Planing Bridgeport Table Flat Way

Planing the Table's Flat Way, Column Side With the table top planed flat, the table was set up so the top surface rested flat on the planer table. Lightly striking different parts of the table with a soft hammer, the sound told whether the table was bearing evenly on the planer table. The operator side of the table was placed up against two parallel-blocks that were up against two slot blocks pressed into the planer's Tee-slot. Two stops were then placed opposite these to press the table against them for alignment. A gooseneck clamp was placed at each end of the table to hold it down. Using a dial indicator at each end, first one clamp was tightened with the opposite one loose. The two indicators told whether the table was flat against the planer table – neither should have moved. This check is in addition to the hammer check already done (with a long table the hammer check can actually be a bit too sensitive). Then the same procedure is done at the other clamp. When satisfied that clamping will not distort the table, these two clamps were lightly tightened, perhaps less than 1 foot/lb – just enough to hold the table down. Again, the indicators should show no movement in response to the clamping, The indicators should remain in place while the stops are lightly tightened. The cutting tool was ground on a surface grinder to insure that its edge is straight. It was then set in the machine to have about a 0.0005” per inch clearance at the trailing portion of the edge. This, of course, requires that a goosneck tool holder be used so that the edge is behind the tool holder shank. By the time the video starts, the angled surface of the dovetail had already been cut. (There is video of the opposite angled surface that will be posted following this one.) The video shows various segments extracted from a bunch of files. The ones where the camera was stationary I took, expending almost no effort toward the video – just trying to get the job done. The segments where the camera is moving were shot by my step-son, Fitz Acheson, and they are much more interesting. Because the tools used were basicly “flat-tools,” progress was slow due to the 0.016” that needed to be removed. With these tools it is wise to keep maximum depth of cut to about 0.004” to keep from tearing out the grains rather then slicing them. After the first pass a planer gauge is used to determine the amount needed to remove to insure that when the opposite side is cut, it will be able to finish at the same height as this flat. Rees Acheson July 3, 2017