oak prep advice

[srt]

Hi
I recently got some free oak batons from a friend,they are 40mm thick x 200mm wide.Iam wanting to start my next project by using up this oak and i need it to be 16mm thick,if i were to rip it up the middle and plane it to 16mm will it cup?Is there a method/rule when ripping up stock?

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

It may do. A lot depends on It's age and how it was dried. It's hard to tell until you do it.

 

[RogerS]

If you can afford the time and have enough wood then take 12mm off one face and 12mm of the other. That way to keep any stresses in the wood under control. You also haven't said how long. In my experience the longer the timber the more chance of it going bananas.

Check for nails!

 

[neilyweely]

You haven't said what your next project will be. There may be some difference as to how you would go about this for one project compared to another; if the oak is going to be well supported/controlled then it may be less inclined to cup/move. Or rather less allowed to. However I think that, although I am loathe to waste wood, I am inclined to agree with Roger. A thicknesser would make easy work of it, although a half decent electric plane would do well too. Of course the galoots of this parish will tell you how easy it is to remove 12mm with a hand plane, but I would not relish this task. I don't really know a lot about Oak, or indeed any other hardwood, but I have been astonished at the amount of movement in timbers due to re-shaping/ re-sizing and just plain old drying out. I have a beautiful plank of elm that was absolutely straight when I got it and is now like a bumpy kids slide. Gutted. Reminds me of the board stretcher thing on you-tube! :lol:

Hope this helps

Neil

 

[maltrout512]

First to look at is how it's been cut from the log. Quarter sawn would cut down most of the cupping problems. If they have been slab cut from the log then I would cut the 200mm boards down to 100mm or so, then on glue up opposite grain glued back up.
I think unless the boards are dead flat no twists etc I still think you would have trouble getting 2, 16mm boards out of 40mm planks. Just my thoughts.