Hi all. I’ve been planning my “dream bench” and was going to use rock maple, but I came accross some massive hickory planks at a price i couldn’t pass up: 10′ long 8″ wide 2.75″ thick, four of them for $100. They were destined to be gun stocks, but the customer never picked them up. They’ve been dried outdoors for 1.5 years, have minimal checking, very few knots, and are straight up to about 7′ where a slight bow begins.
1. I was planning on milling them into 2.5″x2.5″ squares so i could maximize grain direction. Is this my best bet? Is there any advantage to using them as is? I’d have to finish them by hand since my jointer is only 6″ wide. They’re a bit of a handful too, probably 75lbs each.
2. The tops and front ends got wet on the trip home when it started to rain/snow. Is this going to cause any damage?
This is my first post but i’ve come to rely on the vast amount of info and advice here. Some of the more passionate discussions are also very entertaining! I recently got started in woodworking after inheriting my grandad’s Rockwell RAS and old Atlas drill press. Since then i’ve added a used Grizzly 6″ jointer and a 20″ Silver Mfg bandsaw (circa 1916).
Thanks in advance,
-brad
Replies
Should work but how would you rip the stock.
Troy
A few questions for you:
How big a bench top do you want?
Are you planning dog holes of any sort? (I've got hints for square ones if you need them (http://forums.taunton.com/fw-workshop/messages?msg=69.1), but I ask because milling square holes easily likely means you need to rip as opposed to use the planks as is)
How are the planks sawn? quartersawn ? flatsawn? As in, is grain redirection necessary?
Do you really think you'll need to lose a 1/4" in thickness in the milling process?
Edited 1/6/2006 7:38 pm ET by Samson
I just went out and planed some endgrain off: 3 of the boards are flatsawn, the 4th contains the exact center of the tree (not sure what thats called. riftsawn?). I also made 2 discoveries:1.What an amazingly beautiful wood! creamy blonde with salmon pinkish hues. Like a... frozen dessert!2. What an amazingly hard wood! It was like planing titanium. In fact i think some of the pinkish hues were from my bleeding knuckle. I had no idea.I hope the grain direction isn't going to be a huge factor because i really like BG's idea of building with the wide planks. They've dried for over a year with very little checking. I'd even settle for round dog holes. On the other hand, it would be a sin to ruin so much beautiful wood. Arrrgh! Maybe i'll just go buy a Workmate.Other answers: Troy- i'd rip them on my bandsaw (once i restore it!). Samson- i'd like at least a 7' long bench. All 4 planks would put me at around 30" wide (width varies 7.5-7.75"). I would like 2 rows of dog holes, would settle for round if need be. Great link, by the way. Thanks.To rip or not to rip. That is the question.-brad
Brad, to rip or not is one of those things that causes endless debate and has been shouted about quite often on this forum.
If the wood is "right" I would tend not to rip.
But that one board with the center or pith-for sure that should be ripped and rejoined minus the center/pith/heart.
Also, at almost two inches thick, I doubt if the timber is dry enough-you should check that .Philip Marcou
Thanks so much, Philip. Why is the center of the log bad and how far away from it should i get?-brad
bmauers,
I bought the same sized wood as you for my workbench, only mine were 7' long and maple. I was all set to start ripping into squares when someone on here said why rip, why not joint and glue up the wide boards as is and then begin the flattening process. Your going to have a lot less work and problems working with the 8" wide boards. It's been about 3 years now and I'm glad I took the advice. I used round dog holes.
The only thing I would add to what Philip is telling you is that at almost 3" thick, the timbers are most likely NOT dry enough to use just yet. The ends and outer surface area may be, but the interior most certainly is not. Hickory is a wood that air dries fairly well, but not very fast. If the stock is "wet" inside, as it dries out, your bench will move, and not stay flat, which is the single most important issue to have with a good bench. Check the MC (moisture content). You want it to be 8 - 10 %.
The center of a tree, or PITH, is the most unstable part of a board, when cut. You should remove at least a couple of inches around it, so that the radius of the growth rings isn't too tight. The growth rings around the pith are under stress, and want to "flatten out" when the stress is relieved by a round tree into flat boards.
Hickory is a very hard wood, and a good choice for a workbench. Enjoy. If it were me, I would rip the timbers into 2.5" squares, and orient the grain so that q'sawn was your bench surface. This orientation will be the most stable over the long run.
Jeff
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