First time post so I guess it's apt that I start off with asking for help with a project that probably due to my lack of skill is close to being ruined. So a few weeks ago I took on the famous George Nelson Bench and like a dummy decided to use the actual oddball measurements of the original which Herman Miller provides through a sketchup file. Planing and dimensioning the boards went ok but I did end up with some wood movement during ripping of the slats in the hard maple I'm using so that was the start of my troubles as the nelson bench basically requires 36 pretty precise half-lappish joints. Fast forward to my sloppy dado cuts and my poor excuse for a glue-up and I ended up with a bench top with lots of gaps at the joints and with slats that are not flush with the center cross brace. I have already taken a track saw to the ends and squared those away but I'm still left with a mountain of planing/sanding, wood putty filling and more sanding. My question is would it be ok to take the entire bench top and run it through a 20" planer to help remove most of the material in the top of the slats to get them level with the cross braces or will the spacing between the slats be bad for the planer? I'm in a co-op shop so I wouldn't want to damage the equipment obviously. Should I just avoid the planer and sand everything flat and even, wood filler and then keep sanding? I'm going to be building this bench again and again until I get it perfect so I can also chop it all up and make a bunch of cutting boards as gifts but I'm wondering if trying to salvage this bench top could prove educational. Suggestions?
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