CKen Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 I have come across an issue when buying wood for projects. When I buy 4/4 intending to mill it to 3/4" the boards I am usually getting are less than 7/8" measured thickness. I have been struggling getting the boards flat, and still have the target thickness of 3/4. I believe that most of the stock is billed as S3S but there is still enough warp and twist to cause me issues. So far my solution has been to buy thicker stock (that costs more) and mill it down. I feel like I am wasting a lot in material and money. Is this typical from most suppliers? Should I find somewhere else to get wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tito Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Correct... 4/4 is for the most part just over 3/4". You are paying for the extra 1/4" you dont get. So if you 3/4" stock you should purchase 5/4 which is actaully 1". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Is the lumber you're getting dressed or rough? I almost always buy my lumber rough sawn as it's cheaper and thicker (4/4 rough sawn SHOULD be 1" +/- 1/16") As long as there isn't any major bows or twists I can usually get everything milled flat and square a little over 3/4" If you're getting dressed lumber (and paying for it) and it still needs alot of work then I'd start looking around for another supplier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 so the general rule of thumb is to get it strait you usualy remove 1/4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 That's a typical loss; sometimes you can do a little better than that depending on the board, though.. If it's really twisted or bowed, you're pretty much S.O.L... So if you want 1" dressed you'll need to order 5/4 rough.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dwacker Posted January 28, 2012 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 4/4 rough should be between 7/8 - 13/16. You will have much better luck if you rough cut down closer to final dimension. Dont joint and plane a 8ft x 6" then cut it down to a bunch of smaller boards. Chop it up first and you will cut out most of the bow and warping. This also eliminates relieving issues. Don 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 +1 ^^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 4/4 rough should be between 7/8 - 13/16. You will have much better luck if you rough cut down closer to final dimension. Dont joint and plane a 8ft x 6" then cut it down to a bunch of smaller boards. Chop it up first and you will cut out most of the bow and warping. This also eliminates relieving issues. Don good to know im used to planing downa big board then cuting it up to save time and manpower but if this solves later problems good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 When I buy 4/4 rough sawn boards, they are usually 1/16 over an inch. I bring a tape with me, and always make sure i get lumber over 1 inch thick, unless its really flat. I really take my time when I choose my lumber, and often spend a lot of time picking through the stacks. I recently bought 20 bf of walnut, and it took about 40 mins to get the pieces I wanted. dwacker has given some good advice. Its far better to joint, plane, and square smaller sections than a whole 8 foot board. There is a great gadget available as a go/no go for buying lumber. Check it out: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=58701&cat=1,43513,51657 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnell Hagen Posted January 29, 2012 Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 I use rough sawn boards, I shoot for 15/16" after milling, 7/8" is about average. These numbers are pretty typical for a board four feet long or less, the longer the stock the project calls for, the harder it is to maintain thickness and the more critical it is to have straight material before you even approach the jointer. For me 1/4" removal is not average, it is the extreme, if I can't get 3/4" finished I look for a different board. I've never intentionally bought 5/4, and I question it's availability. Rough sawn is cheaper and there is more room to get flat thickness from. The only drawback is that it's more difficult to see the grain and figure, but that comes with practise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKen Posted January 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 so the general rule of thumb is to get it strait you usualy remove 1/4? A 1/4' is about right. I have started taking MUCH more time when selecting lumber to try and get straighter stuff, but I average about 1/4" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKen Posted January 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 Is the lumber you're getting dressed or rough? The wood is milled. "flat" on two sides, and "straight" on one side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dozer's Workshop Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Milled wood is going to cost more since you are paying them to do work for you that you could do in your shop. Rough lumber is just straight out of the saw, you will see all of the saw marks on all four sides, and it should be closer to the sizes that you see mentioned above. Do you have a jointer, or just a planer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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