Welcome to the forum.

Thank you for joining us, Steve.

Sounds like an interesting project, working under those conditions.

 

Hey, welcome, Steve! Best of luck on the homebuild project. Nobody needs to remind you about working safe as your career depends on keeping all your digits...
By the time you resaw, and plane the lumber back to a true surface, you'll be around 5/8"+/-; is that an issue for your trim work? The other consideration is that most casing material has the back relieved. Something to consider? (Router table with a tall straight 2" bit?)

 

Welcome aboard.

I'd think about shortening some of the hemlock to use while honing my machining skills. You'll have use, i'm certain, for some 20' sections. But, trying to feed 8' or 10' at a time feels unwieldy to me as a relative novice. If you know you'll need a given amount of shorter pieces the learning curve may actually be smoother at 5' to 10' lengths.

10,000 lineal feet of lumber sounds like a lot until we start making kindling 20' at a time!! Good luck on the project.

 

Steve, most name brand 14" bandsaws will cut your 2 x 4's with no problem. Something you might want to consider is the ability to resaw larger pieces. With most 14" saws you need to purchase a riser to cut anything over 6" heights. After a lot of research I opted for the Steel City deluxe 14" bandsaw. This model has a solid frame that allows you to resaw a full 12". I figure the solid frame eliminates alignment problems and the possibility of riser bolts coming loose. No rust worries with the granite table; built in mobility, a work light and a dust port. I found this saw to be the best value for me when I was shopping, priced lower than other brands with all the features I was looking for.

I am guessing your PC router is one of the 690 series? I think you would be much happier with a more powerful router for table use... the 1-1/2 hp of the 690's comes up short in my book and I feel there are much easier to work with height adjustments on other routers. To my way of thinking the Bosch 1617 combo kits are among the easiest to work with. The new MRC23EVSK works the same way but also has an after lock fine adjustment feature and a full 3" plunge depth. It would be a good idea for you to get your hands on different models and check out how the controls work. Only you can decide which router is the best choice for you. I do suggest that you stick to 2-1/4 hp models or larger.

If I was going to buy a router table it would be the Grizzly T10432. This table has all the features you need and sells for about $130. If you do order this table be sure to include a couple extra base plates.($13 each) This will allow you to have multiple routers set up for different jobs and easily switch them out. I prefer my Router Workshop table but they are no longer in production so you would have to build your own. I think the plans are $4.

 

Hi Steve:

Bandesaws: I posted an article on 14" bandsaws and their price/value. You'll find it here. However, it might behoove you to use your table saw instead. Build up the height of your fence. Make sure you have feather boards supporting your work and keeping it in place. My consideration is that it is easier and faster to push through 20' of wood twice rather than trying to keep it on the straight and narrow using a resaw fence. Even cut in 8' lengths resawing needs muscle and concentration and it ain't fast. Are your 2x4s 2"x4" (that is to say 8/4 x 16/4) or are they milled down. Usually gifts like that are rough sawn and when the donor finds out hemlock is toxic they give it away. Our local saw mills are pretty wary of the stuff. The wood itself is fine, it's the dust that kills.

Dust Collection: Your Hemlock is dangerous and toxic. It is also a carcinogen. Do not mill it indoors. Even outdoors make sure you use goggles and breathing mask. It is the quintessential medieval poison.

Lengths: I would leave the lengths at 20', jig up good-sized infeed and outfeed tables and stout feather boards to keep the work tight to your fence and "have at 'er".

Back side relief: I concur with Dan. Make sure you're putting reliefs on the backside. It will help keep the finished product from warping. Especially where you are, heat will move from none to damned warm. I heat with wood and my temperature varies in the house (I have brick veneer) from cool to damned hot, especially early in the season when you only fire once a day.

Router: I can't agree with Mike on the router. I'd want as much meat behind the bit as possible. Get a good 3 1/4 HP Makita or Hitachi. Now, they are both excellent workhorses but the difference is that the Hitachi is already modified for cabinet bits whereas the Makita might not be modifiable. I would suggest that you get two of them, one each of the Makita and Hitachi. I don't like the new Hitachi M12V2 so if you can find an old M12V I like it better. The Makita 3612C is a nice machine but not as versatile. Huge bits become a problem with it -- the base requires too much modification.

You're going to have to build yourself a router table. Unfortunately, OakPark has gone out of business so getting functional baseplates could be a problem. I would suggest that you make your own. They're not difficult and there's lots of information on the forum on how to do it. Mike will have the addresses. I'm suggesting you keep your table height around 36" from the ground. Again, you don't want to be doing this indoors. Your milling will require support so I would suggest that you make a milling jig for each stage of your project. Like that you can just push them through. Feather boards will be essential as will long infeed and outfeed tables. I'd use a few of those 2x4s to make your tables.

BTW, I hope you're using PEX for your plumbing. I'd also recommend an inventory of sharkbite connectors for the occasional break. PEX is pretty forgiving when frozen but not indestructible. I'm using a Viega Manablock. Works well but it doesn't like getting frozen either. Our hydro goes out at least once a winter. We're fine, we're always home but if you're in a crisis in your profession and you bring the family into town for a big storm, that's the house without heat and a few burst pipes. The damage comes when the hydro comes on and the pump kicks in to build up the pressure only to fill the basement. In our case it was the barn. One of the doors blew open in the night and the pipes froze. One of the horses was cornered in his stall with water spraying from a broken pipe. You should have seen the look on his face :lol:

 

You might consider a dust separator to install between your work and shop vac to keep you vac from filling up real fast. Onieda and others make these which you can mount on a 55 gal drum to keep the wood chips and dust from filling up you vac.

 

Hi Steve - welcome to the forum!

I'm a newly retired academic radiologist (Wake Forest Univ Med Ctr, Winston Salem, NC - abdominal section) and getting back into woodworking - your project seems absolutely daunting and I commend your efforts! Other much more experienced members have already given you some great advice (at least from my viewpoint).

BUT, I'd like to direct my questions @ some of the other posters:

Mike - thanks for the reference to the Griz table - for the price looks like a nice option for a table to do some basic 'all purpose' setups w/ a powerful router! My Veritas table (steel plate) has a P-C 890 (2 1/4 HP) - works fine for me, BUT would like a 3+ HP router in a basic table just to 'hog out' more material or spin bigger bits, so this table seems like a nice entry to that task!

HOWEVER, what router - would like your advice (or of course that of others) about a router w/ the easiest 'under table' adjustments that might fit that table w/ the power desired, i.e. 3+ HP? Thanks for any help or suggestions, AND NOT trying to hijack the thread - may help the OP - :dance3:

 

Hi Dave: What are you going to use it for? What methods are you going to use?

 

Hi Ron - first, I was impressed w/ your excellent post w/ so many details and considerations - enjoyed the read and was curious about your router recommendations.

For myself, the Lee Vly Veritas table has been great for the usual size bits and the P-C 890 router mentioned, although the 'under the table' height adjustments leaves a lot to be desired, i.e. simpler (along w/ the bit changes).

Over the years, I've purchased more aggressive router bits (or combos), e.g. panel raising bits (both horizontal & vertical), coping bit combos, and locked miter bit - a little reluctant to spin these in my current table (but wanting to get more involved in projects using this joinery) - SO, just considering a more powerful router and possibly mounted in a dedicated table for those purposes.

Thanks for any advice - Dave

 

Hi Doctor, welcome aboard. Wow, sounds like you've got most of it pretty well covered on your own; I like to see that, beats people just asking without even trying to do their own homework.
I think you'd be suprised at how durable a table saw can be, I have a HF bench saw I bought in about 1976/6, and it's still going strong. But, a table saw also cuts are wider than a bandsaw, so while I don't have any viable recommendations for a particular bandsaw, I'd say one would be preferred.
My router table has a plywood top, and is afixed to the second shelf down, so I can sit using it. The top is supported below with a spider web of 2X4s, so no sag from the 1/2" top. The router is afixed to a pop out 'plate', making bit changing fast and simple; or, alternately, just pop in a new plate complete with router and a different bit. I'd post a picture or two, but having major computer problems just now and can't access any of my photos. If you're curious, e-mail or PM me and I should be able to provide a few photos in a few days.
Can't tell you a lot on sawdust control. My collection containment consists of a window fan and an open door - my shop is 8X12' also.
So, mostly what you'll get from me is support. So, again, welcome aboard.

 

I appreciate the initial responses and plan to look at the references cited. Good visuals are really helpful to me as I am not as familiar with the vernacular. Many years ago I was responsible for a small cut to size dept. in a particle board /vinyl lamination fabrication plant. Safety is always an issue and whether on a worksite ,in a shop, on a shooting range or in the OR unjustified assumptions cause injuries. I look forward to further discussion in this community.

 

This thread has generated some interesting conversation and questions. This is an introduction thread and I think Steve has done a great job at that. Let's continue the discussions in other areas of the forums so members will have an easy time finding the solutions offered up. Welcome to the forums Steve.