On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 09:21:26 -0700, "mp" wrote:

I have considered taking it to a local wood shop and getting it planed
down. Would that be expensive?

Would it be cheaper for me to buy a planer and do it myself?

I'd try taking it to a shop that has a wide belt sander. They can easily
remove the scratches in a few passes. You might also see if they can
refinish it for you. It shouldn't be all that expensive.

They might be reluctant to embed any oil finish into their relatively
expensive sanding surface. The machine is intended to process
untreated wood, not finished. If they do say No, then I'd suggest
that you give it a rough-over with a belt sander/hand plane yourself,
then take it to them to have it resurfaced smooth. You shouldn't lose
too much from the thickness if you're careful.

Method #2: Set up a jig, basically a couple of boards of equal
thinckness, and run over it with your router and a straight, wide bit,
then hand-sand with a block. Again, care and patience will pay off.
From what you say about the set, it won't hurt to have a tiny bit of
"character" [not machine-level] if you can say, "I did that myself."