ROS and curved surface

[jfstrmn]

2 questions:

1) Can a ROS produce a flat surface across a 2 inch board?

2) Now that my four cabinet legs are all slightly convex, after finishing with my ROS, how do I get my mortise and tenon joints to close tightly?

The ROS slightly curved the edges of my legs downward, so when I drive the mortise home, the inside of the stretcher contacts the leg when the outside of the stretcher is about 1/64" from the leg.

Any ideas to fix the problem, short of re-planing the legs? And is this my fault, or are ROS prone to producing a convex shape across narrow stock? I rough sanded with the ROS at 100 and 220 grit, then I finished with a sanding block and 400 grit.

Jeff
[http://home.comcast.net/~namruts/aajeffsindex.html]

[dcarter636]

Yes they do that when the workpiece is less than the width of the abrasive disk. Ganging up narrow pieces to get better/broader support for the sander helps a lot. To remedy the damage, hand sand the joint area with a flat wooden sanding block and 150-220 grit paper.

After a similar experience I now hand sand critical areas. A little hand sanding makes me better appreciate the machines anyway.

Dave Carter