AVClub Posted January 29, 2023 Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 (edited) As I am working to build out my shop, one big bottleneck has been not having a way to plane down rough lumber to exact measurements. I purchased a StewMac Safe-T-Planer but haven't tried it yet as the setup is a bit much to get good results. Because I don't have a ton of extra time, I am trying to make the effort required to work on guitar projects as small as possible. With that said should I prioritize a planer or thickness sander? If so, any recommendations under $1000? With that said - If I can have BOTH for a little more, I would be open to that too, but might be too good to be true. Thanks! Edited January 29, 2023 by AVClub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVClub Posted January 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 One more thing to add - Would it make sense to skip a planer, and use a jig/sled to use a router for planing, and then a thickness sander for fine tuning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVClub Posted January 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 OR can I skip both and use a router jig for planning and a palm sander? Just getting started it’s hard to justify too many large tools that I could potentially get away with a few harder but cheaper solutions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 29, 2023 Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 You can always get more tools if needed. Leveling a small piece with a router running on a sled is a totally valid method, I've even seen dinner table tops leveled that way! I'd say the router is one of the most important tools in guitar building: Leveling, rounding, cavities... A palm sander can be nice too, but you can do quite a lot with just a good sanding block - I've been very happy with the one that uses round velcro back sanding paper. Add to that a couple of scrapers, they are really effective after you learn how to sharpen them! Just as a reminder that one doesn't need a ton of power tools to make solidbody guitars: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVClub Posted January 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 Thanks Bizman, great reminder. I think I’m going to go with the router planer method for now. My biggest worry about hand sanding was avoiding dips, but I suppose that’s where practice and skill come in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 29, 2023 Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 2 hours ago, AVClub said: My biggest worry about hand sanding was avoiding dips, but I suppose that’s where practice and skill come in. On large areas a big enough block can help. Another trick is to apply minimal pressure. It's like mowing your lawn: The cutters are set to a certain height and you don't push the wheels into the ground to cut shorter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodfab Posted February 15, 2023 Report Share Posted February 15, 2023 I never liked the thickness sander due to the cost of the paper. and glue can clog them up fast. I feel that the blades in a thickness-planer will cut faster and cost much less over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 9 hours ago, woodfab said: I never liked the thickness sander due to the cost of the paper. and glue can clog them up fast. I feel that the blades in a thickness-planer will cut faster and cost much less over time. You have a point in both. I've never used a thickness sander but we were taught the very first day that the blades don't like glue either. Any squeeze-out has to be scraped away before using the planers. As for faster cutting, yes, the thickness planer is fast. The hand written instructions limit the max cut to 2 mm which indeed is quite a lot. But... if you try to take just a hair off you'll get diagonal lines on the surface and they look deeper than what you were going to shave off! Also, with figured wood where the grain is omni-directonal it can easily chop pieces off especially at the front edge. Sticking the workpiece (especially thin ones) on a board with a sacrificial piece in front can help but it's a lot of hassle. So, for thicknessing fast the thickness-planer is a great tool. For sneaking down to an exact measure and for thin and/or figured pieces a sander-thicknesser would be safer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodfab Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 5 hours ago, Bizman62 said: But... if you try to take just a hair off you'll get diagonal lines on the surface I have two thickness-planers, one has a metal feed roller that will leave diagonal lines on light cuts. The other one I have has a hard rubber feed roller which won't leave any marks on light cuts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 Apparently the one we have at the workshop is of the former design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 your sled you made to radius could easily be modded into something that can do thickness/flattening, so a drum sander would be my choice. I am biased because I have one though and find it to be a fantastic tool, saves a huge amount of time and removed the risk of tearout from a thickness planer on highly figured wood. They are very expensive though, but worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodfab Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 I did get a small amount of tear-out on some figured wood from my thickness planer last week. I guess you can never have to many tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 the correct number of tools is equal to the correct number of guitars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 I got rid of my thickness sander. A Jet and it was torture all of the time. I still have a thickness planer that is used maybe twice a year only on things for the house. I do have a CNC router and use that for surface planing guitar wood. The use of a router on a sled would give you almost the exact type of finish. The hold back on that is you cannot control the feed rate consistently like you can with a CNC. That being said, using a router sled is a good idea and least expensive. Maybe adding a lead screw to that mix similar to a lathe on the long axis with a handle and even a more consistent feed rate could be achieved. Use at maximum a 1" to 1-1/2" dia bit at say 10k-12K max RPM for that purpose and taking shallow cuts. Just my 0.02 cents on this matter. mk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 On 2/21/2023 at 12:46 PM, MiKro said: I got rid of my thickness sander. A Jet and it was torture all of the time. I still have a thickness planer that is used maybe twice a year only on things for the house. I do have a CNC router and use that for surface planing guitar wood. The use of a router on a sled would give you almost the exact type of finish. The hold back on that is you cannot control the feed rate consistently like you can with a CNC. That being said, using a router sled is a good idea and least expensive. Maybe adding a lead screw to that mix similar to a lathe on the long axis with a handle and even a more consistent feed rate could be achieved. Use at maximum a 1" to 1-1/2" dia bit at say 10k-12K max RPM for that purpose and taking shallow cuts. Just my 0.02 cents on this matter. mk hmm.... have oft thought of a thickness sander... but not really interested in spending the kind of money they cost given the amount of application so have been holding out for a while on one. so... when I hear you say it was torture I want to know more. was it issues with tracking? I'm told all of them have issues there. further... if I take small bites on my planer on moderately figured wood I get a good finish which makes me wonder if I'd be happy at all with a drum sander. I understand that with the dewalt (735?) you get a speed control and supposedly leaves a finish ready surface so... maybe that's a better buy? my planer is just a $100 craftsman with good brand new blades. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 53 minutes ago, mistermikev said: hmm.... have oft thought of a thickness sander... but not really interested in spending the kind of money they cost given the amount of application so have been holding out for a while on one. so... when I hear you say it was torture I want to know more. was it issues with tracking? I'm told all of them have issues there. further... if I take small bites on my planer on moderately figured wood I get a good finish which makes me wonder if I'd be happy at all with a drum sander. I understand that with the dewalt (735?) you get a speed control and supposedly leaves a finish ready surface so... maybe that's a better buy? my planer is just a $100 craftsman with good brand new blades. Mike, the tracking on mine was never an issue. The tripping of the breaker on it when I took more than 1/32" was a problem. Also keeping it parallel was an issue as most have only one side closed and the other open so they can do twice the width. I found that my 735 could do most of what I wanted to do, The CNC was also invaluable as was just good hand sanding. MK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 6 hours ago, MiKro said: Mike, the tracking on mine was never an issue. The tripping of the breaker on it when I took more than 1/32" was a problem. Also keeping it parallel was an issue as most have only one side closed and the other open so they can do twice the width. I found that my 735 could do most of what I wanted to do, The CNC was also invaluable as was just good hand sanding. MK all good info mike. I have wondered about that (one side open) - I see that grizzly makes one that is supported on both sides but uber expensive. the cnc is def a great tool for it... I just find the planer to be pretty handy esp for anything bigger than my bed. very much appreciate the insight!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 9 hours ago, mistermikev said: all good info mike. I have wondered about that (one side open) - I see that grizzly makes one that is supported on both sides but uber expensive. the cnc is def a great tool for it... I just find the planer to be pretty handy esp for anything bigger than my bed. very much appreciate the insight!! Mike, I used to have the pleasure in having access to a friends wood working shop anytime I needed it , had my own key to the shop, about 20k sq ft. He had a drum sander to die for. It would handle a 6ft wide piece and would go down to a thickness of 1/8". It had roller in feed and out feed tables that were 12 ft long each. LOL!! A tornado took out the shop a few years back and he retired. Oh well. MK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 28, 2023 Report Share Posted February 28, 2023 2 hours ago, MiKro said: Mike, I used to have the pleasure in having access to a friends wood working shop anytime I needed it , had my own key to the shop, about 20k sq ft. He had a drum sander to die for. It would handle a 6ft wide piece and would go down to a thickness of 1/8". It had roller in feed and out feed tables that were 12 ft long each. LOL!! A tornado took out the shop a few years back and he retired. Oh well. MK noice, good friend to know! I worked as a cab maker as a young man so am familiar w giant weber sanders... wish I had one and also a giant compressor so I could run a dynabrade orbital. that'd be heaven indeed! tornado... well that must have been a sad day for you both! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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