Surfacing large slabs with a router

[betterbuilt]

nice. where did you find it?

 

[imagineero]

that looks like standard blades off a metal lathe to me. you can buy the blades at pretty much any machine shop. The holder looks like an attachment for an end mill (a metal milling machine). I've seen 4 bladed versions of the same thing in metal shops but had never thought to use one on timer. Yuu could probably find a whole bunch of similar things new and second hand if you search for milling heads. Great idea! I think for this size of bit you are supposed to use a lower speed on your router so the world doesn't end. Triton makes a half decent and reasonably priced variable speed router.

Shaun

 

[SPM in King]

I have a Triton 3.25 HP. I use it on my router table. Nice machine. Seems very well made. I will likely pick up a router motor that I can mount on my rig.

I got this bit at a place called BC Saw, here in Toronto. They have an on-line catalog. They sharpen my saw blades.

 

[imagineero]

I have a Triton 3.25 HP. I use it on my router table. Nice machine. Seems very well made. I will likely pick up a router motor that I can mount on my rig.

I got this bit at a place called BC Saw, here in Toronto. They have an on-line catalog. They sharpen my saw blades.

Sounds like you're onto a good thing ;-) I had a bit of a look at milling bits and pieces on ebay australia today and there's a bit of stuff around but none of it readily plugs into a router. If anyone is interested have a look for 'face milling cutter". They come in all shapes and sizes, 2" and 3" are the most common for the ones with replaceable inserts. They go for anything from au$100-$250 so they are probably worth about $10 in america ;-) Trouble is they all come with either a number 2 or number 3 morse taper so they would need to be put on a lathe and cut down to 1/2" for putting in a router. Free if you have your own lathe, budget on a carton if you need someone to do it.

They come in all sizes right up to about 12" diameter. You'd probably need to make up a custom machine for one that big, but I've seen a couple of milling places that use heads around 6"-9" for milling slabs so I guess it's achievable. The bigger cutting heads seem to mostly have fixed teeth that would need professional sharpening. They're made of HSS and intended to cut steel so I'm guessing pretty good life in timber.

 

[olyman]

Here is my milling saw. ICS 633. Made by Oleo Mac as it's their triple 9 fatback. No internal oiling provision so I use a fuel tank from a Coleman 425 camp stove plumbed into the water intake. Regulating the valve as it's under pressure. Works fine. All I have to do is change bars and I can slab rocks too!

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you mean a cutoff saw????

 

[betterbuilt]

you mean a cutoff saw????

I think he means he has a concrete chain for his saw.

 

[SPM in King]

Spoilboard cutter

My concern with bits meant to cut metal is that they might not run at the high RPM of a wood cutting tool. Perhaps someone with some expertise can weigh in on this. Here is the link for this baby. It is the 91-104 (90-004) version. There are others out there, including Her-saf and Amana. Her-saf looks like it might be less money, but as with the Aussies, it's always more to get things in Canada (15-20%).

http://www.onsrud.com/xdoc/Spoilboard

It's meant to run at 12-16K RPM. Onsrud lists it at $430USD on their site.

 

[Timberframed]

These spoilboard cutters look promising enough though it states max. depth of cut 1/8" in aluminum and plastics. Sometimes we need to go a lot more than that. I would have to try one and see. As for the saw, it was designed to plunge through 18" of hard, reinforced concrete and I did just that 5 different times. I was called onto a job where 4 openings were needed 4' x 4'. 16" of some the hardest conc. w/ # 8 every 6" we ever dealt with. This powerhead went through no problem. Wonder what the Janka test results would be on 4000 psi 8 bag mix air entrained conc.?. Trying to double up the use of it ($2000 USD) with the same bar mount pattern as an 090, it has absolutely no problem going through any kind of wood around here. It kind of likes to. The stock clutch drum is stamped Oregon.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Great thread! I would post pics of my router rig but someone beat me to it.

Here's another method I've used for badly warped slabs. Just suspend the CSM rails over the slab and resaw. Use the freshly cut surface to mill the opposite side just as you would cut it off the log. You'll have to play leap frog with your supports.

Use the freshly cut surface to mill the opposite side just as you would cut it off the log. You'll have to play leap frog with your supports.

 

[gemniii]

Since this thread had so much good info I decided to tag onto it rather than start a new one.

I just got a Milwaukee 3.5 HP router that should have the HP to turn the big bits.
Milwaukee Tool | Routers | 3-1/2 Max HP Fixed-Base Production Router with Electronic Variable Speed, Feedback Circuitry, and Soft-Start

Looking at my lumber pile I've some 20" plus rough lumber that needs to be surfaced. Looking at my wallet and Craigs List I don't have enough pictures of Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill for the non-U.S. ) to get a decent 20" plus planer soon.

Since I've wanted to build a planer sled as soon as I found out about them I've now got the router to do it.
I've looked at many threads:
Flattening Workbenches and Wide Boards With A Router - YouTube
Planing with a router...what's your setup? - Woodworking Talk - Woodworkers Forum
Plane a large table top flat using just a router - YouTube
Surfacing rough lumber without a 16" jointer - by GaryK @ LumberJocks.com ~ woodworking community
The Sorted Details: How to Flatten a Cutting Board
Planing with a Router - Router Forums
Woodhaven Planing Sleds - YouTube

They all seem to be fairly simple and relatively easy to build. But they are very "human labor needed".
Has anyone built one with stepper motors to pull the router back and forth and down the board? Or seen any plans for such a tool? I'm envisioning sort of a low tech CNC machine that I could adjust the width of the board and let the motor run back and forth and proceed down the board..

 

[glennschumann]

Surfacing bit

Here is a bit that some use for surfacing... often called a "spoil board" bit

It is made my "Magnate" in the US, and for under $25, seems like a pretty reasonable way to go.

Amazon.com: Magnate 2705 Surface Planing ( Bottom Cleaning ) Router Bit - 1-1/2" Cutting Diameter: Home Improvement

 

[MGoodwin]

Magnate Bit

I have that bit (actually a 2.5" I think) and have put a lot through it. It works well for the price although it will raise the wood fibers leaving "streaks" the entire length (I run my cutting paths the length of the board) that I have to be careful about removing during sanding. Taking shallow cuts with smaller step-overs (about .5") really helps. I recently purchased a new frued bit that essentially only cuts on the outside (like a spoilboard) to see if that helps.

 

[gemniii]

Looking at the face mills - What's the largest bit you would try with a 3.5hp router?
2.5"?

 

[SPM in King]

2.5" seems to be a good size. I have used the smaller bits, but have not been able to take a full diameter pass with them. So, a 1" bit takes a 1/2" pass. The nice 2.5" bits a have carbide inserts. This is a huge advantage. In the really hard woods, I get one or two slabs surfaced before changing the carbide.

Steve.

 

[BlueRider]

Looking at the face mills - What's the largest bit you would try with a 3.5hp router?
2.5"?

It depends on if your router is variable speed, and soft start would be nice.

if you do a bit of math the edge of a 1/2" bit is traveling at about 2,600 feet/minute when the router is running at 20,000rpm. if you put that 2.5" diameter bit in there at the same rpm the edge will be traveling at about 13,000 feet per minute. this is way to fast and will cause over heating and shorten the life of the cutting edge as well as make the bit more likely to burn the wood. If you crank the router down to 4,000 rpm when running the 2.5" bit then the cutting edge will be running at about the same speed as the 1/2" bit. if your router won't adjust down that slow then the 2.5" bit is too big for it.

 

[SPM in King]

Good point on router speed. This is from the Onsrud site:

"SPOILBOARD CUTTERS ARE ENGINEERED FOR CNC ROUTER APPLICATIONS. THE 1-1/4” AND 2-1/2” DIAMETER TOOLS SHOULD BE FED AT 200-600 IPM AT 12,000-16,000 RPM. 4” DIAMTER TOOLS SHOULD RUN AT 200-600 IPM AT 12,000-14,000 RPM. ONE-HALF TO THREEQUARTERS OF THE TOOL DIAMETER SHOULD BE UTILIZED IN A STEP-OVER PROCESS TO MAXIMIZE SMOOTHNESS. MAXIMUM DEPTH OF CUT SHOULD NOT EXCEED 1/8”."

Higher than 4000 rpm, but you still need a variable speed option. I run at 16,000. It seems fine at that speed. 1/8" cut depth on hardwood will kill your router. Try 1/16".

Steve.

 

[gemniii]

Thanks for the pointers on router speed.

The router does have variable speed and soft start, but only goes down to 10,000 rpm.

I was planning on building a "planer sled" for the router.
Reviewing other designs people have used from 2x4's to angle iron to stiffen a 3/4" plywood base of the sled.
However looking thru my basement for suitable material to stiffen the base I found this contraption with aluminum rails and adjustable side rails that I think I can just "plop" a plywood base on top. The contraption is one of my Alaskan Mark III's.
Pics will follow if I ever get something built.

 

[smuzz]

I'm currently gathering parts for a sled myself but not having a huge work space and wanting to make a wide sled to handle some crotches, forks, or two joined pieces. Have a need for something I can disassemble and store so am using the extruded t-slot aluminum or 80/20 they make some nice linear bearings with locks that would be a slick setup for rails and the carriage and work pretty good in dusty situations. Probably be a year or so before finished a lot of my bigger wood still has a year or so before dry anyways. I'm just getting started in this, I know it's pretty pricey but if patient can find some decent deals on ebay or have good sources to scrounge. Just some food for thought if looking for some rails and something is easy to assemble and disassemble.

Another note on using a metal milling face mill for wood is generally they have a small contact area with surface and not made to take deep cuts depending on model. I have milled some wood in my metal mill not recommended dust is bad for them but the face mills, I have seemed to rip the fibers making streaks on soft woods not so noticeable on hardwoods but not a great surface finish though my mill can't spin at router speeds. Something to pay attention to if re-purposing metal cutter there is thousands of different kinds and inserts types.