Tongue and groove siding?

[rambo]

I wanted to make some T&G from some black cherry logs. This would be installed on the ceiling of a sun room. I was wondering what thickness I should mill it to allow for shrinkage and surfacing. Do you recommend 4/4 or 5/4? If anyone has any pointers in this department please share them.

[beenthere]

Could depend a bit on what widths you want to make as well as the finished thickness you are after. I'd assume 3/4" finished.

I'd think 4/4 would allow you plenty to dry and surface to a finished board on the good side. Won't hurt to have some skip on the backside against the wall. And as well, as long as it is all dressed to the same final thickness, even shy of 3/4" finish shouldn't bother the ceiling strips. Wide widths may be more difficult to dress if cup becomes an issue.

[WDH]

I have done a good bit of T&G for my house, and 4/4 is fine.  In fact, I have found that cutting on the standard scale where the rough thickness is 1" will work fine.  You could saw to 1 1/8", but for me, that is two more passes through the planer for no increase in benefit, just more work for the same result. 

[T Welsh]

rambo, are you just dressing the ceiling in cherry or is it structural as well. what I am trying to figure out is why put such thick boards up when you are only going for the look. resaw a 4/4 in half and you have twice the amount,half the weight? what I am not sure of is what if any adjustable t&g bit you can come up with, I am sure they are out there but never looked or are you going to shop the millwork out?as for shrinkage you have to use dry stock at least down to 10% or you will not like the results!should turn out drop dead pretty! cherry is one of my favorites. Tim

[rambo]

I'm not sure what the customer wants the width to be. I am going to give them the longest and widest I can mill out of there logs. We are all beginners at this so we are trying to get everything figured out.

This will not be structual just eye appeal. As far as the mill work goes the customer has a friend that will do that part for him. I tried to call him tonight to touch base on some things but there was no answer.

I was hoping 4/4 on the rough scale would be fine and it sounds like that is going to work just fine. WDH I'm glad you mention just skipping it on the back side if thickness became and issue.

[WDH]

Are you planning for a standard width or random width?  Personally, I like the look of random width. Just alternate a wider board with a narrower board.  Also, to me, very wide does not look as elegant as narrower widths, like say in the 4" to 7" range. 

[Ironwood]

I would ship lap them, not T&G, it would go in easier and be easier to make.


         Ironwood

[Larry]

I've been thinking of a run of shiplap.  I really like the LRH pattern K-1350 as shown HERE. 

The tooling cost of $636 has me a bit choked up.  Thinking about either making the pattern myself out of HSS or getting it custom made for an insert cutter.  That shouldn't run over a hundred I would guess. 

You got any tooling suggestions that might work Ironwood?

[Ironwood]

That $$$ is nuts. Try two things, one Grizzly for cheap/ acceptable cutters, and OR a standard rabbetting bit in any size and chasing it on a second cut to do the bevel edge. No WAY  would pay that $$ unless it was 1000's of feet of ongoing need.  NOT justified. Try to find a small corragated head somewhere if you have a shaper, and some blank knife stock and grind your own. Not hard just make sure they weigh the same for balance.

Ironwood

[red oaks lumber]

i wouldn't go over 6" wide. b.cherry likes to cup alot and the wood is more brittle so during planing if its cupped it will just crack down the middle of the board. saw them a full 1" thick and go for full cleanup at planing, having the back side of the board not fully planed you will have issues at install, a thin board won't fit up as well to a full board.
if you aren't set up to do planing and t&g it will be cheaper and easier to find a shop that does it

[park ranger]

I did my front and back pourch with 1/2" cedar last year.  All the boards started out at 6" wide and after they were dry (out side stack) I cleaned the sides up on the table saw.  Then I just ran a bead on one side using the shaper.  The bead hides the crack if one develops and I have no problems at all, and it was fast to put up. 

[rambo]

Okay I am going to recomend that they go with a 6 inch width and 4/4 thickness and a ship lap.
Thanks for the great feedback. I knowledge base on FF is second to none. 

[red oaks lumber]

why shiplap? how do you blind nail into that? nice cherry wood work deserves better than face nailing just my .02 cents

[rambo]

Reds oaks,
I do agree with that point you made.