Router vs Planer

[Foamy]

Hello out there!
I am rebuilding my garage shop after a long move from apartment living to a house...(finally). I have my Grizzly saw (G1023RLW) and some other basic tools. I am going to get a router and wondering: If I build a router sled for planing, do I need a stand alone Planer? If the sled and jig is adjustable.
Thanks in advance

 

[ARFLY]

A planer will be much faster and I think easier to use for that purpose.

 

[RKA]

Yes, you need a planer. A router sled is very slow and leaves a rougher surface. A router sled is best used for flattening large boards that will not fit in a machine.

 

[Foamy]

Thanks guys...I figured as much any recommendations as to brand?

 

[danb35]

Depends on how big you want and your budget--I've been very happy with by Grizzly 15" planer.

 

[theoldwizard1]

A router sled is good for making a scarf joint. A planer can not do that. Not used often (except in boat building). With proper jig(s) you can make a decent scarf if the piece is not very long (and it usually IS long because you want to make it longer) or very wide (like plywood).

Make an extension off of your table saw and turn it in to a router/shaper table.

 

[Git]

Your 'router sled' is actually more like a jointer. All it can do is flatten one side

A planer is used to cut the board to whatever thickness you want and at the same time, keeping the surface parallel to the surface that you flattened

What do you plan on using it for?

 

[gnpenning]

You need a flat surface on one side to plane effectively. Joiner will do that for you and give you a flat edge for a cutting reference.

 

[matt_i]

If you don't have one, a dust collector is going to be in your future. Nothing produces mounds of dust and chips quite like a planer (or jointer)

 

[jonshonda]

I would say planer and make a jig to turn your table saw into a jointer.

 

[Voi]

Git and Gnpenning have it right. A router jig is more like a jointer in that they make one face of a large plank flat. Typically for planks of wood that are too large to fit on a jointer.

I suppose these router jigs could act like a planer if it has reference points on the newly jointed face to keep the router parallel to that surface when milling the opposing face. I have no idea if these sled/jigs are built that way.

You can face joint on a planer but it requires building planer sled. Lots of YouTube videos on this.

So if you can afford a planer large enough to handle the largest plank of wood you need to work with then a router jig for face flattening is unnecessary.

I should add that many YouTube videos on planer sleds show pretty fancy products. They're awesome but please understand that some people make them as simple as a doubled up layer of MDF and then use two side tape and small brads to hold regular wood shims between the sled and the board.

 

[exmaxima1]

FWIW, you might consider a thickness SANDER in lieu of a planer. If most of your wood is already factory planed (standard wood like you buy at any builder store), the sander is great for cabinet doors, removing surface issues, and very thin stock.