# Help flattening larger boards please?



## 850donutmonster (Sep 14, 2012)

I'm pretty new at prepping my own lumber, but have heard of people flattening their own large boards. I've even seen video of folks flattening boards with a hand plane. I recently bought some walnut that is in really rough shape and I'm overwhelmed. The boards look like ****ing egg noodles! Can anyone give me any helpful tips? I've got a nice planer, but the rough cut stock is around 12" wide so a jointer won't do the job. 

Thanks,
Mike


----------



## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

router planer setup.


----------



## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Some people build a jig to use with their router to flatten out flitches for table tops, etc.

Here's an example
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/router-planing-jig-bit-44989/


----------



## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

just curious but any pics of the wood?


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*watch this!*


----------



## 850donutmonster (Sep 14, 2012)

I'll try to post a photo in the morning. It bends in places at what seems like 30 degrees or so. I thought about cutting it at those spots, but it may cause a lot of waste. Keep the suggestions coming! Thanks!


----------



## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

sweetgum?


----------



## 850donutmonster (Sep 14, 2012)

Local black walnut. We don't have much to choose from here in N Florida. I wouldn't have bought it, but I've got to get a toy box built in just a few weeks. It's the only dark hardwood they had. Not that ou guys wanted the whole story :smile:


----------



## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Do you have a jointer? If so, you can remove the guard and pass the wide board as far as the jointer will cut. Then you use a flush trimming router jig that references to the flattened area. It's actually pretty quick and will give you a flat reference face to go to the planer with. It doesn't matter how wide your jointer is, you'll always need to do a wider board than it will cut.


----------



## MidGAOutdoor (Apr 7, 2011)

Hammer, thats an interesting setup.

donutmonster, is the wood kiln dried or what just curious. i work with air dried but just wanted to make sure before u put a bunch of time into ur project and have a bunch of shrinkage issues.


----------



## 850donutmonster (Sep 14, 2012)

Yeah it's kiln dried, but I hurt my back and left it in the bed of the truck...only to wake p to see a huge storm coming! My crippled a$$ hobbled as fast as it could to get the lumber on the porch. Too late. The saga is getting better everyday.


----------



## bzguy (Jul 11, 2011)

850donutmonster said:


> I'll try to post a photo in the morning. It bends in places at what seems like 30 degrees or so. I thought about cutting it at those spots, but it may cause a lot of waste. Keep the suggestions coming! Thanks!



For what it's worth, you have the right idea about cutting it in the "bent" spots, otherwise you'll have nothing left after surfacing.
Isn't there anyone near you with a wide enough jointer?
If not you could cut out the bends, then run one edge on jointer, rip to width of jointer, then run face.
Run other face and edge through planer, then glue back up.
It is standard procedure to do this in factories on a gang-saw, flipping every other rip over, to offset movement.
Wide boards are prone to cupping, although pretty, not stable.


----------

