I'm making my first end grain cutting board and borrowed a lunchbox planer from a family member. I realized that the piece I need to plane is too wide to fit in the planer in the usual orientation. I'm considering cutting the strips for the next glue-up and running them through the planer perpendicular to the grain and the glue joints. Has anyone done this? I'm worried about the wood blowing apart during the process, as I've never used a planer before!
1 Answer
I wouldn't recommend planing perpendicular to the grain. It's likely to spit chunks off your board at high speed, which could damage both your wood and the planer. If you really need to smooth it out, consider using a drum sander instead. It's much safer and allows you to run the board through until it’s evenly sanded.
Another option is to use a router with a flattening jig for better control!