Timber Processing

[SteveF]

Hi All

how do you prepare your timber
this is from reclaimed grubby rough sawn to a finished product
i have put thru planer thicknesser
it is not perfect but clean and square

next stages please?


Steve

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Stage one is usually to get the rough sawn to planed all round (PAR) depending on what you want to do with it. Typical procedure is to surface plane one side flat. Then using that reference side turned to the planer fence, surface the edge so they are known to be perpendicular to one another. Now you have two reference edges...a face side and edge. Next thickness the side opposite the face you just surfaced ie have your reference face on the bed of the thicknesser. Then you have a board with three sides finished and (maybe) the correct thickness. Final side I tend to cut on the table saw about 1/16th over and plane back to finish with PAR.

Now, if that stock is too big for the job, you can start cutting it in whichever way is appropriate for your final cut list. Re-saw on the bandsaw or rip to width on the table-saw or cut to length on tablesaw, chopsaw or even bandsaw if necessary. Or with a hand saw or a jig saw following a guide etc. Whatever tools you have really.

 

[SteveF]

I am close to finish size

do i now?
hand plane
sand
scraper plane...never used one but have a #80

this is my first "real" piece of furniture and want perfection
even though I may not reach perfection surely there is no harm in trying...however long it takes
it is not an item for sale but it means a lot to me

Steve

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

If you feel confident in retaining a flat surface then I would hand plane making sure the blade is kept really sharp. I have a personal preference with cabinet scrapers when I'm using tricky grained oak also right at the end. But if the grain is just too tricky you can always sand with the grain and go through the grits. Rule if thumb is not to jump more than 100 grits between sizes and each successive grit should be to remove the scratches left by the previous one. I use a random orbital for this up to 240 and then finish with a cabinet scraper. Burnish a hook (burr) on the scraper to keep it sharp. Basically all of the above will work. Sanding is probably the most laborious and of course dusty but the method least likely to cause tearout or marks etc.

 

[carlb40]

What i do when cutting timber from larger sections is.

1 clean it up / denail etc

2 cut to rough over size and maybe plane it up and see what there is.

3 leave it to destress/ chill out / acclimatise for a few weeks etc

4 plane to final dimensions

5 make something from it


I am now finding with hardwoods i am using scrapers way more than sanding as it gives a cleaner look to the timbers. Where as sanding seems to dull it.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

agreed.....you can never really get the very last scratches out can you even though they're nigh on invisible they leave the piece just kind of cloudy. Scrapers are a fabulous tool.

 

[SteveF]

i failed on step 1 ...denail failed
i now have some pineappled thicknesser blades and a shiny nail and a selection of timber with a raised groove
i do have more thicknesser blades but i think a hand plane will take out the error
timber is cut to size + 2mm (not critical anyhow)
i have a #80 that i can play with
i have planes #2 - #6 and know how to sharpen fettle etc
i have a random orbital sander

this is ...i think....chestnut that was sawn just over 100 yrs ago and is dry and stable
grain runs wherever it wants..very random and runs in all directions

i guess it is just a case of suck n see

step 3 ...not got time to wait
step 5 ...plans drawn in my head

thanks all for advice

Steve

 

[carlb40]

Sorry to hear that Steve. Just nudge each blade over slightly - one to the left, one to the right etc and that should counter act the chipped blade and get the most from them.

 

[SteveF]

Sorry to hear that Steve. Just nudge each blade over slightly - one to the left, one to the right etc and that should counter act the chipped blade and get the most from them.

planer blades was just an error ..and one to learn from
not over bothered tbh and my cheap chiwanese doesnt have that adjustment
they done their work and are blunted anyhow from hard work they had to do
just left a 1mm-2mm raised profile in timber...nothing a hand plane wont knock off

i am just now aiming for that "perfect" finish for my timber

as a side note..cant believe how a dark piece of old sawn timber now looks "white"

Steve

 

[Mar_mite]

Sorry to hear that Steve. Just nudge each blade over slightly - one to the left, one to the right etc and that should counter act the chipped blade and get the most from them.

That's a good tip.

 

[SteveF]

I wish I could nudge them over
they are indexed with a hole \ peg

it is a cheap woodstar and the blades are stupid expensive and disposable

lesson 2 ...don't buy cheap, it costs more eventually
the small bit of raised line they leave is not a big issue..it will just hand plane off

Steve

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

old adage for tools....buy cheap, buy twice

 

[marcros]

not necessarily in this case.

I suspect that like on my thicknesser, the blades are disposable. There are locating holes so that you can change a set in 5 minutes or less, but the trade-off is that you cant nudge them along a bit. The blades cost a bit more, mine are about £40 a set (12"), but are reversible, and anybody can set them perfectly within that 5 minute task- even if you have never done so before. A planer, on the other hand can soon waste an hour or more, and my 6" blades cost about £6+ to have sharpened.

 

[carlb40]

not necessarily in this case.

I suspect that like on my thicknesser, the blades are disposable. There are locating holes so that you can change a set in 5 minutes or less, but the trade-off is that you cant nudge them along a bit. The blades cost a bit more, mine are about £40 a set (12"), but are reversible, and anybody can set them perfectly within that 5 minute task- even if you have never done so before. A planer, on the other hand can soon waste an hour or more, and my 6" blades cost about £6+ to have sharpened.

This is one reason i just buy new blades for the CT150, it works out cheaper round here to buy new rather than have them sharpened.

 

[wobblydoggy]

i failed on step 1 ...denail failed
i now have some pineappled thicknesser blades and a shiny nail and a selection of timber with a raised groove


thanks all for advice

Steve

Hi Steve

I got a cheap metal detector at a car boot>

I wave it at any timber I take out of a building and want to reuse to see if it has any nails in it.

Great tool and cheaper than blades.

Only one thing, always test it on a nail first to make sure it is detecting or you will be back to square one.

Mine cost me three quid, good old carboots

 

[SteveF]

I got one of them for xmas

maybe i should put a battery in it

back to original question please :lol: :lol: :lol:

plane scrape or sand :?:

Steve

 

[carlb40]

I would scrape personally. However i have yet to get a fine burr to get fine scraping with a No80 So i use this for final finishing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WORKSHOP-HEAV ... 51ad494445

 

[SteveF]

thanks carlb40

i have some of them somewhere

Steve

 

[andersonec]

Back in 1965 on my first wood machinists course, the workshop floor was spotless, but,,,,,if you put a plank of wood on the floor and then attempted to pass it over your planer blades you were is serious trouble.
Moral of the story; old reclaimed timber should never be planed with your shiny, sharp planer blades, even timber from sawmills is given the once over with a stiff brush and a vacuum cleaner before it goes anywhere near my machines.
If you have to use reclaimed timber then be prepared to resharpen or change your blades immediately after.

Andy

 

[blackrodd]

I was taught to shoot and edge on the first 6", or 7" of the cutters overhand, and the first thicknessing was under the same area, saving the remaining (18") for a good finish.
As the outfeed tables were adjustable we sharpened the cutters in situ 2, mabe 3 times before new "irons" were fitted.
Lastly, NEVER put timber on the floor, especially concrete, as it's asking for trouble, always put any timber etc on hop ups or trestles.
Any reclaimed timber that was taken on was planed up befor the planer irons were changed and caused early damage,
These planers and saw benches spindles were used all day long by two of us, constantly. Regards Rodders