After running bandmills and being a avid woodworker...I've been pondering on building an overhead planer!.
There is a fellow on youtube that built and is doing the same things I'm talking about and it works great! I've been thinking of this for years and just never have done it yet!
Here's the deal.......
build a frame too whatever length you need.....this need too be made of steel because straightness is going too be important and keeping things straight forever!.
Using an old planer head of whatever width (I'm going too use a 24" head from an old old planer) mount the head too an overhead track system with steel rollers that will allow the head too travel down the track while staying straight!.
The board will be placed on the table and clamped into place with an automatic clamp that will hold the board down the table at several places too keep the board in place while planing.
If the board dont lay flat, this is good!...leave it that way and it clamps where its at!.
Run the planer down the length of the board taking light cuts with very sharp blades!. Once the board is planed down smooth and flat, remove the board and run it through a thickness planer too your desired thickness!.
What you will end up with is a truly flat board that is much easier too make than using your jointer!. The ovehead planer works same as a jointer too flatten one side of the boards taking cups and twists out of the board. And being as the board is stationary, it should be a lot more accurate than trying too run long boards across a jointer and get them right!. The overhead planer would just be a giant upside down jointer!.
Seems complicated but with would work about the same as a bandsaw mill....moving the cutter thru the wood instead of the wood thru the cutter!
There is a fellow on youtube that built and is doing the same things I'm talking about and it works great! I've been thinking of this for years and just never have done it yet!
Here's the deal.......
build a frame too whatever length you need.....this need too be made of steel because straightness is going too be important and keeping things straight forever!.
Using an old planer head of whatever width (I'm going too use a 24" head from an old old planer) mount the head too an overhead track system with steel rollers that will allow the head too travel down the track while staying straight!.
The board will be placed on the table and clamped into place with an automatic clamp that will hold the board down the table at several places too keep the board in place while planing.
If the board dont lay flat, this is good!...leave it that way and it clamps where its at!.
Run the planer down the length of the board taking light cuts with very sharp blades!. Once the board is planed down smooth and flat, remove the board and run it through a thickness planer too your desired thickness!.
What you will end up with is a truly flat board that is much easier too make than using your jointer!. The ovehead planer works same as a jointer too flatten one side of the boards taking cups and twists out of the board. And being as the board is stationary, it should be a lot more accurate than trying too run long boards across a jointer and get them right!. The overhead planer would just be a giant upside down jointer!.
Seems complicated but with would work about the same as a bandsaw mill....moving the cutter thru the wood instead of the wood thru the cutter!