peacefrog

I have a planer but no jointer. I've experimented with milling rough wood using my router as a jointer, but I need to get a better fence set up for that to be really viable. So for a side table I just built, I bought S4S poplar (it's going to be in our girls' room and will be painted) from a local place that only recently started selling surfaced wood at all. They sell it in 12 and 14 foot boards. I had them cut a couple of 12 ft boards in half for me so I could fit them in my Honda Element. I was a little disappointed to find that some of the boards were twisted or cupped. Why pay for someone to mill the lumber if it's not going to be flat? Is it normal for surface wood to not actually be straight and flat? I bought it because I thought they'd do a better job milling it than I could, but that turned out to not really be the case.

__________________
Bob

Advertising

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Router Forums

challagan

It's really hard to tell what shape your wood is going to be if it is in 12 and 14 foot lengths. I would think it would be kind of hard to surface it that long as well for them.

Corey

__________________
My Carving Website: The Iowa Woodcarver
http://iowacarver.tripod.com/

My Shop Website - Woodshop 51503
http://woodshop51503.tripod.com/

curiousgeorge

Hi peacefrog.
Two words.... WOOD MOVES. It was probably in pretty good shape when milled but by the time it gets to the store it has either warped, cupped, twisted... or all of the above depending on the wood and weather. Wood is very unstable, especially after it has been cut and or milled. Odds are if you leave it laying around in your shop for a while it will move even more.
If possible it's best to mill your own after it has acclimated to your shop.

__________________
George

If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem...

harrysin

On the odd occasions that I actually have to BUY timber (as distinct from having it donated) I usually have to go through every piece in the rack and even then there have been times when I left without finding a single straight piece. There was me thinking that it was just an Australian thing!

__________________
Harry

kp91

No Harry, it just twists in the opposite direction down there!

__________________
Doug
1 John 1:9

Hamlin

LOL kp

As said above, wood moves.

__________________
Ken

(On temporary leave of abscense)

"A VETERAN"
"Wether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life". That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it." -Author Unknown

harrysin

I didn't know that Doug!

__________________
Harry