Can you surface-plane OSB?

[mahfuz]

I don't own a planer yet. Hopefully I will, by the end of this month.

But could I run a piece of OSB through the planer?

I just like the wood chip look and thought it would look really good if I could make it smooth and then put several clear coat of poly on it.

[Popeye]

I sure wouldn't try it. Pat

[JimD]

Mahfuz,

The glue in any sort of manufactured wood product (MDF, particle board, plywood, wafer board) is probably harder on the knives of a jointer or planner than plain wood. I don't think you would hurt a planner, however, by planning OSB. I also do not think you would make the surface more smooth by planning it - at least the smoother side. One side of OSB has little dimples and seems to be deliberately not smooth. The other side is typically pretty smooth. I think what you get out of the planner is likely to be worse that the smooth side but possibly smoother than the dimpled side. If that is what you need, I don't see it will hurt anything other than accelerating the wear of the blades a little.

The main thing to watch out for is metal in the wood. I consider the difference between wood species or even planning plywood to be pretty minor - it may not turn out exactly like you plan but it won't hurt your tool to try it.

Jim

[monte]

I'd pass on it too. I think you'll have more of a mess on your hands than you want.

[drumpriest]

My Dad asked me this same question this weekend, as we needed to match a thickness when replacing my brother's door. I told him it wouldn't be wise. I would think that the chip-out would be crazy.

[Pappy]

Sounds like a job more suited to a drum sander.

[newood2]

What the **** is OSB? Ooops! I swear. Must be having a bad day. Unfamiliar acronyms makes me feel dumb.
Sorry guys.
Howie

[Woodnut]

quote:Originally posted by Pappy

Sounds like a job more suited to a drum sander.

Pappy beat me to it...

I think you'd have a prayer with a Drum Sander but not with a planer...

[drumpriest]

newood2, Oriented Strand Board, often called "flake-board". It's a bunch of wood chips glued together under pressure to make a sheet good. It's mostly used for subfloor or sheathing in home construction. I've used it to make speaker cabinets.

[Khany]

quote:Originally posted by drumpriest

newood2, Oriented Strand Board, often called "flake-board". It's a bunch of wood chips glued together under pressure to make a sheet good. It's mostly used for subfloor or sheathing in home construction. I've used it to make speaker cabinets.

Have anyone thought of using 3/4" osb to build router table top? just curious. I think it will work.

[BobSch]

quote:Originally posted by Khany



Have anyone thought of using 3/4" osb to build router table top? just curious. I think it will work.

I'd use a double thickness of ¾" MDF before OSB.

[thiggy]

MDF (medium density fiberboard) is much smoother than OSB and would be a more desirable surface.

[RayintheUK]

quote:Originally posted by mahfuz

... could I run a piece of OSB through the planer?

OSB is made from flakes of small trees and once layered and pressed is held together by a resin-like substance.



Because planers work best when planing with the grain, putting OSB through a planer is a complete No-no! You will most likely get the most horrendous tear-out at any number of places and - if anything - it would probably reduce the quality of the existing finish.

Remember that it's intended for roof sheathing, at which it excels. It uses small, weak trees that previously were worthless (most trees used nowadays are grown specifically for OSB production), so it's not too bad on the environment either.

What it's no good for is fine furniture, so please don't waste your new planer knives on OSB! [:0]

Ray.

[Khany]

Would you think that if you sandwich 2 layers of 3/4" osb used for subfloor, then applying laminates on both sides, and band around the edge would make a flat and strong top for a router table? I mean applying laminate layer on the osb would make it smooth anyway, plus you have more surface area (because it is rougher than plywood) for the glue to hold the laminate in place. One thing I am thinking about is whether the resin in the osb is as strong as the one in plywood. Any thought on this?

[LarryG]

I would think the resin in OSB is superior to the glue in plywood, because the wood chips in OSB are essentially saturated/encapsulated in the stuff, but I still wouldn't use it for a router table. It's a cheap, junky material and it's not known for staying flat.

If you've ever stuck down a piece of plastic laminate using contact cement, you'll know that plywood having adequate surface area for the glue is NOT a problem. Once the laminate is on, it's on forever.

And I would think that in time, the uneven surface of the OSB would telegraph through the laminate.

My first choice for a router table top would be two layers of Baltic birch plywood, followed by two layers of cabinet-grade birch plywood, followed by MDF. I wouldn't even consider using OSB.