Recommendation? StewMac Safe-T-Planer to level/flatten knife scales??

[Fixall]

Hello Shop Talk,

I hope you are all doing great tonight! I have recently been cutting blocks into scales for knives and I am looking for a faster/easier way to get the thickness nice and even. I know there have been a few threads on this over the years, but it seems like there were just as many different answers to the question as there are threads, and it is hard to pick out the most definitive or easiest/most cost effective way. I am using a cheap Skil 9" band saw (with a homemade single-point fence) to cut the scales and the widest blade it accepts is 3/8" (I am currently using a 1/4” blade). I've gotten the band saw to track pretty darn straight, but I often end up with not only slightly wavey cuts, but even worse... Sometimes one end is 7/16" while the other is closer to 9/16" (likely due to skill). I have been using a combination of belt and disc sanders as well as sandpaper on a granite surface plate to get them even. It's not much fun to be frank and is pretty time consuming. I just ordered a 3/8" blade, but I don't expect that to make much difference. I also have a Milwaukee portable band saw and Swag Table for cutting steel. Maybe I would get better results with that with the 1/2” blade than the Skil if I were to pick up a fence for the Swag Table??

I would like to find a cost effective (under $200 would be great) way to quickly and easily get scales to an even thickness. I have probably a couple of hundred blocks on hands so the less brainpower/skill required the better, lol.

I thought about buying a table saw and a Grr-ripper push block, but I don't think it would get much use outside of making scales so I'm hesitant to spend $400 - $500 on one. I'm also not convinced that the cheaper Dewalt table saw would give me dead flat scales.

A buddy told me to pick up a table top planer, but I'm working with scales that are 1.5" x 5" x 3/8" and that seems risky because of tearout. I will also be cutting a lot of stabilized scales and feel like that's a bad idea.

Another option I thought of was to buy a drum sander, but again hesitant to spend $600 on a tool that will likely only be used for scales. It seems like that would give really good results though...

Which brings me to the StewMac Safe-T-Planer. Do any of you have experience with this, and/or do you think it would work for my purposes? I have a cheap Harbor Freight drill press that I would be using it with, but I'm not against upgrading the drill press since I want to pick up a mini mill eventually anyways. The head cuts a 2.75" wide path and seems like it would really speed things up. I'd still have to lap with sandpaper and the surface plate, but getting the scales equal is the time consuming and tedious part for me.

This video looks of it looks rather promising.

Any other ideas that would give me great results without too much effort for under $200?

Thanks!

 

[Taz]

Man, that looks nice!! If you get one, let me know how you like it!

 

[S obsessed]

An electric router with either a couple "skis" screws to bottom to elevate it off work bench or 2 long blocks of wood on workbench that it can ride overtop of like a sled and then double stick tape your pieces to the bench. Run the router over top and then flip and do other side. Router has fine enough adjustment built in and you could stick multiple pieces down at same time. Routers are handy for many more uses than that tool in video and pricing wouldn't be a while lot different.

 

[DevinT]

Looks like it will work fine.

If you have a 2x72 belt grinder that will accept a surface grinding attachment, that’s what I would recommend. Very handy for lots of things including flattening scales. Double stick tape is an easy way to hold things.

Hoss

 

[fitzo]

Drill press, 3/8" 4-flute mill, machinist/drill press vice, set of parallels. Move the vice around by hand. Dangerous, especially on a drill press with a taper arbor.

I use my mill to do this, but that planer is very appealing. Thank you!

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The GRR-Ripper table saw jig is great for getting even size scales. Use a good quality finish cut blade.

Woodcraft, Rockler, Amazon, and others carry it.

Amazon.com

Micro Jig GRR-Ripper® Basic 3D Push Block System GR-100

Safer and more precise than conventional push blocks.

www.rockler.com

While I have the GRR-Ripper, I rarely use it anymore. I just set the fence for the thickness I want, usually 1/2", and make multiple cuts. I draw an X with a sharpie across the topside of the block (corner to corner) so I can reassemble the block and get book-matched scale sets. I usually make one arm of the X a double line to make matching even easier. I stabilize scales wood in 10X5X2" blocks so I can cut a bunch of 5" by 1/2" scales easily with little waste. That will yield me eight sets of scales.

 

[Fixall]

An electric router with either a couple "skis" screws to bottom to elevate it off work bench or 2 long blocks of wood on workbench that it can ride overtop of like a sled and then double stick tape your pieces to the bench. Run the router over top and then flip and do other side. Router has fine enough adjustment built in and you could stick multiple pieces down at same time. Routers are handy for many more uses than that tool in video and pricing wouldn't be a while lot different.

I have a little Makita 18v cordless router and I had thought about making a few jigs for it to sit on that are 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" but I figured the margin of error might be smaller with the Safe T-Planer. I might have to come back to this idea.

 

[Fixall]

Looks like it will work fine.

If you have a 2x72 belt grinder that will accept a surface grinding attachment, that’s what I would recommend. Very handy for lots of things including flattening scales. Double stick tape is an easy way to hold things.

Hoss

Unfortunately I'm getting by with some subpar 1" x 30" and 4" x 36" belt sanders for now as space is very limited. A 2" x 72 grinder, 10" Rikon band saw, and a mini mill are at the very top of my list of things to buy (along with a better dust collection system) when we move though.

Thanks for the reminder about double stick tape. I need to pick some up.

 

[Fixall]

The GRR-Ripper table saw jig is great for getting even size scales. Use a good quality finish cut blade.

Woodcraft, Rockler, Amazon, and others carry it.

Amazon.com

Micro Jig GRR-Ripper® Basic 3D Push Block System GR-100

Safer and more precise than conventional push blocks.

www.rockler.com

While I have the GRR-Ripper, I rarely use it anymore. I just set the fence for the thickness I want, usually 1/2", and make multiple cuts. I draw an X with a sharpie across the topside of the block (corner to corner) so I can reassemble the block and get book-matched scale sets. I usually make one arm of the X a double line to make matching even easier. I stabilize scales wood in 10X5X2" blocks so I can cut a bunch of 5" by 1/2" scales easily with little waste. That will yield me eight sets of scales.

View attachment 1588029

A GRR-Ripper jig and table saw was definitely my first thought (because of one of your old posts actually)... I'm just hesitant to spend $400 - $500 on a cheaper table saw that will likely only be used for making scales. There is also the issue with space. I would have to pull the table saw out of the shed every time I wanted to use it. When our house is finished (it'll probably be another year with the way things are going), I did plan on picking up a table saw for odd jobs like deck and fence work though. Do you think this DeWalt would be up to the task of making scales? It's the one I had planned on picking up later down the road.

 

[Fixall]

I think I'm going to go ahead and give the Safe T-Planer a go. Worse case scenario I'm only out $100 for the head and extra blades I suppose.

I'll report back with the results.

 

[luciusx5]

I think I'm going to go ahead and give the Safe T-Planer a go. Worse case scenario I'm only out $100 for the head and extra blades I suppose.

I'll report back with the results.

I have one and it does work. Used a Harbor Freight drill press on the highest speed. Use a push stick and watch your fingers. Have you ordered it yet? I’m not using mine since I bought a 9” disk sander.

 

[Fixall]

I have one and it does work. Used a Harbor Freight drill press on the highest speed. Use a push stick and watch your fingers. Have you ordered it yet? I’m not using mine since I bought a 9” disk sander.

Excellent! I was hoping someone who owned the tool would chime in with their experience.

I did end up ordering one a few hours ago, lol. Dang it! It sounds like there might be a couple others interested in trying it if you wanted to offload it though.

May I ask why you opt to use the 9" disk sander over the Safe T-Planer? My original plan was actually to use a 9" or 12" disc sander for the job, but I decided to hold off so I could run it with the VFD motor off of the 2" x 72" belt sander I plan on purchasing later down the road. I ended up purchasing a 5" disc sander which has done a marvelous job squaring up the ends of the blocks, but is a little small for the sides. It'll be great for slipjoint recovers when I get there though.

Disc sander questions

Hello! I hope you are all doing well tonight! I am currently in the market for a disc sander. I know there are a few threads on the topic, but I didn't really find a definitive answer to my questions in them. To start off with, the sander will be more or less used exclusively to square up...

www.bladeforums.com

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

A 9" disc sander will be useful for almost every knife task. The Safe-T planer will only do one task.

 

[luciusx5]

Excellent! I was hoping someone who owned the tool would chime in with their experience.

I did end up ordering one a few hours ago, lol. Dang it! It sounds like there might be a couple others interested in trying it if you wanted to offload it though.

May I ask why you opt to use the 9" disk sander over the Safe T-Planer? My original plan was actually to use a 9" or 12" disc sander for the job, but I decided to hold off so I could run it with the VFD motor off of the 2" x 72" belt sander I plan on purchasing later down the road. I ended up purchasing a 5" disc sander which has done a marvelous job squaring up the ends of the blocks, but is a little small for the sides. It'll be great for slipjoint recovers when I get there though.

Disc sander questions

Hello! I hope you are all doing well tonight! I am currently in the market for a disc sander. I know there are a few threads on the topic, but I didn't really find a definitive answer to my questions in them. To start off with, the sander will be more or less used exclusively to square up...

www.bladeforums.com

A couple of reasons. I really didn't like having my fingers around a sharp spinning object even with a push stick. It can also be quite messy especially with resin based scales. I much prefer the way I'm dong it now.

Made a jig from HDPE.

A couple of pieces of double-sided carpet tape to mount the scale.

And thinning with the disk sander.

Before you mount the scale you can scribe a line around it with a height gauge and sand to the line. You can get a very accurate thickness that requires very little sanding on a granite plate. The 9" disk sander is a wonderful addition to a knife shop. I have the magnetic disk system and three disks. Usually 80, 220, and 400. Change out the disks in about five seconds. A 9" allows you to use standard size sandpaper sheets. Using feathering adhesive, when the sandpaper wears out peel it off and cut another sheet. If you don't have a disk sander you really should consider getting one.

If someone wants to try the Stew Mac planner. I'm not using mine. Has a new set of blades in it. $30 shipped. That's half price.

 

[Fixall]

A 9" disc sander will be useful for almost every knife task. The Safe-T planer will only do one task.

Fair enough! I wish I had room for a 2" x 72" and a bunch of attachments right now. For now, everything I use has to be lugged from the shed and then put back when I finish. We have a fenced/locked yard but I've sadly learned my lesson about leaving tools out (they stole my freaking workbench). It sounds like the Safe T-Planer is going to be completely obsolete for my uses in about a year or so, but maybe they're be another needy maker here who could use it and I can pay it forward. The help I've been given on this forum is invaluable.

 

[Fixall]

A couple of reasons. I really didn't like having my fingers around a sharp spinning object even with a push stick. It can also be quite messy especially with resin based scales. I much prefer the way I'm dong it now.

Made a jig from HDPE.

A couple of pieces of double-sided carpet tape to mount the scale.

And thinning with the disk sander.

Before you mount the scale you can scribe a line around it with a height gauge and sand to the line. You can get a very accurate thickness that requires very little sanding on a granite plate. The 9" disk sander is a wonderful addition to a knife shop. I have the magnetic disk system and three disks. Usually 80, 220, and 400. Change out the disks in about five seconds. A 9" allows you to use standard size sandpaper sheets. Using feathering adhesive, when the sandpaper wears out peel it off and cut another sheet. If you don't have a disk sander you really should consider getting one.

If someone wants to try the Stew Mac planner. I'm not using mine. Has a new set of blades in it. $30 shipped. That's half price.

Thanks for walking me through your process. My thought was that the Safe T-Planer might give me more accurate/square scales compared to a disc sander but maybe that's not the case? And I guess these are knife scales, not parts for NASA... I'm probably overthinking it, lol.

I'll definitely be making a little jig to hold the blocks in the future when I pick up a disk grinder attachment. I didn't think about the mess with the Safe T-Planer compared to the disc grinder I've been using (which has a hose attachment). I'll have to see if I can rig something up. On the plus side, I'll be using it outside.

I wasn't even aware that magnetic disk sanders were a thing... That sounds game changing. I hate swapping paper/belts.

I've also been checking out some videos of surface grinder attachments that D DevinT suggested and those look great too! On top of flattening scales, being able to take bar stock down to whatever thickness I want would be fantastic! Another tool goes on the list... /sigh

 

[Colby L.]

I have a little Makita 18v cordless router and I had thought about making a few jigs for it to sit on that are 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" but I figured the margin of error might be smaller with the Safe T-Planer. I might have to come back to this idea.

A bit late but I have the 18v Makita router and I made a little sled for it so I could "plane" scales down to be parallel faced and equal thickness between the two pieces. It works pretty well and I have been getting very consistent thicknesses. I routed the bottom of the sled, where the scales sit, with my router running on the rails so that I had a parallel surface to my rails. Now I just true up one face of the scales on my granite plate then place that face down in the sled and set the depth of cut by adjusting my router. I also stuck fences around all four sides so that I don't run off the edge of the scales and gouge them.

 

[luciusx5]

A bit late but I have the 18v Makita router and I made a little sled for it so I could "plane" scales down to be parallel faced and equal thickness between the two pieces. It works pretty well and I have been getting very consistent thicknesses. I routed the bottom of the sled, where the scales sit, with my router running on the rails so that I had a parallel surface to my rails. Now I just true up one face of the scales on my granite plate then place that face down in the sled and set the depth of cut by adjusting my router. I also stuck fences around all four sides so that I don't run off the edge of the scales and gouge them.

That's a slick little set-up. Nice job!

 

[Colby L.]

That's a slick little set-up. Nice job!

Thanks! It's proven useful thus far. The only thing I'd change is likely to ditch my clamp idea and just use double sided tape to hold the scale in place.

 

[Fixall]

A bit late but I have the 18v Makita router and I made a little sled for it so I could "plane" scales down to be parallel faced and equal thickness between the two pieces. It works pretty well and I have been getting very consistent thicknesses. I routed the bottom of the sled, where the scales sit, with my router running on the rails so that I had a parallel surface to my rails. Now I just true up one face of the scales on my granite plate then place that face down in the sled and set the depth of cut by adjusting my router. I also stuck fences around all four sides so that I don't run off the edge of the scales and gouge them.

That looks like a really great setup! I might have to throw something together and see how it compares (convince wise) to the Safe T-Planer. Thanks for posting!