5 simple steps to finished lumber

For most people the only lumber that is available to them is finished lumber. This is lumber that had been planed down to a finished size like 1-1/2" x 3-1/2". This is fine for most people. although the cost is quite a bit more then the alternative, rough lumber. The steps below show you how to take a rough board and use a table saw, thickness planer and jointer to clean up the faces and edges as well as getting it to a size that fits your plans.

Like all things you have to pay more for finished boards as opposed to rough lumber. In same cases this can be substantial. So it only makes sense to try and get lumber that is rough. This is lumber that is fresh off the mill. It has not been planed to a finished size and the surface isn't smooth like finished lumber.

Step 1: Cut your lumber to rough length

First thing to do is rough cut your lumber. There is no point in milling rough boards until you are ready to use it. It will remain more stable also. I generally cut the stock to length and make sure the ends are square. This is easiest to do with a miter saw and you will get the most accurate cut.

To avoid un-usable wood and the potential hazard from splinters it is always good practice to cut and loose knots and cracks from the rough stock before you start to plane it.

Step 2: Planning one face flat

The first step I take is to plane one face to make it flat and true as well as remove all the rough surface left from the milling. To do this I use a jointer. Set the depth of cut to 1/32" and inspect the wood to see if the piece is cupped. I also look to see which way the grain is running since this will make a difference to the direction I can run the board through the jointer.

Set your jointer to remove only 1/32" at a time. This will make it easier to pass the stock through the cutter and your jointer will not have to work as hard. Keep making passes until the rough surface has been removed and the face is perfectly flat.

Step 3: Square one edge

Adjust the table on your jointer so it is exactly 90° to the table. Again you have to look at the grain of the wood and feed the board through so the direction of the grain is coming out of the wood. This will give a cleaner surface and avoid tear-out.

Keep feeding the boards through checking after each pass with a speed square to make sure the edge is square to the first face you planed flat.

Step 4: Rip to the rough width

Over at the table saw to rip the board to its rough width. This dimension will be about 1/16" wider then the final dimension. Simply run the stock through the table saw and and then go back to the jointer to clean up the edge and remove any saw marks. You will need to run the board through twice to remove the 1/16" of waste.

At this point your stock will have two edges parallel to each other and square to one face.

Step 5: Planning the other face

The final step is to plane the final face flat and true and make it parallel to the first. This is best done using the thickness planer.

To plane the second face I use the thickness planer. It will plane down this face to my desired thickness and make it exactly parallel to the first face I planed on the jointer. I set my thickness planer to remove 1/16" at a time. It is important to measure your stock and determine the thickest point. Sometimes rough stock can vary in thickness and you shouldn't assume it is a specific thickness. Place the finished face down on the thickness planer table and continue to feed it through the planer until you achieve the thickness you need.

Conclusion:

By following the 5 steps above you will get beautiful square finished lumber at a lower price. This does take some time but the freedom to have dimensions of lumber that aren't available at the lumber store is a nice. Most woodworking plans that you purchase will also have advice on how to complete the plans and what tools work best for making certain cuts.

Always remember to read and follow the directions that come with your power tools. This will provide safety information as well as tips and techniques on how to use the tools more effectively.

For more articles, click here.

Click here to find out more on curing anxiety and panic disorder.