Tools for the job?

[Zoe Stevens]

I picked up two 20" diameter slices of maple for a little end-table project, something I can sit outside and work on this summer and would be doable with my level of experience (practically zero) and sand paper. When I saw the slices I realized why they were so cheap: they are chainsaw cuts are VERY rough. At their thickest, they are probably 3" thick, and and their thinnest maybe half that, and it's not a smooth incline.  I still want to try but this is well beyond my original plan which was mostly just sit-there-and-sand.

What tools would you recommend for this job?  I was thinking of a scrub planer and just work at it till it's more or less level and then a fore planer to really flatten it, then sandy sandy.  But if y'all have any more ideas, techniques or recommendations I am all ears! Due to space constraints I am limited to small tools only and would prefer to not use any power tools (for achievement and pride feelings) but I am open to small power tools if it'll really make my life easier.

I added some pictures. These are their good sides, from the best angle, in the best lighting, and they look considerably worse IRL. So I guess this might not be a helpful photo.

[Eric.]

I fear that you may have bigger problems with your pieces of lumber than getting them smooth.  When you say "20" diameter slices," I assume that means you bought two "coins," which are cross sections of a log, that look like this...?

 

If this is what you have, I wouldn't recommend putting TOO much labor into them, because they're going to crack badly, they always do and nothing can stop it.

Also, you'll be dealing with 100% end grain, which is notoriously difficult to work.  I can't really think of a great way to get them flat and smooth without something like a drum sander.  Your best bet would probably be a belt sander.  Fairly cheap, easy to use, and if you buy lower grit paper you could probably get through the work fairly quickly.  But again, it's only a matter of time before those discs will crack and crumble.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[Zoe Stevens]

8 minutes ago, Eric. said:

I fear that you may have bigger problems with your pieces of lumber than getting them smooth.  When you say "20" diameter slices," I assume that means you bought two "coins," which are cross sections of a log, that look like this...?

If this is what you have, I wouldn't recommend putting TOO much labor into them, because they're going to crack badly, they always do and nothing can stop it.

 

Yeah, that exactly. They are already cracked. I don't really mind that, I just wanted a time consuming, inexpensive, rustic project to occupy my hands over the summer. I was hoping they would stop cracking once they were done and indoors and sealed, though.  My grandparents had a similar table when I was a kid, it was a thick slice, coated in resin, and mounted on a stump - and so beautiful (the balance was terrible, though, and I tipped it over many times). That's kind of what I have in mind, although mine won't be as nice. But I am quite happy for it to turn out looking like a hunk of wood with questionable general appeal, so long as I'm proud of it!

[Eric.]

6 minutes ago, Zoe Stevens said:

 

I was hoping they would stop cracking once they were done and indoors and sealed, though.

Sorry, they probably won't.  In fact they'll crack severely once you bring them inside because they'll dry out even faster and most likely they'll crumble to pieces.  "Sealing" them with finish will have little to no effect.  Short of dipping them in an epoxy bath - essentially coating them in plastic - there's not much that can be done.  I'm not trying to dissuade you from pursuing the project, I just want you to prepare yourself for the likely end result.

[Zoe Stevens]

Just now, Eric. said:

Sorry, they probably won't.  In fact they'll crack severely once you bring them inside because they'll dry out even faster.  "Sealing" them with finish will have little to no effect.  Short of dipping them in an epoxy bath - essentially coating them in plastic - there's not much that can be done.  I'm not trying to dissuade you from pursuing the project, I just want you to prepare yourself for the likely end result.

Darn. Thanks for the heads up!

Okay, so let's say I want to proceed anyway, with the same goal of evening and smoothing it out, and I have lots of time but not infinite patience (I'm fine if I feel I'm making progress, even if it's slow) and I don't want to pour too much money into this - would a moderate quality scrub plane do the job ok?

[Eric.]

Yeah a scrub plane would flatten it but won't do much to smooth it.  Scrub planes are designed to take heavy cuts and will leave a scalloped surface.  That may be good enough?

You'll also need a way to sharpen a scrub plane.  Do you have stones and know how to sharpen?

A belt sander with a 40, 80 and 120 grit belt will get the job done fairly quickly and probably won't cost you much more than an old antique scrub plane.  It will make a whole lot of dust though.

Also, if you don't mind that "encapsulated in plastic" look like your grandparents' table, you might look into coating it with epoxy.  That's certainly the best way to stabilize a disc like that...but at the expense of the plasticky look that most woodworkers hate.  It's an option though...

[Zoe Stevens]

2 minutes ago, Eric. said:

Yeah a scrub plane would flatten it but won't do much to smooth it.  Scrub planes are designed to take heavy cuts and will leave a scalloped surface.  That may be good enough?

You'll also need a way to sharpen a scrub plane.  Do you have stones and know how to sharpen?

A belt sander with a 40, 80 and 120 grit belt will get the job done fairly quickly and probably won't cost you much more than an old antique scrub plane.  It will make a whole lot of dust though.

Also, if you don't mind that "encapsulated in plastic" look like your grandparents' table, you might look into coating it with epoxy.  That's certainly the best way to stabilize a disc like that...but at the expense of the plasticky look that most woodworkers hate.  It's an option though...

Okay excellent!  Are you suggesting a belt sander instead of a scrub plane? Or to start with a scrub plan and then use a belt sander to smooth out the scalloping? We might even have a belt sander. And I do think we have a sharpening stone and someone probably knows how to use it.

I don't mind the plastic look at all, I think it's a nostalgia thing. I just figured that would be a LOT of epoxy.  I guess I'll see how it comes along!

[Eric.]

It would be a lot of epoxy. LOL  But aside from a lot of epoxy I don't really know how to stabilize one of those rounds.  That's why pretty much every one you see that hasn't fallen apart is coated in a LOT of epoxy.   I would also wait until it has dried considerably before coating it, if you go that route.  You don't want to encapsulate wet wood...even epoxy can't overpower that kind of wood movement.

By all means, if you have access to a scrub plane (or any other low angle plane for that matter), give it a shot.  I was assuming you didn't have any tools and you were gonna have to buy something to do the work.  In which case I would suggest a belt sander.  Start with 40 grit and work the surface until it's flat.  Then move to 80 grit then 120 grit.  A belt sander will also be a lot less physical work than a hand plane, and you don't really need any skill to use it.

[Zoe Stevens]

2 minutes ago, Eric. said:

It would be a lot of epoxy. LOL  But aside from a lot of epoxy I don't really know how to stabilize one of those rounds.  That's why pretty much every one you see that hasn't fallen apart is coated in a LOT of epoxy.   I would also wait until it has dried considerably before coating it, if you go that route.  You don't want to encapsulate wet wood...even epoxy can't overpower that kind of wood movement.

By all means, if you have access to a scrub plane (or any other low angle plane for that matter), give it a shot.  I was assuming you didn't have any tools and you were gonna have to buy something to do the work.  In which case I would suggest a belt sander.  Start with 40 grit and work the surface until it's flat.  Then move to 80 grit then 120 grit.  A belt sander will also be a lot less physical work than a hand plane, and you don't really need any skill to use it.

I might have to buy a scrub plane... I have access to a small tool shed full of random small tools in various conditions and of various quality, I might not know till I get started!

Thank you for all the options and ideas - now I know what to look for in the shed and what to buy if I can't find it!

[Janello]

@Zoe Stevens You must have caught Eric in a good mood. You got him to talk about rustic furniture for more than one post. Good job!

[Eric.]

Just now, Janello said:

@Zoe Stevens You must have caught Eric in a good mood. You got him to talk about rustic furniture for more than one post. Good job!

I'm leaving for vacation in T-minus 15 hours so yes I'm in a great mood at the moment.  I need to pack a few more things and I'm OFF, outa here!  Margarita time!

[Janello]

1 minute ago, Eric. said:

I'm leaving for vacation in T-minus 15 hours so yes I'm in a great mood at the moment.  I need to pack a few more things and I'm OFF, outa here!  Margarita time!

Knew it !  LOL

Enjoy Brutha.

[h3nry]

Once it's totally dry (could take a while) it should stop cracking more, but it will still be subject to seasonal movement with humidity changes - so they will never be totally stable.

I made this clock from a similarly cracked, but smaller, round - but it had been drying for 14 years! Planes helped to get the surface approximately smooth (but you will need to keep them razor sharp on all that end-grain) then lots of sand-paper starting with very coarse grits. If you get hold of a belt-sander I'd skip the planes altogether. I just finished it with polyurethane, and so far it has had no problems, but it lives indoors in a climate without big humidity swings.

 

[sjk]

You can do what you want with hand planes, although working on all that end grain will be a lot of work (it's more difficult to plane than edge/face grain).

The heavy camber (think radius of the curve on the end of the blade) of a scrub plane is designed to quickly remove wood - it would be a good one to consider.

But, don't buy a scrub plane - you can convert a beat-up plane into a scrub plane easily and save cash.  Check out the Renaissance Woodworker video on doing just that:

http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/fore-plane-restoration/

To smooth things you'll want a low angle plane (low angle helps slice end grian better).  If you have some bevel up planes to use, you could also sharpen one of them to take the place of the scrub/fore plane.

To do this with hand planes you will HAVE to be able to sharpen them well.  You mentioned you might have a sharpening stone you could use - you'll actually need a few of them (like sandpaper, different grits).  If you haven't got a good sharpening solution, there are many to choose from, ranging from ~$30 for sandpaper and a guide (a.k.a. "scary sharp" method), to several thousand.

 

[Ronn W]

3" to 1 1/2" ??  If you plan to take off more than about 3/4" you might consider shaving it with a chain saw to take the bulk of it off.

[Pwk5017]

i like belt sander with 36 grit, but you can always make a flattening jig for your router.