planing

[chips ahoy]

[URL=http://s85.photobucket.com/user/woodworker_01/media/cutting%20board%20001_zpsavmzuyr7.jpg.html][/UR

I glued up this cutting board,it is 1 1/2" thick, 12" wide and 16" long. I have a DW734 DeWalt planer,can I run this through the planer taking very light cuts? Woods are Bocote,ash,bloodwood,birch and purpleheart. Or would it be better to sand.

Mel

[Bill Wilson]

Being that all the strips are long grain, I see no reason not to run it through the planer.  

I'm not sure how much potential there is for dust migration between the darker woods and the lighter woods during sanding, so perhaps a cabinet scraper would be better than sanding for the final smoothing step.  Just a thought.

[joe1086]

I see no reason not to run it through the planer.  

Yep

[hairy]

Exactly what kind of turning blank is that?

[chips ahoy]

Exactly what kind of turning blank is that?

Forgive me Hairy,for I have strayed.Been a long time since I have done flat work. I am also doing a set of segmented salt and pepper grinders for the same person, so that should even things out. Thanks guys, I was thinking the same thing with the dark sanding dust and the light wood. So into the planer tomorrow.

Mel

[Steve N]

Mel, i'd suggest light cuts. All of the different woods will have different hardnesses, and therefore impact the cutters with more or less force to shear off your requested amount of wood. Asking for a thicker cut may allow it to power through lighter, easier to cut species, while causing tear out on some species. Similar to what you see in "curly" woods with softer, and harder bands/stripes of wood.

Bocote hardness 2,010 lbf  


White Ash hardness 1320


Black Ash is only 850 Other Ash species differ as well.


Bloodwood hardness 2900


Yellow Birch hardness 1280 Other Birches may be harder, or softer.


Purpleheart hardness 2520


Look under workability for each, and they differ slightly, but the Harder woods usually have flags for workability, dulling cutters, etc. This goes directly to the point I am making. Light very fine passes may take more time, but will ultimately make for better results.

[chips ahoy]

Thanks Steve,my intention was to take 1/32 at a time,think that might be light enough and is usually what I plane at and get a nice smooth surface. My concern was the different hardness of the wood.I will make the first pass and see what happens.

Mel