Thin stock

Bibbyman · August 07, 2002, 08:46:51 AM

I had a guy the other day asking if I had any thin KD lumber - oak, walnut, etc. in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" thickness. I told him all I stocked was 4/4 and that he could re-saw it if he had the equipment. Well, he didn't but he also didn't want to keep paying the outrages prices they wanted for it at the specialty wood houses.

I don't have a resaw attachment for our WM but I've tried to resaw stuff before and sometimes it comes out ok for the use intended. But I don't think I have a good way to resaw say a 4/4 oak board 12" wide down to two 1/2" thick boards, etc. Just can't hold it flat enough for one thing.

Any ideas?

Tom · August 07, 2002, 09:31:04 AM

I have been asked to split 2x material into (2) 4/4 boards and have told customers that I can't do it. They will have me do it anyway.

When stock dries, it is not straight regardless of how straight it looks. Put it on the bed of the mill and it becomes quite obvious just how out-of-shape it is. Without a pressure wheel in front of the blade to hold it down, you don't stand a chance.

I have cut thin cedar and cypress for folks by sawing up a larger cant. True a 2x and then cut a 1/2" off of the top leaving a 4/4 or doing the same thing with an 8x8, leaving a 4/4.

Dry wood doesn't cut as readily with 7/8 pitch blades as green wood. Folks don't understand why all that smoke pours out of the kerf when it doesn't do it on their table saw. :D

Bro. Noble · August 07, 2002, 09:32:24 AM

Bibb,

If someone in the area has a resaw, he could buy the lumber from you and take it to them for further processing. I could resaw those in a jiffy and would be glad to, but I don't have dried lumber.

Am I remembering correctly or getting confused(again)?
Didn't the fellow where we attended the WM workshop in Columbia saw thin wood for a man that made musical insturments? Seems like he made some sort of jig and sawed it on his WM.

Noble

Bibbyman · August 07, 2002, 12:24:05 PM

Tom, That's been my experience too.

Noble, You're memory is better than mine. The guy to whom you refer lives in my neighborhood. I forgot about him. His fixture is for quarter sawing thin stock for musical instruments. I understand he does not do any custom sawing and would probably want to exchange the wood for gold pound for pound.

Texas Ranger · August 07, 2002, 12:55:24 PM

He Would do better going by volume. :

woodman · August 07, 2002, 09:03:25 PM

Bib i cut thin stock for crafters but i do it green off the log then let it air dry.

CHARLIE · August 08, 2002, 08:39:32 AM

Woodman, how do you keep the green thin wood flat while drying? If there is a technique, I'd like to know it.

When I need thin stock for my shop projects, I'll either resaw kiln dried lumber on my bandsaw (only up to 6" wide) or on my tablesaw (only about 3" wide). Many times I'll just plane it down to the width I need. But, even with kiln dried, sometimes the board will cup on me. If I could resaw some greenwood and keep it flat, then I'll have more free wood I can use for boards...

Tom · August 08, 2002, 09:11:14 AM

Charlie,
I have stickered 1/2 inch boards with frequent 1/2 " stickers, kept the stack only one or two boards wide, and gotten pretty good results.

Playing around, I've stacked real thin stock one board wide with paper toweling between each layer to wick the water out, weighted it some and it turned out pretty good too.