Flattening Workbenches and Wide Boards With A Router | The Router Sled

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The traditional method for flattening a workbench is to use hand planes and winding sticks. While some folks truly relish this labor of love, others prefer to delegate this grunt work to power tools. The power tool method is very similar to the action of a CNC machine. A router is placed inside a sled that rides along two parallel rails that are attached to the sides of the bench. The router sled is very easy to make from scrap 3/4″ plywood. The rails can be made from 2×6 construction-grade lumber. Cheap and simple!
Here are two options for router bits. They have the same specs (1 3/4″, 2-flute straight bits) but the Freud will save you a few bucks:
Amana -- 45453 - amzn.to/2AV03Uk
Freud -- 12-194 - amzn.to/2EAN38o
Perhaps one of the best parts about this jig is that you can re-use it for other things. Have an end grain cutting board that needs flattening, but you don't want to send it through your planer? Have an oddly-shaped natural edge slab that is just too large for your tools? Both situations can be handled with a setup like this. And if you plan on using it a lot, you can get as elaborate as you want with the design of the jig. The version I show you here is stripped down to the absolute basics.
This video is an excerpt from the recent Split-Top Roubo Workbench Guild Build. Join the Guild today to see the entire set of videos and build your own lifetime workbench!

[@charlesprescott4644]

These type of videos never get old. Thank you so much for help in this.

[@dennydenco]

Seriously, you are a very effective teacher. Speaking as a novice woodworker, I really appreciate how clearly you communicate and I find your videos very helpful. Keep up the great work.

[@Okie-Tom]

Very nice router sled. I use a similar setup to get everything square with the strings or wires. One difference I use that makes it easy to see when the two wires just kiss is this: instead of using plastic coated wires, I use uncoated wires. Then I use my little 12 volt battery charger with one lead hooked to one side of one of the rails. The other lead goes to the other sides rail wire but there I have a little 12 volt bulb holder with wire leads coming out of it hooked between the battery charger lead and the rail wire. Now when you tap the rail down, as soon as the two wires touch, the little bulb lights up. I have done this getting accuracy down to the thousandths of an inch. Tom

[@thomasarussellsr]

Tom heck of a solution.

[@maximedboisvert]

Tom Pretty neat trick there !! Thanks

[@BrainSlugs83]

Neat. Seems like you could do the same with a multimeter, and just listen for the auditory beep. :-)

[@chrisfroman2250]

Pardon my ignorance but couldn't you assure that the rails are parallel by simply using a level between the two sides? Is that just not accurate enough?

[@goldstandard3714]

Shim the "sacrificial" rails away from the work and they are no longer "sacrificial". Great video, Thank You

[@johnnykelly8582]

Every time I watch one of your videos, I am reminded of how much I suck. Just the way you drop in little reminders allows a somewhat newbie to understand what you are talking about. Doing the things you do is a completely different story. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos. It has helped me so much. Keep them coming. Johnny K

[@mark.mahorney]

Thanks for the video, idea for slight improvement, add another narrower board between the rails and the table, attach them to the table or rails so they will be slightly above table top, then route right on over the edge of the table into the these boards. This would prevent possible chip out and you would have no edge clean up at the end.

[@fin1199]

that thought jumped out at me the instant he hit the rail with the router. great minds think alike, and so do we, lol

[@mattg6262]

But wouldn't the 2 x 6s accomplish the same thing if they are flush to the side of the workbench? It would be a taller surface that the bit would come I to but they would still be keeping the fibers intact at the edge of the bench I would think? Anyway it's a good suggestion.

[@ericaugustus9435]

Marc - just did this project this morning. My dad built a maple bench top & ended up giving it to me. He had provided a written description of this process, but having the video made it very easy to understand & follow along. It ended up great! I think I routed about a 32nd at the best spot, and .52” at the worst. Thanks for such a great, informational video!

[@hadean2]

Great instructional video! I'm going to use this method to flatten a half tree trunk for a sitting bench in the backyard. Chainsaw left a very uneven surface. Your explanation is clear and concise. I wish there were more videos of this quality on KZbin. Thank you so much for spending your time to do it.

[@furtim1]

The length is fine, in my opinion. I am new to the tools and the craft. I just bought my first router (old Caftsman) at an estate sale for $10. I appreciate the explanations and demonstrations you presented. Thanks for taking the time to put this 22 minute video together!

[@davidlittle611]

Those sharp square edges on your workbench are satisfying my soul.

[@symonf1966]

Simple idea perfectly explained. That's what I like about your videos, I'm never left not understanding a bit of the process. Thanks.

[@terrythomas9902]

Great video. Followed your technique for flattening my bench and it worked perfectly. For the first time in years I can use the bench as it was intended. Thanks!

[@yamahawfo]

This is the perfect solution for my situation. I do not have a designated woodworking bench and do everything on my plywood home built tablesaw/mitersaw cabinet. With no confidence in the flatness of my garage floor to support the rails level/parallel in order to router mill my first slab, your method of sacrificial rails clamped to the workbench (saw cabinet in my case) should be THE PERFECT solution!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING! Your video was perfect in timing, amount of information and delivery also. Nice work!

[@allynhansen7398]

Thanks Bud, I recently inherited a woodwork bench from my Uncle but it's not flat. I did not know how to get it flat so I watched a good number of videos on how to do it but yours is by far the most simple and easy to follow method. Thank you very much. It means I will not have to travel to my cousins in order to use his planer and jointer once the table is flat.. Regards, Allyn Hansen New Zealand.

[@cpalmisciano]

This is the first time I came across using the flexible cords to align the rails properly. After seeing that, I became aware of the self inflicted twisting one can be making on any large board when using a sled router. Pure genius (you must be really good in geometry)!!

[@AwesomeRedKite]

Thanks for the fast response! I've been watching your videos for a long time and have found them super helpful and they've got me really excited about getting into woodworking!

[@frankielee1373]

Fantastic video, I will be doing this next week. You have a great way of teaching. Thank you.

[@davelee5605]

I am a Machinist/Engineer by trade [retired GM] Your techniques are impressive. Thx for your expertise. I am thoroughly impressed and hard to dazzle :-)

[@brianmullaney2867]

Just wanted you to know I used your method and wound up with a dead flat surface. Flat as a pancake. I couldn't be happier. Thanks for the great video. Something I added that helped was stop blocks on either end of the bottom side of the sled. This kept the sled from sliding off the rails. I added a spacer between the rails and the bench top which let me route all the way to the edge. Final change was I used pre primed MDF from Home Depot for the rails. The primed surface is nice and slick for the sled and factory MDF edges are dead straight. Again great video, this method works folks.

[@woodwhisperer]

Just wanted to say quickly that I accidentally deleted a couple of comments recently. Apparently if I type a reply and then delete my reply, it deletes your comment with it?! Nice job KZbin, lol. So if you don't see your comment here, please feel free to leave it again.

[@andrewludlam5686]

Thank you for sharing this, it is brilliant. Your whole take on generating a 'Reference Surface' has expanded my mind and opens up some innovative ways of sizing/thicknessing . SUPERB Sir.

[@Unclebuddy01]

Thank you for posting this video. I have a new top for my workbench and, because I lack sufficient clamps, it was cupped when the glue dried. I now have a perfect way to flatten the top and save a project gone wrong.

[@doughaber3330]

Bravo! If I make a new bench, this video will be studied again! 99.99 percent perfect video. I would like to entertain what would happen if you reversed your sled on a test piece to confirm. Very scientific! That's bro!

[@joshoertle3779]

Great video, Thanks. So many people on youtube are annoying to listen to but you're not.

[@robertbamford8266]

Great use of an “old” trick. Also a great example of how useful mathematics can be. 3 points determine a plane so with two triangles (rail, diagonal) sharing a common side (the rail you selected not to adjust), you are ensuring the fourth point lies on the same plane. I’m going to give this a try today, and I expect to have to play around with picking my reference rail as I have no clue as to which corner is the lowest. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@Mario-gu3oc]

I used this technique to flatten a commercial workbench which had high and low spots. It worked very well. Thanks Wood Whisperer!!

[@anthonymineo6293]

Helpful video. I used the Freud bit and the fixture was super easy to build. Great outcome. I also added a sacrificial board on each side inside the rail so I could go all the way across the work piece resulting in no post planning.

[@Roidragin]

I like this guy, if not for any other reason than his shirts.

[@steveswoodworking2504]

I just used this method on my new Roubo workbench top. I was having a terrible time with the hand plane tearing out the wood. This method did the trick. I had a bit of anxiety when doing it, but it all worked great! I did glue on a couple of stop blocks on the bottom of the sled on each end, so it wouldn't accidentally fall off the side board and dig into my top. Thanks!

[@gabbleratchet1048]

What a fantastic video, really simple but extremely clever idea, I can't wait to build one and have a go. Thanks.

[@crossthreadaeroindustries8554]

Excellent share, thank you. I just bought an old, heavy shop workbench with a pretty beaten block top that needs to be taken down about 3/8" and this will definitely help finish it off.

[@VladMalik]

Very nice and thorough! Thanks for going over every step.

[@1Cross1Way]

Ordered my router...starting my sled build this weekend! Thanks!

[@woodwhisperer]

You certainly could. They aren't necessary, but that's one of the ways you could really trick it out if you wanted to.

[@gracenjuguna7292]

Very simple and clear explanation. Thanks!

[@spencer6389]

I wish I could have seen this video a lot sooner! I'm in the process of making a work bench out of 2x4's and have already started flattening out the table top surface. I used a electric hand planer to knock down some of the high spots and now I'm using a electric sander to finesse everything out. I ran into the same problem you did with one side in need of some serious planing. I wanted my workbench top to be around 3" thick, but that's not gonna happen. I'm already below that just to make it flat enough to my liking. Thanks for the really cool video!

[@craigbrown1416]

I love your show man! thanks for being here.

[@byronbuxton8214]

Good video. Love the string technique!

[@boathousepks]

I tried it and it worked quite well. I made a Roubo with some construction 2 x 6's. I needed to flatten the top and this took all the hills and valleys out of the pine. I am very pleased with the results.

[@xfup]

I may have just never noticed the stroboscopic effect on a drill bit before, but I think you captured it perfectly lol...

[@CragarShinoda]

My other suggestion is a simple one. I build hot rods for a living, and when I block sand a car I use a dry guide coat (found at your local auto parts store that sells paint). 3M makes the best. I keep a jar of it when I am doing work like this, too. It comes with a soft pounce pad, and is just a dry graphite or charcoal powder. It's a lot easier and quicker to apply over large surfaces than pencils, and is much easier to see. It also sands off easily whereas pencils can embed in softer woods.

[@MURRD0CK]

Ok I see. So as long as the bench is flat then that's all that matters since most pieces need only be flat and square. Level would only come into play when you are attaching a tabletop or something, and as long as your pieces are flat and square then they should be level as well. Very logical thinking Marc. Thanks! :-)

[@omgname]

Thanks for the nice instruction. I make a butcher block top wood bench but was having trouble flattening. This looks easy enough to do. :)

[@woodwhisperer]

Yes. You can immobilize the board on a plywood sled using hot glue and shims. Give it a few light passes through the planer to clean up the top face. Then remove the piece from the sled, flip it over and send it through again.

[@eliehabib3115]

What can I say, Excellent concept Well done will definitely using this idea

[@mlubecke]

Marc, well done... This was one of your best video's. You really have become a good teacher and videographer- I really enjoy the video's !!

[@scrapdaddyrkc]

built this jig after watching your video ,, worked great ,,,,,, thanks

[@user-fg3xf1qx8x]

Марк,привет.Приятно идосадно,что ты перехватил мою задумку.Всё равно хорошо получилось.Молодец! Мне нравятся такие ребята-рукастые и головастые.

[@newzerozeroone]

Probably the best use of the phrase "drop the bass" I've heard in a while.

[@frankjames4573]

WW.... Hi... From the UK... Nicely executed tutorial vid... Well explained... Thanks... Frank...

[@benburoker5192]

You're the first wood worker outside of Canada that I've seen use Robertson screws!!! Smart man!

[@thomasarussellsr]

Ben Buroker i use them all the time. However, I have only a few rudimentary videos and nothing well filmed. I build and make things, I have no filmography skills.

[@hotrodhog2170]

Izzy Swan uses them all the time

[@Telemorris]

In your application the plastic coated wire wouldn't make much of a difference. However thick cord might make for up to 1/16" difference. I'm going to try this on my bench later. Thanks for the tip!

[@tubbz691]

Have used a router on aluminum quite a bit. Steady hands are needed, along with WD-40 or aluminum cutting fluid. Good bits are a must....

[@woodwhisperer]

It could, as long as you are sure it is straight and you clamp it to the bench in several places so that it doesn't sag at all. As for the bits, that was covered in the video as well as the writeup.

[@AZQuadRunner]

Excellent technique. To eliminate those triangle remnants on the outer edge, attach a 2-3" wide strip of 1/4" hardboard to your rails. Attach the hardboard to the side of the rail that will lay up against the edge of your bench (as a spacer), ensuring the strips are set below the surface of the bench. This allows the bit to completely pass over the surface of your bench.

[@JackHughesRichmond]

AZQuadRunner Ninja'd. I suggested the same thing. Glad to know some had the same thought - I should have checked first!

[@GuttenMedHatten]

Thank you so much for this video!! I have learned sooo much by only watching two of your vids! I have a work bench that really need to flattened in a proper manner. But instead of using the plastic thread as you are using, i think I am going for using a 1 mm fishing thread. It is not that easy to see, but it is hard (so it vill not be pressed together) and can be tightened very hard and does not weight much, so it will keep a very straight line. Amateur Guitarmaker form Norway.

[@woodwhisperer]

Yikes! So sorry to hear about the accident. I think the best thing is to first take a break for a while. Get your head clear, watch some videos, and get pumped about woodworking again. From there, I would start off easy. Do a simple and quick project. Avoid the planer for now. Get some help from an adult/parent who might know something about woodworking. Just get comfortable being in the shop again before jumping into a big project requiring the tool that did the damage. Stay safe!

[@claytonhillier6587]

I have seen videos on people basically planning boards, one side then the next, and it seems to work out just fine. the jig is a little different but the same idea and i plan to try it myself soon.

[@woodwhisperer]

I think it comes down to control. I guess if you could get the planer into some sort of controlled carrier it might work. But the router allows you to move in any direction and very effectively control the depth.

[@woodwhisperer]

Thanks for the kind words. And no, this technique is not quite the same thing as a planer. A planer relies on the first side of the board being flat already. After you run it through the planer, the second side will then be parallel to the first, and of course flat as well. But in this case, we are flattening one single face. You might do this on a board that is too wide for the jointer. Flatten one face and THEN send it through the planer to clean up the other side.

[@brancaypinky]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Practical, easy to build, cheap and accurate. Many thanks for sharing!!

[@pgtips4240]

Fantastic example, great job.

[@jamesmjubran]

Just bought that Freud bit, looking forward to flattening a couple of book matched pecan slabs!

[@alekjuskevice]

Nice job. Inexpensive materials (as in not expensive) not cheap (as in poor quality) My pet peeve your awesome. Thank you!

[@JgHaverty]

Neat trick for you perfectionists out there. Use a peice of square stock and clamp it to the board. Use that as a "guide" to get a perfect, square cut on long lengths of cuts. Perfect for jigsaws with flat edged bases.

[@ffrillici79]

Thank you. I think the trick of using wire allows you to make the two lateral guides lying to the same plane and not to make them parallel.

[@dutkal77]

I just watched this video again (as I am laid up in post surgical recovery for a few weeks and am reviewing many videos on this technique) and the thought came to me that if, when you attached the rails to the side of the bench, if you were to put another 2x4 spacer between the actual rails and the workbench, then your router would be able to come fully across the workbench without leaving the little triangles of undone material.

[@julier1080]

+Loren Dutka Or even a strip of 1/2" plywood. He also needs guide rails mounted on the sled (outside of and parallel to the 2x6's) so it isn't slip slopping all over like that.

[@musamor75]

Thank you very much Marc for this enlightenning video. I also see you're a Festool man ! That's all the credit to you for your good taste. I'm aiming at building my own bench pretty soon, having at last found a good copy of the Emmerit vise. Here in Paris I've been using worn-out old benches for decades, so I think it might be time to personalise my own one. In Europe we tend to use beech. I'm actually considering using hornbeam in 3 layers- middle cross graining (?). I'll look you up again soon

[@jeremyyaseniuk7578]

so good thanks

[@rickreed123]

Thanks for the great video. Very useful information. Concept could be extended to many applications.

[@MrB82901]

Thank you, I have a large solid table top that I want to level, and you just gave me the answer. WooHoo

[@pedesign5686]

Thank's for the idea, my problem solved finally..

[@woodwhisperer]

Im just saying that I think the string method is more accurate than using levels. In addition, my shop floor is definitely not level and as a result my bench is also not level. A bubble level, in my situation, wouldn't do much for me.

[@woodwhisperer]

It's really just a large straight bit. Although you might find some interesting options under "bottom cleaning bits"

[@tango-bravo]

Nice video and methods. Will incorporate several of your ideas in a jig we are building. You got excellent results...hopefully we will as well. Have a good one...

[@woodwhisperer]

hard to say if it is more accurate or not. The methods are quite different but the respective project is also different. Hard to compare the two.

[@NV..V]

Another great video. Thank you paisan.

[@BoranTheki]

The cross hair technique is a good idea. We use it when installing door jambs. Many installers will use jet line. That's that very thin orange string used mostly by ceiling tile installers.

[@rxe9231]

Great clip and example Thanks for sharing

[@ChrisTessmer]

If you added a couple spacers between your router jig rails and the table top, couldn't you slide the router out passed the table edge enough to eliminate those leftover triangles?

[@TomKaren94]

Flat is SO much more important than level in glue-ups, etc. I make desks that require a 22x48 top. I have a 36x60 homemade workbench made from jointed fir framing and a doubled-up-3/4"-thickness (1 1/2" total) MDF top. I drilled vertical 3/8" holes near each corner, and I use dowels and strings to check flatness on a regular basis. Since I'm using the top as a flat for my panel glue-ups, the flatness, not the level, is important.

[@latrappe800]

Used this to flatten out three large chopping blocks with 30 years on them. Great trick

[@Dwillems26]

First off let me say I love your stuff! Second, i'm using your exact setup to flatten a large slab of walnut. It works great. The only thing I added is stops to the bottom of my runner that the router slides on. Mine are just clamped on. it's one less thing to worry about the sled falling off the rails. It happened to me. Luckily I had to route enough that I took it out.

[@woodwhisperer]

It's a mental gymnastics sort of thing. But I'd like to make one last point. The plane is not arbitrary. Most workbenches are mostly flat to being with. When you initially set up the rails, you set them an equal distance from the top of the bench. You make very fine adjustments from there. This gives you a flat plane somewhere close to level. For a workbench, that's good enough. Again, I would never disparage other methods. But I assure you this one works quite well.

[@miketaylor5576]

Nice, I made one out of 1-1/4 uhmw or white plastic, thanks for the idea!!!!

[@jeffstanley4593]

Great video. I mean really well done and super informative. Even I might be able to do this after watching how you did it.

[@jmselvon1]

Merci beaucoup, thanks a lot for the advice. Keep the good work Jean-Marc 'Belgium)

[@woodwhisperer]

That's a great idea!

[@MehdiSheikhLovesPie]

Instead of the whole string ensemble to get the rails parallel to each other here's a better idea. Two straight edges. Two laser pointers on one. Two targets on magnets at the same height of the laser pointers on the other. Nothing goes straighter than light. Those rails also will always be usable.

[@woodwhisperer]

I see. I would say yes, it would definitely be more susceptible to tearout. With a nice sharp router bit, taking such a light pass, there is no tearout to speak of.

[@ronin4711]

Great thing to do to large stock, here is thought, instead of using that green plastic string, you could have use "dental floss" or drop ceiling string, which is basically the same whit almost zero thickness, also it's dirt cheap. Great job.

[@rachelcarr81]

hi marc just wanted to say a huge thanks i received the autograph today its perfect x

[@woodwhisperer]

The voice of sanity. :)

[@woodwhisperer]

Yup. That should work just fine.

[@woodwhisperer]

You're very welcome!

[@woodwhisperer]

Can you clarify what you mean Dave? Are you talking about the sled for the router? If so, sure. Pocket screws would work.

[@woodwhisperer]

Because the bit makes contact with the guide and it's not that easy to push the router in a straight line. As others have mentioned, the guide can be rabbeted to make room for the bit. But since I didn't do that, I left the triangles and cleaned them up afterwards.

[@JackHughesRichmond]

The Wood Whisperer , Did you think about putting two additional sacrificial boards flush to the top of the bench along the long side of the bench? They would not have to be very thick, just thick enough so that your router goes completely over the side of your bench top and you don't have those triangle-shaped spots where the round router bit didn't quite make it to the edge.

[@badlandskid]

A couple of ideas I think may have merit. One, screw a 1 x 4 to the inside of each 2 x 6 rail to give you an extra 3/4 inch. That way your router bit would eliminate the triangles at the end of each pass. Second, attach a couple blocks to the underside of the sled just to the outside of the rails. That will keep the sled from accidentally falling off the rails and averting a large oopsies... Thanks for the great video.

[@TigerCarpenter]

the best explained strings hack to make the rails parallel. well done! I wonder if your workbench now looks thinner on one end, where you removed 1/4" = 6mm or even more as it seemed of the material. of course that wouldn;t matter, as long as the top is flat.