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Thread: 9.5ft Bowed Face Board - How to Proceed

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    9.5ft Bowed Face Board - How to Proceed

    I have a 9.5 foot long board. about 7 inches wide. 8/4 rough oak.

    It has a good 1/4" bow on its face.

    I need to get that bow out before I plane it, and its just too long for even my 8" jointer.

    What is the recommended method? Scrub plane the ends of the board, or the middle of the other side. then run it through the planer? Use an electric hand plane? Use a router sled? Making extensions to my jointer doesnt sound fun, plus my shop is 20ft long, so the 9.5 ft board is making out my shop when u consider infeed plus outfeed room.

    What do yall suggest... tempting if i need to buy a scrub, electric, jack plane, or build a sled, or just go at it with my belt sander?
    -------------------------------------
    Adrian Anguiano

    "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Jeremiah 29:11

  2. #2
    Stand on the outfeed end of your jointer and, starting in the middle, pull the work across the cutters. Reverse and repeat.

  3. #3
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    The first question is do you need a 9.5' finished board? If not, the rest is easy; cut to rough length first and then proceed.

  4. #4
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    If you are up to a little road trip bring it by and we can joint it here. I have a 16" Oliver jointer.
    Steve Jenkins, McKinney, TX. 469 742-9694
    Always use the word "impossible" with extreme caution

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Lanciani View Post
    The first question is do you need a 9.5' finished board? If not, the rest is easy; cut to rough length first and then proceed.
    Hopefully this. Break down your material to oversize blanks, then mill. You are not a saw mill, you do not have to mill full boards. Many flaws are reduced with size, your 1/4" over 9 feet becomes negligible over 32"
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  6. #6
    Assuming you need the entire length, the bow shouldn't be hard to remove.

    Working with the convex side down, joint the middle. Then take successively longer passes. When the length of the flat exceeds the bed length, use infeed and outfeed support.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    I wish I could cut it down. It's a 9 ft table. I need the whole length.

    Thanks for invite to McKinney. Quite a drive. If I get too frustrated I might give you a call.
    -------------------------------------
    Adrian Anguiano

    "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Jeremiah 29:11

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adrian Anguiano View Post
    I have a 9.5 foot long board. about 7 inches wide. 8/4 rough oak.

    It has a good 1/4" bow on its face...
    A 1/4" bow, in 9-1/2 ' is nothing. Perhaps you mean 1/4" cup, in 7"?
    "Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by andy bessette View Post
    A 1/4" bow, in 9-1/2 ' is nothing. Perhaps you mean 1/4" cup, in 7"?
    Its probably more... I didnt measure, Customer doesn't want to put something on the table and it start rolling. They want flat.

    But the question is not what is or isnt alot, question is what is the best way to take it out. Ill get better measurements tonight. Thanks!
    -------------------------------------
    Adrian Anguiano

    "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Jeremiah 29:11

  10. #10
    Take wood off the convex side, obviously mainly at "top of mountain" .Check the other side often ,since many times the board will start to straighten on BOTH sides.

  11. #11
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    A 1'4" bow can easily be taken out with the table support structure.
    "Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."

  12. #12
    For your situation I recommend a planer sled in conjunction with your planer. You will need to support everything with accessory infeed/outfeed stands. Use plywood but use 2 layers to achieve the length needed.

    You might also consider using a router sled. An example of this can be found at WoodWhisperer on building a workbench or just search YouTube.

    You may also build temporary outfeed/infeed extensions (I would probably try this first) although I will warn you face jointing lumber this long can still be VERY challenging.

    If the bow is only 1/4" you shouldn't have too much difficulty.

    Be sure to remove no more than 1/8" and allow the board to rest f

  13. #13
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    Planer sled, as much I hate to say it (never liked mine). Or buy a bigger jointer!

    I made an 8' long table with a 6" jointer and lunchbox planer. Used a planer sled and edge jointer with a straight edge and a router.

    I look forward to making another table like that with my 1/2 ton 12" jointer, unless I find a bigger one first!

  14. #14
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    I'm scared to do a 10ft planer sled. with 8/4 oak. man that will be heavy and a beast to move. Yall ever made one that big?
    -------------------------------------
    Adrian Anguiano

    "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Jeremiah 29:11

  15. #15
    Join Date
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    While remodeling a bank boardroom with walnut, I ran into this with a 8' piece of walnut that I needed to build a door.

    I ripped the board exactly at the center of the door and joined the pieces back together, using dowel pins in the splice.
    The boards were joined with the bow in the two pieces opposite and they cancelled each other's bow.
    It worked to perfection. This was over 40 years ago. Today, I would use biscuits.

    My bow was just a bit, but never less a bow.
    Last edited by lowell holmes; 05-10-2017 at 5:57 PM.

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