Replies

1. 
   JsHerbel | Nov 09, 2004 09:47pm | #1

   Place your wood on your workbench. Run a length of rope around the wood and through your closest bench dog holes (or drill holes through workbench if you don't have any) so that the two ends of the rope dangle near the floor. Tie the two ends together securely. The loop of rope should hang approximately a foot or so from the floor. Now if put your foot in the loop and push down, the rope will tighten the workpiece very snugly, depending on how hard you push. It's quite comfortable to keep your foot pressed down and work on the piece.

   Just a suggestion.

2. 
   wop | Nov 10, 2004 01:07am | #2

   If it's air dried beech I suggest you use it as firewood since it is so unstable it would put the fear of the lord in any cabinet maker. Beech is only stable if it is steamed then dried. In that case i is a dream wood. Here no Falegname in his right mind wiil touch air dried beech to build anything.

                                                                         Philip

       Then again if you are making warped and twisted moulding a warped and twisted moulding plane might come in handy.

1. 
   Curtis | Nov 10, 2004 03:42am | #3

   Hello Philip

   Beech wood is a good to lower grade cabinet wood, and has been used for centuries.

   True the wood has a higher expansion rate than some fine cabinet grade woods, but I've made a few projects, with no problems.!?

   I read somewhere about a man who had a chance to buy some 1000 bf of air dried walnut at an auction, He stated someone told him Air dried walnut wasn't stable, so he passed on the bid, It sold for some very small price,(something like $40.00)

   I only point this out because,you may not want to pass up an opportunity when it presents itself.

   Besides, I don't belive there are any really BAD woods.just woods that were not used properly. if you know the wood has a high expansion rate ,plan for it.

   When I was little ,red oak was thought of as a cheep wood,and nobody wanted it, but today its widely used.

   Go figure?

   JMHO.C.A.G.

2. 
   bobhallsr | Nov 10, 2004 06:49am | #4

   I had no one to advise me against using air dried beech when I made my workbench years ago.  It has been a wonderful bench. 

   It warps something terrible while drying but has remained stable enough to use for furniture.

   BJGardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland

3. 
   Cheatah | Nov 10, 2004 07:05am | #5

   Dreep;

   Like many of the posts here, I agree that Beech is a descent very affordable wood specie. About a year ago I bought about 30-40 bd ft of it --- all air dried. I recently built a sanding station cabinet with it. It turned out so well, that my wife wanted me to build a piece of furniture with the same wood. Unfortunately I did not have enough to complete but several picture frames. My point is that air dried beech is fine. Sure I had to take time to plan milling the stuff because most of the boards were warped to a many degrees. But I took my time, and ended up with great results. I finished it with a home brew of tung oil, poly and mineral spirits. It worked out great!

   Feel good about buying it-- its pretty affordable stuff and will look great. Take your time milling it up and plan right-- you will get great results and comments too.

4. 
   jazzdogg | Nov 10, 2004 08:16am | #6

   Dreep,

   You won't need pieces that are very long to build moulding planes - which means you can safely crosscut your dried wood into manageable lengths before attempting to square them.

   I'd fall back on some of the methods used when working green wood:

   * Crosscut to manageable lengths using a chain saw, bow saw or bandsaw

   * Use an axe, sledge & wedges, or froe & club to rive into managable billets

   * Use a shaving horse (or bench vise) and drawknife to shape your pieces until they are roughly square

   Process your squared-up billets like you would any other pieces of rough lumber.

   Good luck,

   -Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.