planing lumber,green or dry?

thecfarm · May 01, 2012, 09:23:26 PM

I'm building us a building to sell veggies,home cooked items and jams and jellies and pot holders,aprons for the wife to sell in. I'm just about to put the sub floor down with one inch hemlock that has only been dying,stickered for a month. I know it will be a gap between the boards when it dry. I only have a Rigid 13 inch planer. The building is 12X24. I would like to run the hemlock through the planer for 1 inch thickness and most of the boards are 4 inches wide and I want to plane the 4 inch part too. But I kinda would like to do the main floor in white maple. Would it be better to plane the whitemaple green or sticker and let it dry through Nov,than things will freeze up. Or plane it green? The hard wood will have the end painted and be stickered and have some tin roofing over the top in the shade. I want it to have a country look,not a ball room floor look.

red oaks lumber · May 01, 2012, 10:26:48 PM

i wouldn't plane any wood green, the grain want to tear and pull not to mention you wont have any size consistinacy.

Planman1954 · May 02, 2012, 12:46:06 PM

If it were me, I'd certainly let the wood dry as long as possible before planing. Let it do all its twisting and moving BEFORE you plane it. This gives you the advantage of choosing the right face to plane for the best flat surface. If you plane it first, then stack it, I'll gaurantee you that a lot of boards will be warped in one way or another. Just my 2 cents! Have fun. (And good luck on the shop.)

mikeb1079 · May 02, 2012, 05:54:15 PM

i had heard that it's not a good idea to plane wet lumber but i had to try it.

bad idea. for one it clogs your dust collector with wet stringy chips that will mold immediately if not removed. for two many woods will stain your machines and vice versa (oak for example). for three it's a pain in the butt. ;D dry as long as possible even a few months will make a big difference.
good luck!

laffs · May 02, 2012, 09:10:16 PM

Wood doesnt feed good at all when its wet and the shavings will get between the gibs and the knives, when that happens it looks like you beat it smooth witha hammer.