The hottest trend in interior design these days is live edge slabs. And, why not? The natural curves of the trunk give an organic feel. The crazy grain patterns in crotches and burls are eye-catching. Even cracks that would have sent lumber to the burn pile just a few years ago are being controlled and enhanced with butterfly patches and epoxy inlays. However, slabs present some challenges in the shop. Overall width and weird grain changes make the use of a jointer and thickness planer impractical if not impossible. But now you can accurately flatten live-edge slabs and other oversized stock faster and easier than you ever thought possible with Woodpeckers Slab Flattening Mill.
Woodpeckers Slab Flattening Mill guides your router over your slab in a controlled plane. Since you’re using a router instead of a planer-style cutterhead, tear-out is minimal…the surface will only need light sanding afterwards. The Slab Flattening Mill starts with two aluminum extrusions. The inverted “V” shape of these main rails sheds sawdust and provides a solid base for the mating extrusion. The second extrusion fits over the inverted “V” and glides on UHMW polyethylene runners. Simply mount the mill to any flat and level work surface…even a sheet of MDF on a pair of sawhorses. When you’re done, the modular design stores conveniently.
We now offer the Slab Flattening Mill in 3 sizes to accommodate the needs of every slab woodworker. If you’re tight on shop space and are planning to do end-grain cutting boards and end-table-sized slabs, our smallest Slab Flattening Mill will handle work up to 24" x 48". The Basic Slab Flattening Mill accommodates slabs up to 38” x 57”. The Extended Slab Flattening Mill adds an additional pair of 72" rails that can either replace the cross rails to increase width, or connect with the base rails to extend length. The capacity grows to either 62” x 105” or 38” x 129”. These huge capacities are great…when you need them. Remember, though, you can always mount the rails closer together when it suits your project. See the chart in the photos for a guide to all the maximum size configurations. All sizes of the Slab Flattening Mill can accommodate stock up to 3-7/16" in thickness. If your stock is thicker than that, you can use shop-made spacers to raise the Slab Flattening Mill. Conversely, if you are dealing with thin stock, you can use the same approach on the underside of your thin stock. Since all routers vary in height capacity and router bits vary in overall length, you may need to elevate your stock or elevate the mill in order to achieve the desired results of the Slab Flattening Mill.
Using the Slab Flattening Mill is as easy as sliding your router across the slab and back, moving over a little less than the width of your cutter and repeating until you’re done. It works best with a variable speed router of 2 horsepower or more. You’ll get done sooner if you stick to a large diameter spoil board style bit. We’ve done some of the shopping for you and offer a couple of suggested router bits. One is an economical brazed carbide bit from Whiteside. The second one, from Amana, features reversible/replaceable carbide inserts so you can always have sharp edges.
This process produces lots of shavings. Our new optional dust collection port bolts to the carriage and rides along right beside the exit point of the shavings. It works with either shop vacuums or larger dust collectors. A brush surrounds the pick-up area, trapping the shavings equally well on smooth or uneven slab surfaces. Mounts to the carriage with 6 simple screws, replacing the carriage end-stops. This will retro-fit to any Woodpeckers Slab Flattening Mill, regardless of when you bought it.
Don’t put off that natural edge project you’ve been dreaming about any longer. Order your Woodpeckers Slab Flattening Mill today!
- Country of manufacture: United States
Additional Info
- Creating unique, organic-feeling furniture pieces with live edge slabs
- Enhancing the visual appeal of wood through controlled cracks, butterfly patches, and epoxy inlays
- Flattening oversized stock that cannot be processed by a jointer or thickness planer
- Making end-grain cutting boards with a smooth, even surface
- Building end-table-sized slabs for custom furniture projects
- Accommodating large woodworking projects such as dining tables and countertops
- Adjusting to work with varying thicknesses of wood, including very thin or thick slabs
- Producing minimal tear-out on wood surfaces, requiring only light sanding after flattening
- Saving workshop space with its modular design that can be easily stored
- Enhancing workshop safety and cleanliness with an optional dust collection port
- Crafting custom woodworking projects without being limited by the size of the wood piece
WARNING! This product can expose you to chemicals, including chromium, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Download Manual Instructions
Slab Flattening Mill - Woodpeckers
