How close do you joint / plane / drum sand to get to final dimensions?

[Alan Lightstone]

I clearly need to rework my workflow. I have a number of Sapele boards that are 4/4 and need to be worked down to 3/4" in order to build a cabinet. Clearly the jointer and planer can take off the most wood the quickest, but I planed the first board too close to final dimensions, and didn't leave myself the ability to work up from 80 to 120 to 150 grit on the drum sander as the wood's dimensions had already reached 3/4".

Second attempt I jointed and planed to about .825", and then worked up through the grits on the drum sander, but it took many passes.

How close to final thickness do people joint and plane their wood before using a drum sander?

Any other hints to make the workflow more efficient?

[glenn bradley]

I don't have a drum sander and therefor joint and plane pretty close. I realize 'pretty close' isn't a number but, the surfaces off my jointer and planer usually only require a light treatment with a scraper or perhaps 220 followed by 320 depending on the material. I see no reason to take a board off a planer and start sanding at 80 grit. Is the surface requiring that much treatment after the milling work?

[Myk Rian]

After planing, I just use a cabinet scraper to get any lines, then a light sanding with 220.
80 grit? That's awful rough to start with.

[David Kumm]

Because I'm not in a production setting I stop when all pieces have a good finish with no tear out or burn marks. doesn't matter if .75, .82 whatever. In fact I try to avoid 3/4 just because it is the standard. My last run is always the back side of the board so a problem isn't fatal. Dave

[Alan Lightstone]

I've been using 80 grit just so that it will dimension more rapidly on the drum sander. Clearly I could start with 120, but still wondering how close I should plane to.

[Erik France]

You probably ought to think of it in the other direction "How much do I want to sand off?"

How much will the required passes from the sander be taking off to get your desired wood finish (220, 320 etc.) ? Then just add what's coming off with the sander to your final desired thickness to see what thickness you ought to be going down to with your planer.

[Phil Thien]

I get one face flat at the jointer, then I visit the bandsaw where I take the thickness down to approx. 13/16. Then I use the sander from there.

If there is tearout from jointing (straight knives), I will sometimes compensate by going a little strong on the 13/16, so I can sand the jointed (tearout) side a little more.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Alan, I joint the material, then plane to 0.5mm larger than final dimension (a bit more than 1/64" oversize). My planer has a digital height readout so it's easy to do.

Then I use a cabinet scraper or lightly sand with 180, then 240 paper, by hand, or random orbital sander.

Since my planer leaves extremely faint mill marks, one or two strokes with a cabinet scraper or a few strokes with a hand sanding pad is all that's required to take 0.25mm off each face.

Likewise a single pass with a plane will remove the mill marks in one swipe.

I don't own or use a drum sander.................Regards, Rod.

[Chip Lindley]

I face joint, then plane (straight-knives) to around 13/16", then drum-sand at 100 grit. If all my pieces clean up proud of 3/4" I quit while I'm ahead! After all, 3/4" is not written in stone!

~Chip~

[Kent Chasson]

If there is tearout from jointing (straight knives), I will sometimes compensate by going a little strong on the 13/16, so I can sand the jointed (tearout) side a little more.

That's how I think about it. With spiral cutters, wood that planes well, and a planer with a good set-up, you could go all the way to .750" and skip the drum sander. With straight knives and figured wood, you may want to start drum sanding at .875". I try to leave only enough extra thickness to get out any imperfections left by the planer. How much that is depends on how well my planer is cutting.

[Alan Lightstone]

I find that it's all too easy to overdo things with the planer, plus it doesn't have a digital readout, which would help immensely. My drum sander doesn't have DRO either, so lots of measuring steps getting down to final dimensions.

My planar does have spiral cutters, so I don't have great needs to sand off mill marks. And I'm presently using some straight grained sapele.

[Don Jarvie]

The key is getting all the wood the same thickness whether it be 3/4, 13/16, etc.

My process is to mill the wood to rough cut size usually a 1/4 of an inch longer and wider. Then all of the wood that needs to go through the planer goes next. Face joint if necessary, set the planer and run 1 side of every board though. Adjust planer, run the other side, etc to the final thickness.

This way all of the boards will get the planed to the final thickness. If you do this in batches you have to re-adjust the planer and unless you have a digital readout you never get it back to the same exact thickness as the other batch.

[Bruce Page]

I leave about 1/16 before drum sanding with 150 and then 220. Sometimes I will bypass the 150 all together.

[Mike Harrison]

The key is getting all the wood the same thickness whether it be 3/4, 13/16, etc.

+1

I estimate the material needed, add about 20%, and plane it all at once. Then cut the pieces, leaving room to joint edges and final end trimming. I do take care to select boards that ensure continuity across the piece for rails, aprons, drawer fronts, etc..