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Just ran into this like a week ago with a wood working video. "How to flatten a board without a planer!". The whole premise was that planers are expensive, so here a little trick for hobbyist........ The next scene was them using a router table jig that's like 5x more expensive then any planer.
I think they're just trying to show off...or trying to monetize to pay for the damn thing, lol
Just FYI, you can get a hand planer for pretty cheap. I see them at the thrift store all the time for like $1.
I've got plenty of hand planers, but hand planing isnt something you'd want to do for a large piece if you don't have a lot of time on your hands.
Plus the larger ones that you'd typically want to use for flattening a large board can run you more than an actual planer.
So have you found a solution for that? I've also run into the exact problem when i tried to flatten a board and all i can do after getting disappointed is using hand planner/electric hand planner 🤣
A possible solution in a pinch is to get an already flat surface, ideally larger than your board. Cover it in something that will transfer (ink, paint, toner etc). Rub the face of the board you want to flatten across your flat surface**. The** transfer substance will pass onto the high spot in your board. Scrape, chissle or sand the high spots down slightly.
Repeat this until most of your board is marked by the transfer substance. Your board will be mostly flat (or at least as flat as the reference surface).
This technique is used in metal work, but it's labour intensive. For woodwork to achieve sufficient flatness planes are quicker and produce a better surface finish. But if you don't have any large ones, this method might work if your desperate and don't want to buy new tools.
For a less accurate flatness. Place the board on the flat surface and push in the board to fell the points in contact with the flat surface. Then take those parts down.
The solution I have found is a sander and realizing you will never be perfect.
Look for the imperfections in the garbage they sell at the store. The bottom of your kitchen table. The inside of your kitchen cabinets. Those are the mistakes they're trying to hide.
There's a pretty easy solution if you have a decent plunging router with a good flattening bit head.
I set up two 2x6" along the length of my board I want to flatten, and then made a jig box for my router. The jig box is able to slide back and forth while resting across the 2x6, using the depth guide to keep the cuts at a level depth as you do your pass overs.
Hey! It's TranscendentalEmpire's YouTube experience all over again!
I mean, kinda? But a lot more basic wood working people already have access to a plunging router compared to a planer. One you can find new for 100 bucks or used for next to nothing, and the other is like 500 for a janky one.
Owning a router is a pretty standard purchase for anyone using power tools for woodworking, and if you don't have one they're pretty easy to buy for cheap on Craigslist.
There are some professional woodshops or wood suppliers that will run wood through a planer or drum sander for a fee. I have seen $50-100 for a table top size slab, double that if it has resin. So call around.