Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Woodworking). This thread is read-only.
Anyone ever used a router to true/square up a board? Maybe you glued together a large hardwood top and didn’t want to use a hand plane. Did the jig work well? If I ever decide on a router do I try out a jig? or do I get planes? I have never used a hand plane in my life that I can remember. Do I attempt to try planes even though I know nothing about them? or do I use what I know with routers in conjunction with a jig? or do I try both? I like my large oak tops. I have built 3 fairly large tops back when I had access to wide belt sanders at school of multiple feet in length and width and plan to make more for future projects. Wide belts were all I had ever known for how to get large tops all nice. I haven’t done much woodworking outside school yet.
I tried using my router once to flatten a board but it didn’t work out too well. To build a table top I run my boards thru my planner til i get the size I want and then glue them up. With a little bit of
light sanding I have a nice smooth top. That’s what works well for me.
The Wood Whisperer has a good video on flattening a table (bench) top with a router as does Matt Cremona. I’d suggest looking at them and figuring out which might work best for your scenario. I haven’t had the need to flatten a large surface yet, but if I do I will be trying a router sled before even considering hand planes.
Wood Whisperer:
Matt Cremona: