Thinning boards

[Quinny]

Hi,
Got a query on thinning back/sides and top boards with a thicknesser. I have made two soprano ukes, but the first set I got given boards - all good. With my second set I purchased them, not realising they are supplied over-thickness. Hence my sides cracked on bending, but managed to patch things ok.

So I now have new boards supplied at about 5mm for a tenor uke. I am thinking of purchasing a thicknesser, but the Ryobi only planes down to 7mm. The 909 model goes to 3mm, the Ozito one to around 5mm. There are the ones costing between $330-450 from Masters and Bunnings - can't justify spending more.

Three queries:
1) What are the risks of cracking 5mm boards in a thicknesser, assuming I take 1mm off at a time.
2) If I buy the Ryobi wth a 7mm, is it ok to add a securely fastened board through the whole feed tray to raise my work and overcome the 7mm planning height limitation?
3) What is the general method used to thin boards. It is standard to sand down all the boards by hand from eg 5mm to 2.5mm?
Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Andrew

[Bob Connor]

G'day Andrew and welcome to the forum

Most of us use a drum sander or a hand plane for thicknessing tops, backs and sides.

A thicknesser is not suitable for thinning down to 2.5mm. You'll end up with some very expensive wood chips - particularly if the wood has any figure in it.

Drum sanders are expensive. There may be a forum member near you who is willing to sand a few boards for you for the price of a six pack (or two).

Regards

[DarwinStrings]

There seems to be quite a few people that use DIY drum sanders on a budget Andrew, you could Google for ideas.

Jim

[kiwigeo]

A drum sander is the go. Failing that you can thickness by hand with a decent plane. For wood with difficult grain a scraper plane might be useful.

If you're going to be doing a few builds then a drum sander is a worthwhile investment.....it can be used for working down fretboards, making bindings and linings and a bunch of other jobs.

If youre in Adelaide Im happy to run your sides through my Drummie.

[56nortondomy]

Hi Andrew, i made my own thickness sander, not prefect but it does the job. Only cost me about a $100

http://woodgears.ca/sander/plans/

Wayne

[Kim]

Gday Andrew,

If you have a drill press then a safe-t-plane can quickly get you close to where you need to be to then finish off by hand. I have a few of the original Wagners. They're no longer made but these look okay.



http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-DRILL-PR ... 0985453431

Look around the net there's lots on how thay are used...One tip...have the drill press running flat out or they can be a bit dangerous.

Cheers

Kim

[simso]

I would not use a thicknesser below 5mm, the wood IMO will tear out in a bad way,

Like all references above, below 7, I use a drum sander, thicknessers are really good from 100mm to 20mm, below 20 they are okay but require light passes

[J.F. Custom]

Not much more to add to the above, but certainly wrong tool for the job. It is possible, but very risky.

You could also try local cabinet makers, or woodwork clubs/mens shed groups which seem to be everywhere and are often pretty well stocked for equipment etc. In some towns there are also workshops that hire out their machinery (to be used on site within their workshop) for an hourly rate.

Perhaps not a bad option for a one off job on otherwise expensive equipment.

Good luck.

Jeremy

[vandenboom]

Andrew
If you are prepared to declare where you live, someone in the area may be willing to offer use of their drum sander, as Bob suggested.
Frank

[ozwood]

Hi Andrew,

I'm Embarrassed to say I wood chipped a very nice highly figured piece of Tiger Myrtle making my First guitar doing exactly that, It was at the Guitar Making School using a thicknesser , The only consolation was a very attractive fellow student (female ........ before you say anything Kim or Martin) .
Gave Me a cuddle to try and soften the blow........ it did work a bit.

Cheers,

[chappy]

Hi Andrew,

Before I started building ukuleles, now up to No. 9, I used a friend's thicknesser as a test on hardwood and softwood.

The hardwood, which was a very small piece of Antarctic Beech, was very effectively chipped. The softwood, Sitka bracewood, was finished nicely.

I now own a 16-32 drum sander that will finish down to .8mm

Alan

[Quinny]

I just joined this forum and am grateful for all your responses - really generous of you all. Many of you have confirmed that a thicknesser is definitely the wrong approach and will create expensive wood chips as Bob/Alan/Steve suggested, but Paul, I don't have a lovely female student to console me!! Did a quick squiz at Google for make-your-own drum sander - as Jim and Wayne suggested - but it may be beyond me, and time as well, as I will be helping my nephew make one over Xmas.

Using a Safe-T-Plane looks a little hairy but could work - thanks Kim. Or trying to find a machine to rent may work - thanks Jeremy. I may check these options out if needed. I haven't really done much hand planning as some have suggested, so not too confident.

So it is clear to me now that my options are get a hand planer and get practicing, or do a major amount of hand sanding. Otherwise, as Bob/Frank suggested, if anyone can offer their drum sander that would be great. Thanks for the offer to help Martin, but I live in Box Hill Melbourne - happy to travel though. If anyone is able to offer to thin the boards I would be more than willing to pay a usage fee, buy a six pack or two or other gift of appreciation . I have 3 ukulele sets of top/back/sides, although 1 set is at 3.5mm, the other two sets are at 5mm.

I am now clear on what to do and what not to do - thanks guys.

Andrew

[vandenboom]

Well there you go Quinny, I live just down the street in Blackburn. You are welcome to drop by and use the drum sander.
I'll PM u my mobile.
Frank

[Quinny]

That's great Frank. thanks Heaps.

[colburge]

Get yourself a drum sander for sure if you are going to continue. I made one, but you have to feed the boards by hand, and if you are not careful you can scallop them, so I will eventually buy an automatic one. I would also definitely get a quality hand plane, I use it all the time and it was the single best investment I made. I used to muck around jointing plates and rooting around trying to get the mitre joint right on the neck, but now it takes me a couple of minutes. And thinning a board with a plane is quick too - just finish off with a scraper.

Col

[Quinny]

Thanks Col. Good to know it isn't as hard as I thought provided you have the right equipment.

[curly]

Another possibility would be to drop in on Alestair Boell who runs the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking at 79b Lexton rd Box Hill north . He has lovely machinery and is a good fella to boot .
Pete

[needsmorecowbel]

+ 1 Alastair... He's a Top Bloke

Stu

[ProfChris]

For ukes, even a block plane can do the job remarkably quickly, and is small enough to work on tiny plates. Planing cross-grain at an angle (45-60 degrees approx) is usually enough to prevent tear-out. It is essential to sharpen the blade well, and stop to resharpen whenever planing feels difficult. I'm still not great at sharpening, but I can get good results by regularly touching up the edge. Clamp the plate to the bench by two corners, plane away at the bits you can reach past the clamps taking off very thin shavings, turn the board regularly. Finish off with a cabinet scraper.

If like me you make only half a dozen ukes a year then it's hard to justify the cost and space of a drum sander. Besides, I can thin a uke top in about the time it would take to set up a drum sander and run the plate through it.

For highly figured wood I use a toothed blade in my block plane. But I've recently managed to find an old wooden smoothing plane with a nearly vertical toothed blade - fine V toothing, so I think it's a veneering blade, but it works really fast. It cost me the equivalent of two beers, so I'm entirely happy!

[hepikohetaniwha]

Two other advantages of hand planing: it is quiet, so you can listen to the radio while you work; and it creates no dust, just a pile of shavings.

[printer2]

I would be lost without my drum sander. Unlike others who made a sander on top of a stand I built one that I would pull out and put on a bench when I need it. Well it is permanently out it seems. I picked up a motor from a thrift shop for $10 and with a 2" x 6" piece of spruce I and some scraps I built a useful tool. I did get a really thick piece of a door that was cut out to put a window in. It is basically two 3/4" thicknesses of particle board with a smooth top. I use it as my platform and I mounted it with a piano hinge.

I got a 1/2" round bar and got some pillow blocks and a couple of sheaves and a belt. The drum of the sander was particle board that I cut out with a round whole saw. Stuck them on the bar with some epoxy. The round particle board discs were not all centered or even, I tapped some sandpaper to the platform and then raised it to the disks. It sands them all round and causes the disks to be all the same distance from the platform.

I do not have a mechanism to raise and lower the table, I just use a threaded rod coupler and a bolt. I have a big range on the table to the drum, I have used it to surface 2 1/2" inch thick wood on down to sides to 0.080". To get the thinner stuff done I just put a piece of wood under the threaded rod and adjust the bolt. The six faces of the bolt are a handy way of adjusting the depth of cut. I usually turn the bolt two or three faces to take off about 0.005". I built a dust collector hood for it, picture was taken before I put in the hole for the hose.

Really simple and dumb but still can do a fine job. A belt and motor drive to feed the wood through would be a nice feature but doing it by hand is not a great inconvenience if you are not going into production. If you can make a guitar you can make one of these.

[Quinny]

Thanks Chris, for the detailed hand planing tips. I think I will get some practice in.
Thanks printer2 (sorry don't know your first name) for the photos and detail for the build. Think it is the way to go as a home made drum sander can be used for so many other projects I am sure.
Anyone know the best place to get a motor for a home made drum sander?

[Quinny]

Also, big thanks to Frank who laboured y'day to thin my boards down. It was good to meet you, see your guitars. I'll get gluing!

[kiwigeo]

Anyone know the best place to get a motor for a home made drum sander?

Ubeaut Forums would be a good place to start: http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=186697

[auscab]

Hi Andrew,

For Motors shaft sizes and pulleys to match ring Michael at Melbourne Machinery .
He is nice to deal with , and will work out what you need as far the pulley sizes that match the motor size and shaft.

http://melbournemachinery.com.au/?gclid ... AidH8P8HAQ