Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Jan 17, 2005 08:54am | #1

   Welcome to the site, Rob. Not knowing where you live, check the yellow pages under Millwork. If there are no listings, try Cabinetmakers. If they can't do it, they may be able to tell you if there is an architectural shop or supplier that will do milling. Pricing varies widely depending on what you want done. The larger shops often have sanders also.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   rob26 | Jan 18, 2005 01:11am | #3

   Thanks for the quick response. I appreciate it, and hope to become a regular. I've been building cabinets and some furniture, especially focused on restoring the six old houses we've owned over the years. Not ready to give up a regular salary, and not sure I'd be happy trying to satisfy anyone but myself with my woodworking.If I follow your advice (Beat it to fit...), do I get to buy a bigger hammer?Rob

1. 
   theoldman | Jan 18, 2005 01:19am | #4

   My advice is to rip the boards into 6" widths ,surface and reglue. This takes any stress out of the 20" boards and will prevent warping.

2. 
   CRAIGCONEY_M | Jan 17, 2005 10:04am | #2

   There was recently a post on jigs that may fit your bill to do this with a router. 

   To get it done right sending it out, you'd need to find someone with a 24" jointer.  Door shops usually have wider jointers.

    

    

3. 
   JohnWW | Jan 18, 2005 01:47am | #5

   Boards that wide will have some serious stability problems as they gain or lose moisture, quite possibly cupping an inch or two between winter and summer.  They will also expand or contract a 1/2 inch or so seasonally.  Merely flattening the boards, without deciding how to control or compensate for the movement of the wood will be a waste of time. 

   Very wide boards are impressive to look at, but rarely practical to build furniture with unless you take extraordinary efforts to deal with wood movement.

   John W.

4. 
   GHR | Jan 18, 2005 04:10am | #6

   I have 9 20"x9' clear cherry boards, most 5/4 some 4/4. So I appreciate your question.

   I plan on using my hand planes for doing all of the flatening and smoothing.

   After a lot of thinking, I will make drop leaf tables - resaw the boards to 10" and bookmatch the top and drops. I don't expect any warping.

1. 
   Peter36 | Jan 18, 2005 04:35am | #7

   Rip the boards to 10"? No bookmatching?

2. 
   mudman | Jan 18, 2005 09:35am | #8

   How will you resaw a 5/4 board? It will only be 3/8" when done...If you are real good at stock prep. I suspect you mean RIP the boards....but then you cant book match them unless they are already consecutive slabs.

   Mikeplease excuse my spelling.