Flattening Boards with a Router Sled

[@tatkinsful]

Finally! Someone who thinks about the guy who just can't afford all those high-priced tools. Not everyone has those type tools they use! Thanks a LOT !

[@davidburns9580]

Nice job, no excess music, no big intro, no endless and unnecessary 'how-to' footage, just good - solid information! Compliments to the chef (or wordsmith ... or shop rat ... or whatever you call yourself) ;>)

[@jadebagwell1232]

thank you for your clarity simple set up quick, effective no commercials, lousy music, or flashy transitions! perfect

[@billbee235]

Man this video is 8 years old and I just discovered it. Huge shop saver.. Built a 24” sled for the router and picked up some poplar to practice. I milled it down to 1/2” for drawer fronts and they came out awesome.

[@justsaying...2808]

Talk about heaven sent. . .I just happened to find this video today, the very day that I decided a project I was working on was not flat enough. I don't have a joiner and don't plan to buy one. I've tried to find a commercial business in the area to flatten my slab but so far no luck. But I have a router and the bit and will give this method a try. Thanks Matt, you saved the day for me.

[@roberttill3787]

A flat bit is good for early passes over the workpiece, but the final couple of passes i would use a bull nose style cutter that will not leave an edge on the surface. I would also take thinner cuts as the process advances, as this will also leave less marks and deformity on the workpiece surface. I would also firmly fix the side rails to a base to stop them moving about, then clamp the base to your workbench. All in all your basic idea is sound, but i think a bit of thought could fine tune it immensly. Good video!

[@СашаМакаренко-э1х]

*I just finished building the handrail on my deck **MyBest.Tools** and used this great little router to clean up the top rail before the final sanding and stain. It was light weight but packed lots of power. Either size battery didn't seem to make it top heavy and I'm a 64 yr old women so I really appreciated how easy it was to use...................... CORDLESS only way to go !!*

[@shawnr771]

Thank you. This is simple and easy to set up. I am a novice with a router. This looks like a very good and safe way to handle a router. I cut tree trunks into slices about 2 inches thick with a chain saw. Some of these are up to 4 feet in diameter. I needed a way to flatten them as a finished product. I believe this will work great. Thanks again.

[@guyh.4553]

Simple set-up. Like it. One thing that would help you is after find the final depth is to take your router off &see how deep it is. Then you back off the depth & make multiple passes to get to your depth then go another 1/16th inch deeper to ensure everything is equal. Plus it doesn't work your router as much, especially 1/4" routers. Plus with 1/4" routers, use a smaller diameter bit. Just something I've learned

[@guyh.4553]

Nice demo. 4 things for your sled. 1) Add "guides" to the underside of your sled. It keeps it straight and reduces the skips. 2) In addition to the shims, hot glue the work piece to bench to completely eliminate slippage. 3) Lengthen your rails to the full of your work bench so you can clamp all 4 ends. Again, reduces/eliminates slippage. And 4) Put wax paste on the sliding side of the sled. Let's your router slide more easily. Great video though. 👍👍👍

[@arthilliker3721]

Thank You so much !! I'm making a HUGE cutting board for a friend and needed to see how this process is done !! Clear, easy and to the point !! Thanks again so much !!

[@DA-uz8qb]

Excellent tutorial. No frills and very informative. Well done. Gonna use your model to build one for myself!

[@angelika77st]

Thank you so much. I did not want to have to buy a planer. This helped a lot. Good job

[@戎晨轩]

Thanks for the technique. I tried to plane a portion of a big slab to serve as the base for leg mounting. Unfortunately a trimmer router is all I have, and I probably had set the depth too much for one pass and it ended up different dept across multiple passes. My take away is run a few times with shallow cut.

[@SunriseAt2008]

Love your videos! They are simple, understandable and doable for a hobbyist without access to very fancy or expensive equipment. Thank you so much for taking your time to create these videos!

[@DIYTyler]

Nice Matthew Cremona you present in a much simpler way the the other router sled videos I have seen.

[@mcremona]

Thanks, *****! I like simple!

[@gls9902]

Good video, quick, to the point, with no useless self aggrandisement about things we don't want to hear. Thank you very much! I select a FLAT surface to work on, my table saw. There was still a rocking on your first piece after your pass on the first side, even after you removed the "glue." A detail scraping or sanding of your assembly table would be in order. I would also clear the work surface, my table saw, of any debris (you did not) before proceeding to side two. Air compressors and shop bench brushes are great and fast at that. The sides of my jig, made of Baltic birch ply for greater precision, are only two inches high providing ample rigidity, enough to hold the router base securely on the jig, they do not get in the way and allowing for dust/debris collection.

[@mc4kvb]

I love the ease of your explanations. I am a beginner in woodworking. I’m 65 in about a month and just getting started in woodworking. So I am trying to learn any and all tips that are available. I have a hand planer but joiner. I’ve learned a lot from you and your videos so I truly am grateful that you explain things slow and understandable, no offense to anyone. If I would have seen this video before I made my Christmas gifts it would have saved me a lot of time and trouble, long story. Happy New Year and thanks again.

[@mcremona]

Thank you Becky!

[@PapaJoeWalsh]

Great job! I don't have either a planer or a jointer, but I do have a router. Might need to get a bigger straight bit, which I think will be worth it. Thanks for posting a clear, helpful, no-messing-about video!

[@mwpinnc1]

I agree with David. I couldn't have said it any better. You are always very clear and practical.

[@mcremona]

Thank you!

[@garthingram]

This is an outstanding video. Simple and inexpensive this is the only way to tackle wide live edge slabs!

[@ChuckCoy]

Jointer and planners are costly. This is a great work around. Thanks

[@jaycoy59]

Don't be Coy:)

[@deamn7965]

Excellent demo! Searching around youtube for 2 hours and finally your video gave me the answer! A great low-cost setup to flatten larger surfaces. Thanks Matt

[@mcremona]

Awesome to hear!

[@sickwilly1171]

I have a jointer and planer, but i made this type set up on my work bench. So nice to be able to flatten large projects simply. Little time consuming but not bad. The first time i used it, I said, "Hell ya. Opened up some doors for projects. 👍

[@SheAndMe]

Nice tutorial! I have a live edge slab that has a twist in it and I’ve been watching other videos on how to flatten, but they gloss over the specifics on making a router sled right down to a bit size suggestion. This was very clear and understandable. Thank you.

[@m.l.648]

Thank you, I am very much under a budget and I was wondering how I could get a flat surface out of my lumber. Your solution comes at fairly low cost and is perfect for my set up. Again, thanks!

[@philliptabaldo9871]

Thanks just what I was looking for inexpensive way to flatten my expensive slab of maple, making my first river table.

[@VasilisBounellos]

So nice you show us some tips about this because I like live edge furniture and stuff and I think this is the only way to go for some coffee table sized pieces!!

[@mcremona]

It's either this or a nice big wide belt sander. This is by far the cheaper way of doing it! Thanks for watching!

[@jereniafoster1811]

Thanks!!! this really really helps me. I have been trying to figure out how to get around not having a planner and I really am not skilled enough woodworker to justify the expense of buying one.

[@sonmydful]

Harbor freight has a 250$ planer that is amazing. Look into some of the reviews on here

[@johnycash99]

@@AlexAlcyone this right here. I'm a new into the word working world being a homeowner and doing self Reno's. But whole heartedly agree letting the inner child in you start to build stuff and having tools do multiple jobs! Great point

[@coder0xff]

Great demonstration, especially in showing that this method is prone to imperfection.

[@TheAgaveSpirit]

Assuming you can fit it through a planer, another approach is to attach it a flat MDF board. Lots of double sided tape works. If it is too twisted, take a hand plane to it first, then attach it. Works every time for me. If the board is wider than the planer then the approach in the video is a good idea.

[@cory1641]

I appreciate the video. Trying to be minimal in equipment and get good results. This is the way ill do it.

[@r.s.grantwoodworking7691]

I have got one very similar. Mine was built of MDF and has permanent rails which is MDF grooved into the platform. Each side has a different height to eliminate need to shim the lumber. I use very small drywall screws to hold the stock through my many holes in the platform. You may have encouraged me to do a video on mine one day. Thanks Matt.

[@mcremona]

Of course you have a fancy way of doing this :). I'm looking forward to seeing it!

[@christimms102]

fantastic idea. I have a small workshop so this is a must for me. many thanks Matt.

[@johnshaffner1796]

Thanks Matt. I've been wanting to do end grain cutting boards for some time now. Not wanting to stuff them through my planer in fear of self destruction, this sled is just the ticket. Keep up your informative and inspirational videos as I have been on quite the learning ride since I found you, as well as others, here on youtube. Thanks again!

[@mcremona]

Thank you so much John! I'm glad I can help you out. KZbin is an amazing place because of all the amazing people putting out great information!

[@mundlkalli4396]

great video.....simple instructions....no loud annoying music.......and even a little humor. Had a question in regard to the motion of the router....As you go across back and forth do you hit the board on the return also or only once in the forward slide and start with a fresh forward slide ?????? I am asking because of the direction of the bit .....should it only go one direction?/ Thank you again and sorry for this long QUESTION>>>

[@Flashahol]

Simplest way to do it and only 3 pieces need to be precise, great job!

[@mcremona]

thanks!

[@lorenacorzatt5729]

I am super excited about this. I just need to make a few rough milled boards flat enough for a basic cabinet and I have been trying to justify buying a planner but I think I will try this first. I don't plan to make an extensive hobby out of cabinet making. Thanks for the video.

[@jefferysamson]

Thank you, Matthew Cremona, for your video on how to make a router sled. I was having a difficult time getting a flat surface on a butcher block until I saw this video.

[@MrBonners]

You get within a finger nail thickness or so. After that it is just the normal sanding requirements of any machine surfaced wood piece.

[@claudebieniek385]

Did my first slab straightening today cobbled together a sled with stuff around the shop. It was a small piece, wasted a lot of time figuring out how to clamp it. The double faced tape my wife gave me didn’t work . Finally used T. rex clear tape just rolled it so it was like double sided tape worked great. It does make a mess suggest doing it outside if you can

[@jettkeyser9909]

Nice presentation...appreciated the different applications and highlighting the variables...

[@mcremona]

Thanks!

[@inspiringbuilds]

Great tutorial, this is awesome for large sections of lumber that won't fit in the planer! Subscribed!

[@kevinfrenzel7350]

Thank you! I think I can go make one of these now. Great video. I wish all wood working videos were like this and didn't have all the fluff. Subscribed.

[@lauramarshall6376]

So simple. I made my first EG cutting board last night in a community shop (in a class). That's a lot of sanding. Now I can make one at home with your ideas. Thanks.

[@JamesWilliams-en3os]

Great video, Matthew! I resisted buying a router for years, for not very good reasons. A couple of years ago I bought a good 2 hp Bosch router specifically for cutting dado and rabbet joints for heavy-load shelf cabinets, and now I wonder how I got along without it. Now that I’m starting to use rougher pieces of stock, I’ve been wondering what my next major tool purchase would be, planer or joiner... and now that I see how I can use my router for making one flat surface, especially on wide boards, my solution is easy: I’ve picked out a good planer, and I’ll use this jig instead of having to buy a joiner (for now!). Thanks for this great demo.

[@stevesawyer6138]

You are really good at teaching, and very informative about all subjects that you discuss . Thanks for sharing

[@mcremona]

Thanks Steve!

[@TheWoodLab]

Great demo Matt. I used pretty much the same method to flatten my workbench top. And... you're spot on with the mess it makes! -Jim

[@mcremona]

Thanks Jim!

[@gregschaumburg2216]

Thank you, super helpful! I will be making a table top later this season when my stock dries and this is an ideal way to level the top after glue up. Really appreciate your helpful and informative videos!

[@mikeeasterwood6890]

great video Matt,,, as you said, really helps with wide slabs

[@scottmartin7717]

Just bought my first router.. kobalt with decent table, not bad as a starter tool. So excited to find out I just bought a jointer and planar as well!!! :D Thanks buddy!

[@renatocosta811]

I just finished building the handrail on my deck kzbin.infoUgkxfQ5_mgwq6PcudJvAH25t-I4D-3cTPz4z and used this great little router to clean up the top rail before the final sanding and stain. It was light weight but packed lots of power. Either size battery didn't seem to make it top heavy and I'm a 64 yr old women so I really appreciated how easy it was to use...................... CORDLESS only way to go !!

[@MarzNet256]

I've seen a technique for flattening large pieces where a router is mounted to the edge of a door and the door is swung back and forth to pass the router over the material. The mounting system also allows router to move toward and away (perpendicularly) from the door edge to cover an area to be routed. I think the sled is more straightforward. You could also mount router to a pendulum style jig to make a bowl in the surface. Might need to use a smaller diameter bit for that.

[@MrBonners]

I rough cut with a core box bit in my pendulum router gig and then a finer cut with a bullnose. finish with a burr (low pitch material) and then a course and fine flap sander. Light hand sand and finish to liking.

[@glenschumannGlensWorkshop]

Thanks. I am considering having a jig like this for end grain cutting boards.

[@lionelhernandez34]

Thanks Matt I made my first cutting board earlier this week. Pondered on how to flatten, when I searched here and found your technique. Worked great and turned out really nice!

[@mcremona]

lionelhernandez34 Awesome! Happy to hear it!

[@CarlJacobson]

Great demo Matt, nice solution for large pieces

[@mcremona]

Thank you, Carl!

[@sparky6565]

I am a beginner and was inspired by your video to build this sled. I like your method of teaching skills. Not a lot of fluff. I will be looking for more of your videos. Thanks for helping me learn more woodworking methods.

[@johnklein4558]

Thanks Matt. I don’t have either planer or jointer but I DO have a router. :)

[@jamzempire]

Wonderful demonstration. Nobody goes into these details.

[@Bighedass_]

Man I’m so thankful for your video because this is precisely what I am trying to do right now!!😊

[@TaylorSatula]

Awesome, thanks Matthew! This is the solution that I think will work for me using tools I can get my hands on. Not sketchy craftsmanship at all, either. Very cool

[@netaverse7694]

Superb simple sled solution

[@tamaselkan8902]

Now I do not have any more questions, great video as always and that bit is very reasonably priced! I need to make some cutting boards for Christmas.

[@mcremona]

Thanks Tamás! Don't wait too long. Christmas has a way of sneaking up!

[@joshuac1364]

7 year old video but still great and very informative. I need to make a HUGE one for a large table top.. dreading making a flat reference surface large enough for this.

[@EntrepreneurialSpirit85]

Nicely done, I made mine almost identical for my trim router. Awesome stuff man.

[@chad1182]

Thanks Matt, I just subscribed. You keep making straight forward easy to follow videos.

[@johnscott6524]

Brief and to the point........keep 'em coming.

[@mcremona]

+Mike Nguyen Thank you Mike! That means a lot to me! Dust collection on these things is tricky. One thing I thought about that would at least help contain the dust would be to add a curtain that hangs down from the sled onto the work piece and table. That should help keep some of the dust from flying out the bottom.

[@jpickett52]

+Matthew Cremona , I was going to build one with curtains as you mention and hole cut to accept my shop vac hose.

[@mcremona]

+John Pickett I'm curious to know how well that works. Let me know how it goes.

[@WesTurner1]

The RA1173AT dust extraction kit works with the 1617 plunge base. Thanks for the video! There are a couple different models: www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/router-dust-attachments-ra1173at-27260-p/

[@brianbuckley998]

Hi Matt, I've found that using a dish carving bit it great for this. Because it's rounded, it eases into the cut better than a straight bit. It helps reduce tearout on the edges too.

[@mcremona]

thanks for the tip Brian!

[@jimtrebes7926]

Perfect taming. Just got some unfinished uneven thickness Walnut slabs. Now I can work on them.

[@mr.mickles]

This is great. I have a large piece of marble counter to use as a reference. Should get things dead flat. Thanks for the video.

[@BigJeff19999]

Matt, I like your shop updates, but I really, really like this kind of tip video! Please keep more videos like this coming. I new to woodworking and really appreciate the tips. Your final products are of the highest quality. Thanks for the effort

[@mcremona]

Thank you, Jeff! As we get into the winter, I'll be spending more time in the shop again and will have time to put out more videos. Let me know if there is any topic you'd like to see me cover. I appreciate the support!

[@scubamage]

Thank you so much for this video. Seriously. I have been wanting to start learning woodworking for years, but a lot of the gear is crazy expensive (a GOOD planer >12" is well into the thousands). This makes it way more affordable. Thank you!!

[@mcremona]

Matty Sarro Glad it was helpful :)

[@fveggerby]

I also encountered the rifled look. Typically your router is a bit crocked, but hopefully only in 1 direction. I just did the passes the other way, meaning positioning the router, and shoved the sled back and forth. That took care of the problem for me.

[@djpenton779]

Fantastic. I am starting out my woodworking with a pretty limited budget. This worked really well for me.

[@mikesmith2102]

this a great vid. I'm making a 30" lazy susan with a recessed base so I need to hollow out a 25" circle on the bottom of the top. I need to hollow out 1/2" deep recess for the base which will be 24" plywood and a 12" bearing that's about 3/8 thick. the lazy susan should look like it's floating above the table about 3/8".

[@mcremona]

That's going to be awesome!

[@bumble84]

this is exactly the answer i needed for a project I wanna do. for the side rails, could you use some square profile aluminium lengths, I have some in the shed that would do quite nicely

[@mcremona]

Nathan Fenwick yes, aluminum would work well. Since it's soft it shouldn't damage your bit if you run into it.

[@twoweary]

Hey Mountain, love the idea of using aluminum rails,cheap , durable and consistent. Thanks also for your video Matthew,very useful info.

[@mcremona]

Thanks!!

[@tomstephenson301]

I have a section of hardwood flooring that has cupped and it will cause more damage to pull out the pieces than to try and smooth them out in place. This looks like a method that might work. I can sand the floor afterwards to get a clan finish. What do you think?

[@DoFurther]

Thanks, Matt. It's really helpful advice. I don't have budget for planer or jointer for now. So this technique will help me out.

[@mcremona]

***** awesome! Glad it will help :)

[@dennismoody8140]

Matthew I am a Disabled Veteran and I have talked to some other Veterans that enjoy woodworking like me, I have watched your Video's and enjoy them a lot. My self and a few other Disabled Veterans have talked about starting a woodworking hobby shop making toys and other things, But The Veterans Affairs Disapproves of what we want to do just to feel like we belong, Thanks for the Video's

[@FranksDIY]

I'm just making my new table top for my work bench and it's not level.first time using biscuits and I think I messed it up a bit so i'm going to use that jig with some modification rails on side of table to level it out. Thank you for sharing

[@mcremona]

Awesome! It works great for flattening bench tops. Thanks!

[@FranksDIY]

I'm going to link your sled on my video

[@artifundio1]

I am so happy to see this. Thank you very, very much!

[@Coolboater1]

You did an episode making cutting boards with your firewood scraps. Were these scraps just air dried 30% mc or were they 10% mc for furniture. Cause I have a pile of black cherry firewood tyzt would be great for this. Ive been advised that I should use furniture grade wood. This would be for my own use or friends.

[@jimcoogan1529]

Great video. I built several versions of the same jig and love it. I have a downdraft box I created that I use the jig on top of when I am doing something like a cutting board. My jig has stops at each end because I kept mangling my rails :-) I have been experimenting with adding a vacuum hose to one end of the jig to see if I could pull some of the dust up into it. Maybe I can punch some holes in the base to create an updraft jig. Thanks for sharing.

[@mcremona]

haha! I managed to cut into mine once. That made me aware of their location pretty quickly :) Thanks for sharing your dust collection ideas. I have the piece that allows you to hook up a dust extractor to the router but when I built the sled, I didn't take into account the additional width for the hook up...

[@jimcoogan1529]

Matthew Cremona I have all the dust collection gear for my router too and connect it to my CT36 dust extractor. Works really well but sometimes underneath is looks like a dust devil forming. I should just leave it for entertainment purposes.

[@HepauDK]

I could have used this video in my "Recommended" half a year ago. Well, better late than never, and I might be able to use it for future projects. :)

[@tsvetelinatodorova6111]

Could you please do share what exactly your router is ( brand ,number ,etc)? Great video thanks

[@debbiekorwin4000]

Love your videos! You explain everything well and get right to the point! 👍 I must admit I have wood envy when I watch your slabs being cut on your awesome sawmill☺️. BTW, congratulations on your new baby! She’s beautiful !

[@4rnorthwest]

Done this plenty of times for small slabs and it works great! I was really more interested in which surfacing bit you preferred. I actually have the same Bosch router as you and that thing never fails me! So then! 1.5" surfacing bit. What kind is it?

[@michaelcarroll4330]

Excellent - so simple and very well presented 👏👏👏

[@jcat5150]

Thanks for the post...I am makin' a mantle from some twisted beams sawn out of a large twisted old doug fir cant (beams started at 10"X12"X7 feet...over 100lbs easily....not exactly something I could sled through my Dewalt 13" planer...lol)....had the rough idea what needed to happen but your vid was a nice refresher to point me in the right direction before I actually went out and did it today. Now, if you know a good jig for straightening a twisted BACK that'd be great!

[@athiker7209]

Hey Matt, I recently subscribed to your channel, so I'm trying to catch up on your past videos. I have a planer, but I can see doing this procedure on one side then use the flat side down through my planer. I know there's a jig for running warped lumber through a planer, but this jig is easier to make and just as easy to operate. Thanks for the tip.

[@mcremona]

athiker7209Thanks for subscribing! I'm glad you found this helpful. The planer jigs require a bit more time to set up. I personally have never tried one since this method works great! Thanks again!

[@ALEATXABAL]

good job, simple and useful .thank you

[@Dramzii]

I love it. So practical and concrete.

[@ateleskier7066]

Super-useful - lots of important small details. Many thanks.

[@jaredj631]

Wow! This opens a whole new world of possibilities! Thanks

[@ConstructIcon]

Very cool jig.. On my to do list! Thanks for sharing

[@mcremona]

Thanks and thanks for watching!

[@anthonyjordan2922]

Very informative video. Thanks for sharing this.

[@eduardovigil5609]

Thanks for the video. Can I ask you at what router speed do you flatten the various surfaces? Thanks.

[@Brentlythomas13]

great video! You just solved my end grain cutting board dilemma! Thank you!!

[@Zoidberg227]

Boy I wish I had seen or thought of this idea before I spent hours "flattening" a handful of end grain cutting boards yesterday ... dinky little 3" belt sanders are not fun for that job. This definitely puts a router well above a thickness planer on my tool wishlist, and well above a drum sander. One can be used for many things, including flattening stock, while the others costs 2-5 times as much and can only be used for flattening stock.

[@mcremona]

Zoidberg227 Yeah, that doesn't sound like much fun! The router is a very versatile tool. I've seen more and more people using it to mill wood lately. It must be trending :)