What size boards to mill?

[John Henry]

I know that those experienced here know what they want to make ahead of time, and mill their boards accordingly, but for a relative newbie, maybe you could help me. I have a number of trees I am in the process of milling, and and in a little bit of a quandary about what thickness boards to cut.

Of course the answer is: whatever fits your project. But...I have only a couple of potential projects, so the boards will be cut first, then decided probably later.

Do you have suggestions on sizes that are flexible? 5/4"? 1"?

I've cut some 1.5", some larger (bench and table). What's the smallest that is feasible? I've never milled, then planed to furniture quality, so not sure how much to allow for shrinkage.

Thanks for your help! Some serious sawdust-generation is coming this weekend....

 

[BobL]

When unsure I always cut 2" thick and leave as full or half slabs - you can always break it down from there.

 

[irishcountry]

I know I learned the hard way that some woods cut even 4/4 or 1" will bend twist and cup pretty easy I have some stickered and stacked that have done this I suppose they are still usable but anything like BobL said that I cut 2" is fine, you can further process as you need the boards and not risk the warpage. Hope it helps irishcountry

 

[oldsaw]

Most everything I do is 5/4. I need to do some thicker stuff in the future, but am usually looking for 4/4 material. 5/4 keeps warpage to a minimum without having to resaw from a 2x. it will also dry twice as fast.

Mark

 

[slabmaster]

It all depends what you want in the end.5/4 will get you 3/4" with most wood after planeing if it's stickered good when cut.For 1and 3/4 i cut 2.25".

 

[woodshop]

For years I've been slicing logs (Ripsaw bandsaw) at 1 1/8 which if stickered and dried correctly has been plenty when I go to turn that into 3/4 S4S (surface 4 sides). The majority of things I make do use 3/4 inch lumber. For table legs, my thicker cutting boards and some other things where I want to end up with 1 1/8 I mill 1 1/5... basically I mill roughly 3/8 inch more than I want the finished thickness to be. Problem is as was said, you don't always know where your woodworking talents or projects are headed. Years ago I milled way to much that ended up S4S 3/4 and not enough S4S 1 and 1 1/8 which I recently started using a LOT of. So I am up to my ears in 3/4 lumber and I scrounge through the piles to find thicker stuff. I do have a lot of 2 and 3 inch as Bob slices, but I hate ruining a nice thick 2 inch board to get to 1 1/8 inch. If I take the time, and it's a pain, I can resaw a rough 2 inch board into 1 1/8 and then the leftover slab can be stored again for later use. Problem is after you take S4S 1 1/8 out of 2 inch you often don't have enough left for S4S 3/4. Just planing that rough 2 inch board flat both sides will often eat up 1/4 inch or more right off the bat. Then when you resaw you have to allow for some planing of that resawn side, another 1/8 inch or more beyond the finished thickness needed. Bottom line... if you want to mill thick enough to get 3/4 boards AND also have enough for another inch or inch and eighth... you almost have to start with 9/4 rough. Ok... hope I didn't confuse anybody worse than they already were.

 

[John Henry]

For years I've been slicing logs (Ripsaw bandsaw) at 1 1/8 which if stickered and dried correctly has been plenty when I go to turn that into 3/4 S4S (surface 4 sides). The majority of things I make do use 3/4 inch lumber. For table legs, my thicker cutting boards and some other things where I want to end up with 1 1/8 I mill 1 1/5... basically I mill roughly 3/8 inch more than I want the finished thickness to be. Problem is as was said, you don't always know where your woodworking talents or projects are headed. Years ago I milled way to much that ended up S4S 3/4 and not enough S4S 1 and 1 1/8 which I recently started using a LOT of. So I am up to my ears in 3/4 lumber and I scrounge through the piles to find thicker stuff. I do have a lot of 2 and 3 inch as Bob slices, but I hate ruining a nice thick 2 inch board to get to 1 1/8 inch. If I take the time, and it's a pain, I can resaw a rough 2 inch board into 1 1/8 and then the leftover slab can be stored again for later use. Problem is after you take S4S 1 1/8 out of 2 inch you often don't have enough left for S4S 3/4. Just planing that rough 2 inch board flat both sides will often eat up 1/4 inch or more right off the bat. Then when you resaw you have to allow for some planing of that resawn side, another 1/8 inch or more beyond the finished thickness needed. Bottom line... if you want to mill thick enough to get 3/4 boards AND also have enough for another inch or inch and eighth... you almost have to start with 9/4 rough. Ok... hope I didn't confuse anybody worse than they already were.

Hey Woodshop, believe it or not, you didn't confuse me. Good comments.

Since I have little wood stacked right now, I will probably cut some 5/4 for a little while, but cut some thick enough to resaw. I've only got a CSM though, so not sure about resawing with that. I'd also have to account for the kerf.

It's pretty handy having 10,000 years of collective experience on this forum to draw from. What did we do before forums? Answer: learn from our dads or grandfathers or the guy at the feed store, I guess.

 

[BobL]

It's pretty handy having 10,000 years of collective experience on this forum to draw from. What did we do before forums? Answer: learn from our dads or grandfathers or the guy at the feed store, I guess.

Some say this is the beginning of a form of collective brain! A but scary but very interesting.

 

[BlueRider]

One of the reasons to mill your own boards is so that you are not limited to the same hand full of species that every other shop is building stuff out of. Another way you can distinguish your work is buy building it out of the thickness that is right for your design rather than out of the same standard sizes as all the other guys buying that hand full of different woods that all the yards sell,

I mill 99% of stuff at 2 1/4". this will usually shrink down to just just under 2" for most species. If I am careful and there isn't too much warping I can resaw into two 7/8 boards and and get a pair of 3/4 boards out of the planer. More often I opt to use 1" fiinished stock and use the remainder for secondary or drawer stock. 2" will get me most of what I need for table and chair legs too. I mentioned the 2 1/4" is what I mill 99% of stuf at the other odd slab is milled at 4" which will shring down to 3 3/8"-3 1/2" I always use all the thick sabs and never seem to have enough. I ould mill more but the weight is what keeps me from doing it.

Don't be afraid to plane a 2" thick board down to 1 1/8" if that is what you need. remember it would have been firewood if you hadn't milled it. don't limit your choices in two years when the wood will be dry based on what you are making right now.

 

[woodshop]

One of the reasons to mill your own boards is so that you are not limited to the same hand full of species that every other shop is building stuff out of.

Yes exactly... I love the fact that I have lumber that most woodworkers don't have access to and I like making things out of unconventional wood. If you're making and selling traditional stuff though like Shaker furniture, you will find that folks who go for that kind of thing rarely want to stray from the wood that the original Shakers actually used. Oak, maple, cherry etc. Even with non-traditional stuff I make like quilt holders and bread boards, I find that many people at shows want oak, cherry or walnut because that's what is already in their house. You can get away with making stuff out of ash because it looks so much like oak (although usually much lighter color) and elm and birch look like maple etc... but for the most part folks at shows want oak and cherry.

Don't be afraid to plane a 2" thick board down to 1 1/8" if that is what you need. remember it would have been firewood if you hadn't milled it.

I'm not afraid to mill that thick plank down to size, I just don't like wasting that much wood. Sure it would have been firewood, but after all the blood sweat and tears I put into milling and drying the stuff, I like to see as little of it as I can end up as wood chips from my planer.

 

[carvinmark]

I mill 99% of stuff at 2 1/4". I always use all the thick slabs and never seem to have enough. I could mill more but the weight is what keeps me from doing it.

This is usually what I do and I can hardly keep them for myself. I mill smaller pieces from whatever is left or I will cut whatever size others want.
Weight is always something to consider, glad I have a fork truck.