Making veneers for celtic knots

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underdog

underdog

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When you make these veneers for Celtic knots and need them to be the exact thickness of your saw kerf...
How do you get them down to the correct thickness? I can see resawing and getting it close, but my bandsaw doesn't cut so clean I can use it as a glue joint...
 
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Jim,
I have several methods that work:
1. I make thin rips on the tablesaw from a thick board allowing the slices to fall off on the outboard side of the blade. Sometimes I get it accurate enough to use as is.
2. If I'm really close but just a hair thick, I use a scraper or hand-plane to fine tune the ripped slice.
3. I have a long wood 'sled' for my planer. If the piece really needs to come down say 1/32 or more, I can run it thru the planer. The sled allows me to get down to below 1/8".
The three above methods are best used when the slice is 18" or longer (preferably, as long as possible).
On occasion, I've even grabbed the desired piece and used my belt sander upside down to take it down to the kerf's thickness. These are more trial and error than the other methods and I use it for shorter pieces.
 
I just finished building a vacuum rip fence to hold the cut offs. This with a good saw blade will allow you to do it all on the table saw.

http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/VacuumRipFence/VacuumRipFence.htm Vacuum Rip Fence

http://www.freud-tools.com/freuddiabfin.html The 7-1/4" version of this has only a 0.059" kerf.

GK
 
Not meaning to detour the topic but I would really like to see Gary's sled. I have a thickness planer and have been trying to figure out the best design for a sled for planning pieces shorter than the 10" minimum the planer guide requires.

I've been finishing the sanding on a piece sandpaper attached to a piece of glass and sometimes end up sanding my fingertips as well.
 
Change blades. IMHO of course.

Tip, think 1x6 or 1x8 with a couple of slats to hold your blank(s) where you want them on the sled. If you always use the same size blanks this is really easy. If not... I could see using t-track to have one side adjustable.

GK
 
Originally posted by gketell
<br />Change blades. IMHO of course.
GK
Click to expand...

Oh yeah.. You're right of course. I was using the our cabinet shop's TS and everyone and their dog uses it. So you're never sure what kind of shape it's in. I should get a good blade to go on mine. I suppose I could just sand the kerf marks out in the meantime.
 
Originally posted by tipusnr
<br />Not meaning to detour the topic but I would really like to see Gary's sled. I have a thickness planer and have been trying to figure out the best design for a sled for planning pieces shorter than the 10" minimum the planer guide requires.
Click to expand...
Bill,
I'll try to post pics sometime this week BUT I don't do short on the planer -- why bother?
If I'm going to make a contrasting slice and plane it that thin, I'm going to make it as long as I can. I often rip 24-32" slices of sapelle, plane to thickness and use that for my slices. I leave the slice as long as possible, and after gluing it into the kerf, I cut the long extra at the blank with a gent's backsaw (handsaw). I just keep working my way thru those long rip offcuts til I need more, then do it again. Same with the curly maple rip offcuts, except they're usually 4' - 8' long.
I have heard of some guys using double sided tape to affix a short thin piece to a sacrificial board and taking really light cuts thru the planer, but I think a scraper or handplane makes more sense for something that small.

Heck, by the time someone affixes it to the sacrificial board, adjusts the planer for a gnat's hair cut and runs it thru, using handtools I'll be done. [;)]
 
Unless you have an ultra slow and sharp planer, I would think you'd run the risk of tearout (or tear-up) and/or knife marks. I'm not sure I'm sold on that method of reducing stock that small. I think I'd rather learn how to use a cabinet scraper or handplane. I think one of the best solutions might be to make that drum sander attachment for my mini...

Anyway, all of your input is much appreciated, and I'll let you know what I manage to do...
 
I use a drum sander. I use a dot of CA glue to fix the strip to a scrap plywood carrier and run it through the sander. Leaving the back end of the strip free makes it easy to lift the strip to use a caliper to check thickness.
 
Originally posted by George7
<br />I use a drum sander. I use a dot of CA glue to fix the strip to a scrap plywood carrier and run it through the sander. Leaving the back end of the strip free makes it easy to lift the strip to use a caliper to check thickness.
Click to expand...

Sounds like an excellent method to me... this was kinda what I had in mind when I axed the question. I just don't have a drum sander... Like I said, time to make the sanding attachment huh?
 
Jim, there is the option of making a drum sander that attaches to your lathe and is driven by your lathe itself. I know I saw it sometime somewhere... Start Googleing, it's out there somewhere!

(oh, and let me know when you find it!
 
I built a jig for my miter saw and cut all my celtic knots on it. Use a good Freud Diablo 80 tooth thin kerf blade and theres no need for any sanding at all [:D]
 
Actually I think that several versions of that sanding attachment are available here:

http://www.woodturningonline.com/Turning/Turning_articles.html

It's at the very bottom of the page, but the other article are worth checking out. Bookmark this for sure!
 
Wow! Thanks Ron! The link to the little strip sander is awesome! That alone was worth the price of admission.

I'll knock one of those out for sure, and then I'll be able to glue up some stuff. I got a bunch of mahogany and teak stips that were different thicknesses, and not well cut. Now I can send those through the drill press sander, and have it come out right. Whoo hoo!
 
I built a thickness sander attachment for my lathe. It's basically a drum sander with a hinged table that adjusts the thickness. It works great with a few provisos:
1. Dust collection is a must.
2. The piece must be long enough to hold onto from both ends. If you let go of the veneer, it becomes a missile. Ask me how I know.
3. Keep the piece moving through the sander at a constant rate. Any hesitation will dig into the veneer giving it an uneven thickness.

I will also point out that MicroMark offers a small thickness sander. I have not tried it. But if you're thinking about buying it wait for their annual sale.
 
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