How do YOU flatten a table top?

[fobos8]

Hello all

I'm about to start making a few tables for our house. Oak dining table, coffee table, TV console etc. This will involve joining 6x1 or  8x2 boards together to make the worktops. I've never done this before but I'm fairly clear on how to do it. What I'm particularly interested in how members flatten the worktops after the've been  glued together. Some boards may be a mm or 2 higher than the adjacent one and there may end up with a little cupping. What tools do you use to flatten.

Also how do members finish the worktop, i.e after flattening do you use a smoother plane or something else?

Do members use Festools for these operations, if so which ones? Do members use hand planes for these operations, if so which ones?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Andrew

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I am actually flattening a tabletop in my avatar.  I am using a jointer plane and a jack plane.    This is my favorite way because I love the tactile feel of hand tools, but it takes a long time and a lot of work.

If there is a cabinet shop near you, ask if they have (or know someone who has) a wide belt sander.  Many shops will do the job for you for a small fee or rent you time on their machine.

Another method is to make a sled that your router can move on.  Place cleats on either side of the sled at the edges of the table, then use a straight bit to route the entire table surface to the same depth.  Not fast, but no serious work either.

If the amount of flattening to do is not large, I start with a Rotex and end up with an ETS 150/3.  The 150 is always the got to machine for final sanding.

You will need a good long straight edge (or a freshly jointed board depending on how anal you wish to be) to measure progress frequently.  Start on the really high points and then move carefully to the barely high ones to avoid making new problems with a cut thats too deep.

Hope this helps.
Jess

 

[greg mann]

What Jessie said.

 

[peter halle]

Andrew,

[welcome]

I have used the sled and router method.  Not the fastest method but worked with my budget - already had the router and materials to build the sled, etc.  Then finished up with the Rotex.  Whatever you do, remember to not cut the table to size until after you flatten.  This will help ensure that the sides are square to the top.

Peter

 

[Michael Kellough]

Or, you can sand the whole thing with a high quality belt sander with a sanding frame.
The sanding frame prevents the sander from tilting (obviously) but it's most important
function in flattening a surface is that it limits the cutting action to the high spots, exactly what you need.

Spend 15 minutes going over the whole surface with 80 grit (or 60 grit if you have 2mm
displacement) and it'll be flat enough to switch to an RO sander. But, the table will get
flatter still if you continue with the belt sander and frame up through your next to last grit.

I wonder who makes such a useful tool?  :

 

[Neill]

I also think that spending a little extra time with your supplier to select the best boards up front will pay big dividends in terms of time you will save later on at the jointer, sander and planer.  You should also find a quality supplier even though they might be bit more expensive than the big box stores.  They will also allow you to return any merchandise that does not meet your specifications as long as you have not worked it.

Neill

 

[greg mann]

Or, you can sand the whole thing with a high quality belt sander with a sanding frame.
The sanding frame prevents the sander from tilting (obviously) but it's most important
function in flattening a surface is that it limits the cutting action to the high spots, exactly what you need.

Spend 15 minutes going over the whole surface with 80 grit (or 60 grit if you have 2mm
displacement) and it'll be flat enough to switch to an RO sander. But, the table will get
flatter still if you continue with the belt sander and frame up through your next to last grit.

I wonder who makes such a useful tool?  :

While I support Jesse's approach I also know your approach is a good one. Festool's belt sander is a serious machine. I do wish they would add it to the NA lineup. The fellow from whom I bought my CS70 has the Festool belt sander (220 volt, bought while working in the UK). He told me that he has routinely flattened tabletops in 15 minutes with it. The sanding frame is the enabler in this case.

 

[romlee]

I make table tops (large and small) as well as panels for cabinetry.

A few suggestions:
1.  Try to get your planks as straight, square and flat as possible before you glue up.  So if you have a jointer and planer at your disposal, use them.  This will make everything else go much more smoothly.  Orient your planks for grain match and direction.  Mark them with a "joiners triangle" or number them for sequence.
2.  I use a Domino to register (or reference) and mechanically "link" the planks together.  The Dominos are cut using the top as the registering/reference face.  This gets the planks as flat as possible on the top or face.  The Domino slot can be cut same size or at the middle setting on the machine depending upon how you plan to cut the top to its final length.
3.  Glue up.  Use opposing clamps top and bottom for the width and shorter clamps to level the joint ends.  I use a lot of waxed paper to avoid fouling the clamp bars.
4.  Scrap the excess glue after it starts to set up a bit (maybe 5 - 10 minutes for PVA glue).  Allow appropriate time for the glue to cure.
5.  Cut to final dimensions, level the top and finish sand.  I use a Rotex 150 to level and sand to 100g.  Then the ETS 150/3 to sand top, edges and ends.  I'll use the ETS 125 for final sanding the edges/ends because it's easier and less tiring to hold vertically.  It's been covered exhaustively in other FOG threads and I've learned that technique using these sanders is as important as using the right kind of equipment.

You probably know all of this and I apologize for wasting your time if you do.  Bottom line for me is that getting everything as flat, square and straight as possible, using the Domino (or standard biscuits for that matter) to make the top as flat/smooth as possible BEFORE you start leveling/sanding will save a lot of time/labor/expense/frustration.

 

[fobos8]

Many thanks

I'm fascinated by your answers. I posted the same question on a UK site and the general consensus was to use hand planes so its great to see a different set of answers mainly saying the same thing; use powertools (festool of course).

Thanks again, Andrew

 

[john ferri]

This is not quite what your asking, but here's what worked for me last weekend. I had purchase some lumber from my dealer, essentially a good deal on walnut all cut from the same tree, which included some beautifully rich dark pieces as well as some pale pieces. The pale secondary wood would not be suitable for a table top, but I joined it so that it would be the bottom of a blanket chest I'm making. This wood was mainly free of knots, but two boards had significant bow and some twist. I jointed the face of the four boards on my 6 inch sunhill long-bed jointer (cost less than my Festool planer). Squared the edges and marked the square edge and face. Flattened the second face in my modest Makita planer. Parallel cuts on longish narrow boards I do on my Jet bandsaw and cleanup the edges on the jointer.  These are my rough cutting tools and require minimal set up. Amazingly, my Festool CT33 handles the dust and chips from this messy job.

The bow was significant, so the boards were down significantly from 7/8, but perfect for my purpose. Edge glued the boards, which takes some skill and care to do properly. Used my newly cambered ECE coffin smoother to clean up the glue and true the surface and was rewarded with a pile of fragrant walnut shavings.  Cut the board to size (about the size of a coffee table top) with TS55 (cut was perfect from the combination blade--I honestly cant remember when I changed this blade--it seems to last forever with solid wood). I may do some light sanding with my Rotex, but the plane blade is sharpened with 2000 grit sandpaper, so sanding may simply abrade the surface, softening it to the touch, but reducing the clarity of the grain.

As a hobbyist, I took great satisfaction in using the whole tree in my project, as each piece of wood presents it own particular difficulty. This is the pleasure of working with organic materials as opposed to manufactured products or working only with the highest quality straight grained lumber.

JF

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Many thanks

I'm fascinated by your answers. I posted the same question on a UK site and the general consensus was to use hand planes so its great to see a different set of answers mainly saying the same thing; use powertools (festool of course).

Thanks again, Andrew

Thats what I love about woodworking - there are many different good answers to most questions.  Sometimes I like the speed and ease of power tools, other times I like the way hand tools let you get to know the wood more intimately.  Having said that, I don't think I ever finish a project without using a Festool or two...