# Flattening a table top with limited equipment



## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

My mother bought an old kitchen table and wants me to build a new top for it. I haven't even seen the table base yet, but I want to get started on a game plan. Unfortunately, my skills and tools are limited.

She wants a "country" style top, rectangular and made of yellow pine boards - something along the lines of this. I've glued up panels before, and breadboard ends seem pretty straightforward, but I don't have a planer, a thickness sander, or even a belt sander to flatten the piece with. What I do have are a No. 4 plane and a router. 

I have no confidence in my ability to flatten the table top with the plane. So, right now my best idea is to use the router and build a frame and big sub-base for it. I've seen this technique used to flatten cutting boards and log sections, but never a whole table top. Is there any reason it wouldn't work? Are there better options that won't cost a fortune?

Any advice is appreciated!


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## sbrader (Aug 27, 2015)

Nathan Parker said:


> My mother bought an old kitchen table and wants me to build a new top for it. I haven't even seen the table base yet, but I want to get started on a game plan. Unfortunately, my skills and tools are limited.
> 
> She wants a "country" style top, rectangular and made of yellow pine boards - something along the lines of this. I've glued up panels before, and breadboard ends seem pretty straightforward, but I don't have a planer, a thickness sander, or even a belt sander to flatten the piece with. What I do have are a No. 4 plane and a router.
> 
> ...


You can probably find a cabinet shop nearby that will run it through a wide belt sander for a very reasonable price. My hardwood supplier has one that I have used, too. Check around for someone with the equipment near you.

Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

sbrader said:


> You can probably find a cabinet shop nearby that will run it through a wide belt sander for a very reasonable price. My hardwood supplier has one that I have used, too. Check around for someone with the equipment near you.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the idea!


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

The cabinet shop is a very good suggestion.

On the other hand, why do you thing that the top is going to need a lot of flattening? If you do a good job of aligning the boards an orbital sander should be sufficient.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You can use your router also*

There's two things you can do with your router. Select the best faces and put them "good side up" on the bench. Using a "slot cutter bit" make a slot on the edges of the boards 1/8" wide and 1/2" deep to hold a 1/8" piece of material Masonite, plywood or small biscuits. Use the slots and spines or biscuits to align the boards so they won't shift when you glue them up causing your to have off sets which will need to be sanded or planed away a real PITA.









http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Piece-Slot-Cutter-3-Wing-Router-Bit-Set-1-2-1-4-Shank/222274074467?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38530%26meid%3D48dc384e632d45baaba5a52349ca8fb2%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D371201362272


The second use would be to make a planing jig for your router which will flatten the entire table top. There are many on You Tube, but is a very simple one you can make from common materials:






A different one, a bit larger:


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

GeorgeC said:


> The cabinet shop is a very good suggestion.
> 
> On the other hand, why do you thing that the top is going to need a lot of flattening? If you do a good job of aligning the boards an orbital sander should be sufficient.
> 
> George


Many of us have built glued up panels using s4s material from the local lumberyard, it is a matter of being able to select the material in person, if they don't allow that move on to another store.

What ever you do a random orbital sander is pretty well a necessity for any kind of woodworking and you don't have to break the bank to purchase one.


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## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

GeorgeC said:


> The cabinet shop is a very good suggestion.
> 
> On the other hand, why do you thing that the top is going to need a lot of flattening? If you do a good job of aligning the boards an orbital sander should be sufficient.
> 
> George


Thanks! I just assumed I wouldn't be able to get sufficiently flat boards. I plan on getting the boards from Lowe's, and... their boards are not the best. But I will see what I can find.


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## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

woodnthings said:


> There's two things you can do with your router. Select the best faces and put them "good side up" on the bench. Using a "slot cutter bit" make a slot on the edges of the boards 1/8" wide and 1/2" deep to hold a 1/8" piece of material Masonite, plywood or small biscuits. Use the slots and spines or biscuits to align the boards so they won't shift when you glue them up causing your to have off sets which will need to be sanded or planed away a real PITA.
> 
> The second use would be to make a planing jig for your router which will flatten the entire table top. There are many on You Tube, but is a very simple one you can make from common materials:
> 
> A different one, a bit larger:


Thanks! The planing jig is what I had in mind when I mentioned using my router to flatten the table top, I just couldn't think of the name. Using splines is a great idea! I was going to use dowels, but splines seem like they would be faster to set up and easier to align.


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## Nathan Parker (Jul 23, 2016)

FrankC said:


> Many of us have built glued up panels using s4s material from the local lumberyard, it is a matter of being able to select the material in person, if they don't allow that move on to another store.
> 
> What ever you do a random orbital sander is pretty well a necessity for any kind of woodworking and you don't have to break the bank to purchase one.


Thanks! You guys have given me hope that this project will be less of a bear than I had feared. I do have a 5" random orbit sander; I didn't mention it as a flattener because I didn't think it would be up to the job.


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