Replies

1. 
   Splintie | Nov 12, 2002 11:45pm | #1

   Well, you can't face joint anything wider than the width of the jointer, eh? If cupping is the only warpage problem, you might have excellect results just taking off the top of the cup, flipping it over and taking off the edges until you get something reasonably flat. If twisted, the only alternative is to cut them into small enough portions so that you can joint or plane out the twist (using a sled and wedges to move the pieces through the planer) without ending up with veneers. I'd hate to see what the blades look like after, but perhaps the savings on the wood will buy new ones.

1. 
   Pike2003 | Nov 13, 2002 02:28am | #2

   "..This means that my lumber is 16' long and 12" wide most of it red oak.  Now this lumber is not perfect by any means.  Most of it is slightly cupped and twisted, but I can deal with four 8'x6" pieces.  My question is, given a jointer with bed length X and bed width Y what dimension of rough sawn lumber can I face joint to make S4S lumber, along with a surface planer, of course?"Adam, what do you have in mind with this wood? Have you taken a small plane to it and really checked it out well for defects? Sounds like I am dodging the question you have but there is a reason.

   A shop equipped with a wide belt sander could really come in handy for you also in machining this wood if Splintie's idea's don't work. Some charge by the hour and others by the job. Have you considered maybe even making glued stock out of it? Rough cutting lumber wastes so much wood! (needless surfacing I mean, resaw if possible)  ..Pike..

   Edited 11/12/2002 6:45:01 PM ET by Pike

1. 
   adamws | Nov 13, 2002 04:37am | #3

   I have made a coffee table out of it and it seems to be imperfection free except in a few normal places, a small knot here and there.  What would a wide belt sander do that I couldn't do with a planer and jointer.  Keep in mind that I cannot afford much at all and do not have a jointer or planer yet.  (I'm a poor college student)  Also what do you mean about making glued stock out of it?  As far as using it for any specific purposes, not really, there are pieces of furniture on every woodworking husbands list, but other than that not really.

1. 
   DougU | Nov 13, 2002 05:54am | #4

   Adam

   I had some old barn boards that I wanted to do the same thing with and at the time I did'nt own a planer or jointer, I took the wood to this cabinet shop, he had a wide planer and a wide belt sander, he would'nt run the stuff  through the planer because of all the dirt that was ground into the wood, dulls the planer blades quick, he ran it through the sander and although it wont take cups and warps out as well as a jointer the wood was usable.

   Just food for thought.

   Doug

2. 
   Pike2003 | Nov 13, 2002 06:08am | #5

   Dimensioning wood with a wide belt sander with wood slightly cupped or even a little twisted spot or two can have a big advantage over planer and jointer techniques in these particular circumstances.1. Your lumber is already well aged and valuable - so if you want the complete lengths of your premo saved ones and don't want to see excellent wood huffed into the dust collectors go slow with appropriate speeds and cradles in a wide belt. Minimum wood will be wasted this way. No tearing or blow outs, blade stress, or chipping on oak to worry about. 

   2. It's already sanded after this process! Just a slight bit more handling and care is all that it has cost you. If it's twisted or warped you can reverse the grain patterns, spline and glue them together for wonderful straightened full length pieces wasting very little of your lumber. Thus your glued stock.

   I am a huge advocate of using all the wood you have whenever possible ;) Being a college student I am sure you would agree- Here is a pic of a cargo table I whipped up in a day using oak! ..Pike..