Removing hardboard backing

[RichardM]

I have made a board using 130+ wood block and used a hardboard backer. Question is how to remove it. Can I put it through my thicknesser or could this be a problem. Otherwise I guess chisel and sander is the only solution.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I have made a board using 130+ wood block and used a hardboard backer. Question is how to remove it. Can I put it through my thicknesser or could this be a problem. Otherwise I guess chisel and sander is the only solution.

I'm kind of wondering how you've got into a situation where you need to remove the hardboard backer after putting whatever this is you've made together. What's going through my mind is why include the hardboard in the first place if you didn't, in the end, want it, but nonetheless, there it is to pique my curiosity for no good reason really.

Anyway, to shove this lot through the thicknesser, or not? Well, I've seen people put all sorts of stuff through thicknessers that probably shouldn't really go through, e.g., chipboard, MDF, hardboard, and even, almost unbelievably, plaster or cement based products, and in each case the thicknesser survived largely unscathed as far as the mechanics were concerned; on the other hand the knives usually took a bit of (or a lot of) a hammering and they dulled quicker leading to earlier or immediate replacement.

I suppose there's also the risk of your woodblock construction not holding together as it goes through the machine, but only you, at this point, can assess that because you made it and know how well all the parts are jointed, and how level the show surface is. Presumably you can run the hardboard side down on the thicknesser bed first to level the opposite surface, then flip over to remove the hardboard.

I guess I haven't helped much. It seems to me to be a case of maybe try it and find out. Slainte.

 

[RichardM]

I'm kind of wondering how you've got into a situation where you need to remove the hardboard backer after putting whatever this is you've made together. What's going through my mind is why include the hardboard in the first place if you didn't, in the end, want it, but nonetheless, there it is to pique my curiosity for no good reason really.

Anyway, to shove this lot through the thicknesser, or not? Well, I've seen people put all sorts of stuff through thicknessers that probably shouldn't really go through, e.g., chipboard, MDF, hardboard, and even, almost unbelievably, plaster or cement based products, and in each case the thicknesser survived largely unscathed as far as the mechanics were concerned; on the other hand the knives usually took a bit of (or a lot of) a hammering and they dulled quicker leading to earlier or immediate replacement.

I suppose there's also the risk of your woodblock construction not holding together as it goes through the machine, but only you, at this point, can assess that because you made it and know how well all the parts are jointed, and how level the show surface is. Presumably you can run the hardboard side down on the thicknesser bed first to level the opposite surface, then flip over to remove the hardboard.

I guess I haven't helped much. It seems to me to be a case of maybe try it and find out. Slainte.

Many thanks, the intention was to just glue the blocks together face to face but school boy error was forgetting squeeze out , in hindsight if I had coated the background with m as masking tape I would be ok. I think I will try chisel and sander. Every day's a school day in the shed

 

[niall Y]

You can easily peel away the hardboard with a chisel - even a fairly blunt one - as it will readily delaminate in layers. This will then leave mostly glue to remove with a scraper or hand plane.
If you want to trust the structural integrity of your glued up blocks to your thicknesser. then you could risk it. But if you don't have to, then why chance it?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Many thanks, the intention was to just glue the blocks together face to face but school boy error was forgetting squeeze out , in hindsight if I had coated the background with m as masking tape I would be ok. I think I will try chisel and sander. Every day's a school day in the shed

Given that the hardboard seems to have only become stuck here and there as a consequence of, how can I say, uhm, delicately, careless assembly, then do as niall Y has suggested and go at it with a chisel and mallet. I get the reason now that the hardboard becoming stuck was unintentional; it had crossed my mind that you'd intended the hardboard to be part of the structure and you'd since changed your mind and wanted to remove it. Slainte.

 

[RichardM]

Thanks all, the cause was a version of measure twice cut once , chisel it will be.

 

[--Tom--]

A handplane would also whiz through it