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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Carpentry Questions >> Large Planer/Burr Elm https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1209158813 Message started by Sandy on Apr 25^th, 2008, 10:26pm

Title: Large Planer/Burr Elm
Post by Sandy on Apr 25^th, 2008, 10:26pm

Hiya,

Does anyone know if there is such a facilty/service that might be able to plane (and hopefully thickness) a large piece of burr elm I have inherited? I'm ideally looking for somewhere in the Leeds/Wakefield area, but I'll consider further afield.

It's just under 6ft long x about 2.5ft wide x nearly 3inches thick and is just rough sawn at the moment. One end is bowed but can be planed out during preparation of the piece. I can see already that it has some nice figuring and colour to it and although I'm not 100% what I'm going to use it for, I'm reluctant to rip it down into smaller more mangable pieces.

I could hand/electric plane it, but that's just too much work (ok, yes, heathen I know). Any ideas/suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks.

Title: Re: Large Planer/Burr Elm
Post by jasonB on Apr 26^th, 2008, 7:41am

You will be unlikely to find a planer and thicknesser that will go that wide. It would be possible to put it through a wide drum/belt sander but that would only make it a regular thickness, you really need to plane one side flat first.

Other option to get a flat side would be to fix it to a CNC router bed and skim over the top then flip it to do the otherside and finish with the above sander.

I did have a site somewhere that sold large slabs as tabletops and they used some form of overhead planer to get a flat surface, see if I can find it later. It was in Japan so a bit far to travel ;)

Jason

Title: Re: Large Planer/Burr Elm
Post by woodsmith on Apr 26^th, 2008, 9:39am

I'm just wondering what you could use this for (table top?) as it may not be stable or practical to use it as is for anything else :-/ plus

it could be worth a lot of money if someone could cut veneers off it

Title: Re: Large Planer/Burr Elm
Post by Sandy on Apr 26^th, 2008, 7:22pm

I had a couple of ideas for the piece.

1) If I could find somewhere that had a bandsaw with enough height clearance, was maybe to saw the piece in half and reduce it's thickness and open it out like a book, ie 2 equal side that are a mirror image of each other (I'm not sure what the technical term for this is, although I'm sure there are numerous). Then, sand, polish and finish the pieces, move them apart and insert and fix a mirror to form a full length mirror.

2) An alternative was sommething like a dressing table top and use some other pieces of similar timber I have that are more managable to dimension to make a smaller mirror.

The wood has been felled for around 10years and has been kept dry since then, but without checking, I'm not sure of it's moisture content and it's possibility of further moving.

I'd never considered having it turned into veneer. Open question, how would I get this done and who would I sell it to? Why would anyone buy mine rather than go to a stockist?

Title: Re: Large Planer/Burr Elm
Post by jasonB on Apr 27^th, 2008, 7:53am

Any sawmill that has a bandsaw for converting trunks into beams or slabs will be able to resaw it into two so you can BOOKMATCH the pattern.

I have one that I use for green oak who would certainly do it but there should be one in your area, this is their portable machine, theres a bigger one in the yard

Few ideas what to do with it on thissite

Jason