Finishing Timbers, Jointing Long Beams?

[Kicker_92]

Hi all, haven't been on here for a while but am getting to the stage of finishing some beams we cut two years ago.

I need to smooth, square, and straighten some timbers for our frame that are around 18" x 10" x 28ft. Too big for a planer, and might be too large of a project to do by hand. I've looked at laying them down and using a floor sander, but that will only smooth not square or straighten them.

With the CSM, I don't have a carriage bed to setup as a planing station, but do have a 12" portable planer that could be taken apart.

Had an idea to use a small tabletop jointer as a large power hand planer and run down each side of the timber, but it might be too heavy, and will only cut 5" in from the edge.


Any suggestions of whats been done on other jobs with large beams to mill?

 

[betterbuilt]

Some of your ideas seem pretty scary to me. I'd use a Electric Hand Planer to get two sides close and then run the CSM down it to level the other two sides.

Then I'd get the floor sander.

Good luck and stay safe.

 

[redoakneck]

That is some big sticks!!!! No idea how to do what you want, but I'll be watching

 

[newmexico]

somewhere here in this milling forum amongst the threads/posts is a router attached to a carriage you tube link.. give me a moment and I'll see if I can find it and also think on if it would work to square things....

 

[Kicker_92]

I've seen the router sleds, and contemplated making one with an hand held power planer.

The hard part is making the ends square enough for some detailed timber joinery.

 

[newmexico]

assuming you get the beams square and flat lengthwise-- a large circular saw does pretty good on getting the ends square and level with the rest.. something like this might work- course you'd have to scribe a square line and cut twice on each end

powertoolscentre - Makita 5402NA 16-5/16-Inch Circular Saw (Powered by CubeCart)

 

[betterbuilt]

somewhere here in this milling forum amongst the threads/posts is a router attached to a carriage you tube link.. give me a moment and I'll see if I can find it and also think on if it would work to square things....

here you go.

[video=youtube;t51SSP12Gk8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t51SSP12Gk8[/video]

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Hi all, haven't been on here for a while but am getting to the stage of finishing some beams we cut two years ago.

I need to smooth, square, and straighten some timbers for our frame that are around 18" x 10" x 28ft. Too big for a planer, and might be too large of a project to do by hand.

A long bed BSM would take care of them in no time at all.

Rob

 

[Kicker_92]

A long bed BSM would take care of them in no time at all.
Rob

That was my first thought, and I've seens a long carriage mill that someone clamped on a planer to finish beams.

Tried out the big power planer (modified table jointer) last night and it worked pretty well. Much more even of a cut at 6" wide than the small handheld power planers, but lacks some finness of doing it all by hand.

The next job is to figure out how to rotate them for the next face...

[edit, photo attachment isn't working, will add one later...]

 

[Kicker_92]

Picture:

 

[SDB777]

Just the thought of doing that makes my sphincter tigthen to the point I could crush coal into diamonds.....


Be safe!!!!







Scott B

 

[Kicker_92]

Be safe!!!!

I'm not sure how it's differant than other large planers, other than being a bit heavier? For example: Timberwolf Tools of Freeport, Maine - Makita KP312 12-1/4" Power Planer

What safety features could I add, or how do you see this going wrong?

 

[BlueRider]

I think the makita 12" planer would be the tool to have but at $1,500 it is probably out of reach for most of the guys that could really use it. the makita 6" is still a bit pricy at $400 but you see those and the 3" planers on ebay at decent prices. I think any of these would be a wiser choice than what youare using if for no other reason then they have both a knob and a tote so you would have greater control. Another good reason to make the switch would be for better chip ejection. the jointer you are using probably ejecst the shavings out the bottom which is now the top or at best they are ejected to one side but at a downward angle which is now up. the planers eject the chips out the side.

It is not necessary for the beams to be straight and square, they only need to look straight and square. You can use a level and square to lay out the ends so the joinery on each end is square to the other end regardless of what happens in the middle.

 

[Kicker_92]

Thanks Bluerider,

Don't you need at least two faces that are square to each other for reference planes when laying out the joinery?

This is new to me, still trying to understand going from mill rule to square rule on the layout.

 

[BlueRider]

If you needed to cut a tennon on each end of a board like the one in the picture that you posted the beam dosent have to be perfectly straight or square to have joinery that is square.

The first step would be to run a string line so that it is in the center of each end. it can be several inches off center in the middle and this wont matter at all. mark next to the string each end and about a foot back from each end. this will be your center line and the refrence you will use to make the ends square as well as the shoulders of the tennon square.

If you started with the beam in a sme what level position it is easier. by this I mean if the ground is level and the beam is blocked up the same on each end the middle can be higher or lower and it wont matter. you can plumb down for the end cuts as well as use a hand held level on the ends and now the tennons will be square to each other even if the beam is crooked.

Think about how you can use a level rather than a square to get square refrence lines and you will get a better mental picture of what I am trying to explain.