I need some 1/2″ wood for a group of drawer sides that will makeup a bunch of storage drawers.
All I find is finished 3/4″ stock that if I rip in half and run throught my planer is less than 1/2″ or I can plan away 1/4″ to get 1/2 “which seems to a big wast of wood. I don’t want to use 1/2″ plywood. I thought about 4/4 rough boards but I find that most of the rough is very close to 1″ and might not finish to 1/2”.
5/4 stock would work if I could fine it locally.
What to do, what to do??
Replies
choices
You can find 1/2" stock, along with 3/8" and 1/4" in a couple of species at most Lowes stores - mostly short lengths of up to 3'. Naturally, you pay a premium price, however. My local Lowes carries Poplar and Red Oak, as I recall.
You can also find 1/2" stock at some online dealers in some species, and pay freight. Wall Lumber is one example.
http://www.walllumber.com/thin.asp
Alternatively, you can re-saw 3/4" stock for 1/2" finished, and use the remainder slabbettes for dividers in small drawers, jewelry boxes, and that sort of thing.
Depending on what kind of "storage" drawers you're building, however, ply may still be the more practical solution.
How critical is the 1/2"
I'd suggest going with the 4/4 stock and milling it.
You may not get a full 1/2 inch, but is that critical to the piece? I mean, if you wind up with 7/16 drawer sides, would it matter as long as they are all the same thickness?
Frank
There is also
Menards, if you have one nearby. Mine is having a sale on 1/2" hardwood right now. Just an idea.
If you take 4/4 stock and resaw it, expect it to warp significantly, so you might not get 1/2 at the end. The same may be true if you resaw your 3/4 board. If you can find 5/4, that would probably give you enough cusion.
I've had great luck with the craft boards from Lowes. If you dig around, you can find very straight boards. The prices aren't bad when you factor in the waste and time for milling up your own boards from rough stock. The poplar is great. You can probably find similar boads at th other big box stores.
My experience resawing 5/4 for some 24" long drawer sides was disappointing - in some cases I got two 1/2" pieces, but not very often. When milling rough lumber to about 36" length I expect to lose 1/4" just to get the piece flat and straight. This was working with quartersawn and riftsawn cherry kiln dried. Resaw it and it will move some; flatten the movement and remove the bandsaw saw marks and I would hope to get 3/8" for each piece.
Ready to use maple, poplar, pine and oak lumber I've looked at in Home Depot was not perfectly flat and straight. So I'd get their 3/4" and mill it down to 1/2". It is frustrating to plane away wood, but it was much worse to underestimate how much I would lose trying to get two pieces out of rough lumber. Quite a few boards became expensive kindling.
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