Workbench III - Flattening

Today was router day!  I've been struggling with the temptation to buy a router for a couple of months now, but I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more new tools until I absolutely need them.

And I knew today that I couldn't go forward without a router.  J said that he would be able to borrow one from someone at work next week, but I wouldn't get that for another week or so and I really wanted to keep the ball rolling.

So this morning, I went off to Bunnings to buy the AEG 1350E plunge router.  Morley had sold out and I discovered that it's actually a promotional item and they won't get any more stock.  It's rrp is actually $225, but Bunnings were selling them for $99.

The sales guy checked around for me, and the only place that still had stock was Malaga - 1 left!  So feeling it was meant to be, I went screaming up to Malaga and got it.  Yay!

I also picked up some cheap melamine & plywood to make the sled for the flattening process.

First, I tried to get the bench base as level as possible on the ground, then I screwed the top down.

Then I cut the melamine into two pieces and attached them to the sides.  This was a tricky process and I probably could have done with another pair of hands, but seeing as there weren't any, I partially nailed holes into the boards and then, with the level balancing along the top edge, made little adjustments and then hammered them into place.  Once I'd done the other side too, levelled with each other, I went around and added screws too, to make sure there was no movement with the sled moving across the top.

It was an interesting exercise because up until this point, I would have said the surface was fairly level already.  But, hooley dooley, it was nowhere near!

Once I'd put the sled together...

The sled showing router gap

.. and got the router onto it, I realised that I'd made the rails too high because I couldn't get the bit to reach the lowest point, which seems to be this corner...

So I took a bit off the high point at the opposite corner ...

The sled on the rails

... and then took off the side rails and did it all again, much lower this time.  That did the trick and now I've started flattening in earnest!

I'm finding that I can do 10 passes at a time.  It's a pretty big bit (1" straight Diablo) and I don't want the motor to get too hot.  Plus, holding the trigger down means I have to grip it really hard and after 10 passes, I need to un-cramp.

Rails down and starting in earnest

The fallout...

... is immense!

It's leaving behind these little ridges, which some people seem to think you just leave to give the surface a bit of texture to hold your work.  But I don't think I'd be able to stand it!  Once the router passes are done, I think I'll go back with a sander and smooth it off.

But one step at a time.  The lesson I'm learning from this project is patience.  Every time I pick up a tool, I want to race to the ending somehow, but I'm trying to slow it all down and just focus on one thing then another.  No cutting corners.  There's no deadline.