The first time I used a router sled on a warped slab in Denver, I stopped fighting the wood forever

I used to spend two days hand-planing every bowed panel until my shoulders gave out, then last spring I built a 4-foot sled from scrap MDF and a borrowed Makita and flattened a 6-foot cherry butcher block in 40 minutes, has anyone else switched to powered flattening and never looked back?

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patricia_green216d ago

Oh yeah, once I got my sled dialed in I never touched a hand plane for flattening again. I had this figured maple top from a salvage guy, cupped like a taco, and I spent a whole weekend breaking a sweat with a #7 before I gave up. Borrowed a buddy's router and rigged up a sled from an old closet door, ran it across and it was flat in maybe 25 minutes. Your mileage may vary, but for me that was the moment I realized I was just doing things the hard way out of pride. Now I only hand plane for edges and small stuff, and my back thanks me every single time.