decent router sled design, but the only problem that I see with it is that you ar planing the work piece perpendicular to the direction of the grain. Its not crucial but it definitely makes for a better finished product if you go parallel with the grain. Just a little advice, I learned this by trial and error unfortunately because my first sled was a cross grain design as well. My slabs look much better now that I have it setup to run parallel to the grain direction... Happy woodworking Sir, Good Day!!

[@kellybartok50]

You said get in my shop and build something awesome, I am working on awesome stuff but it seems like I spend most of my shop time waiting for glue to harden , and paint to dry , always something holding me back , but you can’t rush a good thing ha ha ha ha .

[@tjohnson7001]

If you add a vaccum floor attachment under the vac attachment you have you might capture alot more. Just a thought...

[@NewtonMakes]

It might! I'll have to consider that next time I use it. Good idea.

[@timothyplumley8316]

Can you use a version of that last jig on your flattening table, so you don’t have to use wedges and shims to level the piece prior to the flattening operation?

[@sorte18]

I really thought the wood was 100% guaranteed to warp as it dries out, so flattening it was something to do only after it is dry. Apparently, that is not the case... Thank you - learning is good!

[@johnathanryan8140]

You should definitely flatten your slabs once the drying process has completed or at least very close to completion because your slabs absolutely can still warp or twist after they've been flattened if it still has a high moisture content. Really depends on the species of the wood that you are using ie. Madrone/Arbutus is highly prone to warping and twisting during the drying process. So in the end personally I would say to always dry your wood before you plane it. It would be very upsetting to spend all kinds of time flattening your work piece only to come back to it once its dry and find it warped or twisted and have to completely go over it again.

[@cabman86]

I hit a railroad spike that was embedded in a log once. Lost 6 teeth on my chain.

[@aam21spsl]

Why was there metal in your tree?

[@NewtonMakes]

I'd say it's unusual not to find metal in urban trees. People nail into them, trees grow around items on the ground or on fences. I've found bullets too.

[@Bscott-390]

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