![]() ![]() With the router collet extension, I can ensure that I have the full engagement of the router bit in the extension and the extension in the routers collet. combined that is over an inch of plunge just to clear the bottom of the bridge. ![]() The router bit has to reach through the large router base plate and the 3/4" MDF base of the sled bridge. I also use a Router Collet Extension to increase the reach of my router. Because the router bit cuts from the side and not straight down like a drill bit I have never found the need for the hold downs, but could be helpful to keep the router on track, especially on wider slabs. I have never had a problem with the router bouncing or bucking but you could add a set of hold-down strips to the bridge to keep the base plate from lifting. The base plate is important because it keeps the router on track as it slides back and forth across the sled bridge and allows the router bit to do its thing. I wrote a blog specifically about this router bit titled "Go Big or Go Home" definitely check it out if you want the finer details on this awesome router bit. An Infinity Mega Dado & Planer Router bit is my bit of choice for this task for a number of reasons. I use a Triton 3.25 hp router mounted to an Infinity Large Router Baseplate. The final piece of the sled is the router itself. You can see that my sled is made almost entirely of 6" wide strips of 3/4" MDF. The key is to oversize the sled in all three dimensions so that the router can plane the entire surface. The Planing Sled can be tailored to the slab or project being flattened. The dimensions can easily be modified for a slab of just about any size. There's a 3D SketchUp model you can download from our website and modify to suit your needs. I made this slot by marking out the opening, drilling a 1" hole at each corner and cutting the rest with an Infinity 1/4" Spiral Up-Cut router bit at the router table. I like to have a little more room and make the slot 4" wide and long enough so that the bit doesn't interfere when the router is at either end of the bridge. You can use the Mega Dado Planer bit to make a zero-clearance slot. The bridge also has a slot for the router bit. The ends of the bridge overlap the box sides to allow clamping the bridge in position with each router pass. The bridge is long enough to straddle the sled box. It's wide enough to securely hold the router mounted to an Infinity large router blaseplate (11-5/8" square). The second part of the sled is a bridge that holds the router and rides on top of the sled box. I also rough-cut the slab to size because I don't want to waste time and energy flattening large areas that will just be cut off later. If I plan to cut the slab down to a smaller size or even into a couple of pieces I try to give at least another week to acclimate after the initial rough cutting to allow the slab to adjust to its new form. Because slabs are typically larger and thicker I try to give them at least a week of acclimation per inch of thickness before I start cutting. This goes for both urban/salvaged lumber and slabs from more traditional sawmills alike.ĭon't forget that once you have the slab, give it time to acclimate to your shop just like any other piece of lumber. I've found it can take double that for such large chunks of timber. The old adage of drying lumber for one year per inch of thickness goes out the window for air-dried slabs as well. Depending on the size and species, a slab may take as many as two years of air drying before it can make its way into a kiln. Good slabs take time and experience to be properly cut and dried. This may be the hardest part but with urban lumber becoming more popular and available, there's a chance that there's a company salvaging and cutting slabs in your area.īut be careful when choosing a slab. The obvious first step to any slab project is to obtain a slab. or any other large surface that will not fit through the planer. The 2" cutting diameter of the Infinity Mega Dado & Planer bit make it perfect for flattening large surfaces like a live edge slab.
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