Solid oak floor, up cycle

[mahomo59]

Hey folks

I have two unopened boxes of solid oak 18mm t&g lacquered flooring sat in the garage all nice and dry etc...for three years! Just relised this as my daughter was three yesterday, laid in her room just before born. Any way, it's random lengths. Could I thickness it down too 12mm (remove groove underside and lacquer top side) and use for dovetail drawer boxes. Spray lacquered in morrells waterborne finish. Is flooring grade oak only suitable for floors etc.

 

[No skills]

The stuff I have used for odd projects has been ok with one exception, the lid I started to make for my dutch tool chest bowed. But I do belive it was my own stupid fault, I glued several bits together via the T&G to make a panel and then got side tracked by several hundred other projects - several months later and storage in a less than dry area = bent bits of wood. No thicknessing or removal of laquer had happened to those pieces.

Obviously YMMV but thats the only bad experience I've had.

 

[No skills]

Sorry should also of mentioned the standard woody sayings... look at the wood and pick the best bits for grain layout/thickness close to the final size and let acclimatise to the room/conditions it will be used in/then thickness down to the final size for use. Etc etc...


Please also note I'm a complete bodger and rarely do anything properly.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The tongues and grooves on flooring are rarely symmetrical, they are designed so that the top side closes up and the bottom has a slight gap for this reason. If you attempt to glue them up they won't be flat.

 

[mahomo59]

Thanks so far, my plan had always been to remove t&g and joint with a domino or similar if needed too. I'll give it a go,

 

[Lons]

I used to fit a lot of solid floors, maily oak and accumulated a decent stock of spare boards and offcuts. I use it for all sorts of projects and even the wild grain bits are good for pens.
As said just follow your normal practice of acclimatisation, storing flat and dry and it will be fine.
I always remove the tounge and groove and plane the underside but occasionally just remove the top varnish with a ROS.

cheers
Bob