Vash, you can eff it up once. Spend the money and take it to someone. Even if its $100 you will be happy you did, and you can lie and tell friends you did it yourself.

I love old, good quality hand tools (woodworking, of course). if they has a belt sander or smaller planers at their disposal like we do today, I think the jointer plane would have gone a long time ago. Sure, if you can refrain yourself from curse words, then by all means, use the jointer plane and be ready to deal with the reverse grain. Oh, do bring the cabinet and hand scrapers along for the finer finish work. Did all this in my younger days, so I am pretty done with it (for now) until I have more time.

All my old Stanely hand planes have Cocobolo Handles and knobs I made when I had nothing better to do when I was 19 or 20 years old. I am not sure if I know where to start now if I had to make one?

4 foot length of angle iron.
Bastard file.

File iron to sharp edge.
Find 2 or 3 friends.
Scrap the ever living hell out of the table top over and over again to achieve a handmade, artisinal surface. Use dried herbs as needed.
Take wood shavings, soak in locally sourced vinegar and apply to forehead. Helps with headaches.

sometimes you guys just kill me! HA!!

Never took borrowed belt sander out of my truck. Going with the mill.

Thanks.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

can't you just flip it over?

Someone told me it won't fit perfect with the undulations. It was my first thought.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

shim it. Glue the shim if you can to prevent movement. From the pic, it looks like it screwed to the base. You jus thane to dal with the holes. Fill them with maple plugs. Get a plug cutter and plug with same grain direction. It will be almost invisible.

I have flattened my share and then some of big boards. If you want it done fast and flat, take it apart and have it run through a Timesaver. That's the generic name for a wide belt sander. They'll probably make you buy the belt, as all the oil and grunge will clog it up. Or... if you have a really professional shop on hand (as I do) their sander will have a planer head in front of the belts and save the abrasives.
If you're middle of the road inclined find a woodworker (like me) that has a 6" wide power plane and knows how to use it. It'll knock down in less than an hour to virgin wood and ready for sanding.
If you're old school, find a guy (like me) with an assortment of hand planes and scrapers. This will take about 4 hours. Bring beer...
I beg you, don't do a roundover on the edges. Then 80's are gone. give it an nice 45º chamfer.

45 is nice. A lot of the work we do has been 1/8 roundover. Slight or eased edge. a lot of my own stuff has a slight 45 on it. Still, I really like 1/8 roundover, a lot.

If the top comes apart you can buy a thickness planer on craigslist, plane it yourself, and then sell the planer,

This guy (Wood Whisperer) uses a sled and a router.

174 - Flattening Workbenches and Wide Boards with a Router - The Wood Whisperer

1/8 is fine. It's the "bar of soap" look that was popular in the '80's and '90's that is so done...There was even a name for it - "California Roundover" which was in reference to Sam Maloof and Art Carpenters work...

learned a lot from this post. thanks. at least now i wont sound like a fool to the wood-guy.

i got angles and degree numbers i can throw at him :D

i like the 45deg idea. the crispy look.

Holy crap. The wood shop was amazing.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

Speaking of Maloof, I have tour his place some time ago. This man is amazing. A friend ended up buying his rocking chair. I was afraid to sit in it.

Wth Vash? No pictures?

+++

old butcher table. belt sander?
 

When I pick it up. I was struck too dumb to pull out my phone. He was slicing full on trees into planks to make countertops. Every tool in there probably came with a safety meeting


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

Full disclosure. I flipped the table on its side, hooked on the pipe wrench and stood on it. The hulk used body fat/mass.

Haha. Good thing I was fasting or it would have bent too.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.