Workers Of Wood

I recently made several cutting boards and of course they all needed to be sanded down. I don't have a sander besides hand ones and this takes a long time and is a lot of work to get the boards smooth and then they may not be very flat.
I devised this method of flattening them.
I had seen where some one makes a flattener to be used with their router, but they are generally a large and difficult to store apparatus.
I simply cut a board I had in half and clamped them the width of my router guide apart and it was finished.
I used a 1.5 inch Bottom Cleaning bit I bought on line from MLCS for 17.95.
You simply find the lowest spot on the board. I did this by laying a straight edge on edge and placing it on the board.
Set the bit to the depth of the lowest spot and depending on how wide you make the slot of the guide, you run the router from end to end and move the guide along until you cover the whole board.
Then flip it over, find the low spot and do the other side.
The board comes out very level and is the same thickness from end to end.
They took very little sanding and when done, I removed the clamps and stored the boards and the guide away until the next time.
This would have been easier if I had a plunge attachment to my router.
I hope this helps any one making cutting boards or any other board that needs flattening.

Bushwhacker (David)

Did you have any issue with the total depth of the jig plus your router base, and the total extended length of the bit?
On a another topic, you know the generic or Glad 'contractor garbage bags' ? They'll fit your garbage can better, if you aren't happy with the partial opening the standard ones offer. They do cost more but they're a lot more useful in the shop and garden.

NO, I had no problem with the length of the bit or the shaft. It worked fine. I did have a bit of a problem with the bit chopping a little bit in the softer woods of the cutting board. Plus I had to made shims to hold the board from sliding with the rotation of the bit. I picked up some 50 grit sand paper and that seems to be getting down deep enough to take out the rough spots left by the router blade.
On your second subject. I told Sandra when I seen the pictures I posted of my gig, that some one was going to say something about that small bag I used for my large trash can.
And, you get the prize..
I once, a while back, I believe it was in the Forum that we do not say its name, I ask about making a dust collector for my Chop saw.
Stick said to use a plastic bin. I did just that. I cut a hole in the side of a bin and attached it to the back of my saw table and attached a trash bag to it to catch the dust. It is a smaller trash can and sits on the floor behind my saw. So it takes the smaller bags.
I got tired of walking across the room to place stuff in the trash can and got this can from out side. I do have the larger bags but had trash in this one from where I had it hung up on a nail. Just thought I would use it until it was full.
But I do appreciate the suggestion my friend .

I just realized that I have posted more on this forum in the last week then I ever did on the old one in two months.
Why do you suppose that is.??

Bushwhacker ( David )

And 'Good on ya' for creating beef! Stocking the shelves, eh?