How to Make a Router Planer Jig for Wood Flattening

This time I'll make a router planer jig for wood flattening.
How I did it - you can check by looking DIY video or you can follow up instructions bellow.

For this project you will need:

Materials:

Square 45x45cm wood pieces

2 pieces of plywood

Wood screws (30, 50 and 70mm)

Wood wax or other wood finish

Tools:

Drill and bits

Palm router

Straight router bit

Clamps

Step 1: Begining

For one of my projects I want to stack this and few other same size wood pieces on top of each other. To do that I need to flatten top and bottom surfaces. Because I don’t have any thickness planer, I made a simple wood flattening jig from palm router.
All you need is four square wood pieces and two pieces of plywood. First - screwed square pieces on top of each other to get proper height. Next - screwed rails to the jig bed.

Step 2: Attaching Router

Drilled a hole in a sled to make router bit pass through.
Took off router plate and marked securing points. Drilled 4 holes and counter sinked them with bigger bit. With 4 bolt with washers secured palm router to the sled.

Step 3: Finishing Sled

Used two scrap wood pieces to make sled stoppers. They will prevent from going too far.
All sliding surfaces finished with wax to ensure smooth sliding.

Step 4: Securing Work Piece

Secured my work piece by simply screwing with wood screws. Because I’ll stake them on top of each other, all screw holes will be hided.
Attached my homemade router dust collector and vac hose.

Step 5: Planing

And it’s time for planning. Despite attached dust collector - this process make quite big mess all around.
That’s flat enough for me!

Step 6: Planing Another Side

Now it’s need to plane another side. If you don’t want use screws to secure work piece, you could simple clamp it to bed rail.
I made this jig specific for this wood size and shape only. And it works flawless.

If you need to plane some different wood shapes, or you want to make universal router planer jig - I think you got the idea and will adopt it to your needs.

Comments

[JeffLH]

Very useful especially for small or odd shaped parts. Thanks for sharing.

[Eh Lie Us!]

Nice. thanks for sharing.

[rustybender]

Good job and a very useful jig. The most important power tool in my shop is my planer. Not only does it ensure I am working with flat boards, it allows me to make custom thickness boards. Both of those uses allow me to make a lot more projects than I could if I was stuck using dimensional lumber with all its curves.

Due to the high price, the planer was also one of the last tools I added to my shop. I wish I had something like this while I was saving up for the planer.

If you are still in the process of building up your workshop, build this! Being able to work with nice flat boards, and boards of any thickness you choose, is a real treat. And it will allow you to work on those projects you've been delaying until you can purchase a planer.

[TimB2]

I too use a planer a lot. I always use a jointer prior to planing a board. I get a flatter board that way.

[SherpaDoug]

Another way to hold the piece without putting screw holes into it is hot glue. That is how I attach pieces of firewood to a sled to saw into planks on my band saw. Even if the cutter hits the glue it is not as bad as the cutter hitting a screw.

[Rebou]

What a great idea, and, good instructions.

[JackieM103]

Great idea! Remembering this one for future use.

[picposter]

Awesome Idea ! Great instructable. :)

[blksheep]

Simple and effective. In my opinion, the best kind of Instructable.

[mrwoody45]

i have begun this instructable, its cool

and thanks for sharing

best wishes

[DIY Hacks and How Tos]

Great project. You should definitely enter this into the wood working contest.