Lumber dimensions

[Trax]

I'm going to start sawing out a cabin, I will be using hemlock cut from the lot and air drying it. I would like to cut my 2x6's so they would be the same width (after drying) as KD dimensional lumber to avoid problems with window and door framing. Has anyone done this or know what width they should be cut.  Also is there any reason not to cut them full  2" x 5 &???

[rebocardo]

imo, You should cut them a true 2x4 or 2x6 or whatever. Then once dried, plane them down if needed. Though if I was building a cabin, I would not worry about getting it to store bought dimensions. To frame windows and doors, it does not have to be. You make the opening, then screw the door and windows into the opening. 31" wide is 31" wide, no matter what kind of wood you use.

The only problem you can run into is when using joist ties and such with a larger dim. wood, though the Simpson ties are flexible enough to put around a true 2x4.

Anywhere there is a slight fitment problem, you can solve with a router.

[Randy]

Trax, being different cuts of lumber shrink different amounts there is no way to say exactly how wide to cut lumber so it dries the same width as box store lumber. What I have been doing is cutting my studs over size then re-cutting them----on my band mill, I just stack about 6 studs onto the mill, take a little off one side then flip and cut how wide I want them. This true's them up too! Floor joice, over head joice(unless 2 story) and rafters can vary in width some.  Building Trusses can get tricky if the lumber is different widths, but can be done. My dad recut all the studs for his house on a table saw-once you get set-up it doesn't take a real long time.  Good Luck!! Randy

[mike_van]

They won't shrink much in thickness Randy, if you make them 1 5/8", the width though is where you lose.  A full 6" might be 5 1/2 to 5 3/4 dried, depending on the grain orientation.  Flat sawn will shrink the most, quarter sawn the least.

[Bibbyman]

We once had a bunch of big cottonwood logs that we didn't have a market for the lumber.  We knew that the logs wouldn't keep through the summer so we slabbed the logs down to the widest boards they'd make then stack and stick them to dry.  Some were 24" wide. If I remember right,  we sawed them to a thickness of 1-3/4"

About a year later a neighbor came by that was adding onto his house.  We put them back on the mill and ripped them to standard commercial widths.   We made studs, floor joists, etc. They came out nice and straight and perfect width wise.  FAR better than if they would have if sawn to dim first and then dried.

The thickness was a little off but didn't matter for 90% of the applications.  We did run some through the planer to get them true and down to -1-1/2" thick for use as plates and around door frames, etc.

He was happy,  we were happy.   I'd do it again.

[Raphael]

  I've got a 2x6 bathroom wall framed up that using a mix of left over KD from the lumber yard and my own air dried lumber.
I milled my lumber at 6/4 x 6" and 7/4 x 6".  I found the shinkage in the 1.5" dimension to be negligable (~1/16) so I used all 6/4 material.  The 6" dimension has some variation after drying, it runs around 5-3/4", I dropped one of my KD 2x6s on the table saw and set the fence to it's width then ripped all my air dried material to match, I also took some of my 2x8s (6/4x8") that had a lot of excess crown straightened one side with a skill saw and ripped the other to match the KD 2x6s.  It worked out so nice it's a shame to cover it with sheetrock and blueboard.
  My 2x4s I milled 6/4 x 3-1/2"... 3-5/8" to 3-3/4" would be a better choice if trying to match KD dimensional lumber but most general framing lumber is pretty wet so my 6/4 x 3-1/2" studs are working well.

  If you have to deal with a building inspector better find out what dimensions he want's to see.  Some places want rough sawn lumber milled a full 2" by a full 4, 6 or 8" especially when used as structural components.  All my lumber is being used in non load bearing partitions (timber framed house) so the building inspector isn't concerned about the dimensions beyond, "Is it thick enough to hold the drywall screws".

[tcsmpsi]

My question is, how would/could one possibly cut to match store bought lumber, unless one cut to match one store bought stick at a time?

If it can be relatively controlled to within 1/8th or so,   it would 'match' most the lumber I have seen in quite some time.  Then, when you add in bowed, crooked, knotty, cracked, etc., the variance grows even more.

Rough openings for doors, windows, skylights, etc. are made for such contingencies, as well as plumb and level.

If one could possibly get a 12' section of wall within 3/4" deviation with store bought lumber, they have either gotten some might spectacular sticks, or they have planed and/or shaped it.

[Larry]

Plenty of good advice on size for dimension lumber above, so I won't add anything.

I would like to cut my 2x6's so they would be the same width (after drying) as KD dimensional lumber to avoid problems with window and door framing.

Maybe a comment from little different perspective.  Who cares about standard size framing lumber?  Well, maybe the inspector if ya live in one of those places.

Just finished my Arkansas place.  To save time I bought pre-hung doors...never again.  Finger jointed pine, staples, and thin wood...cheap cheap cheap.  They don't match the nice oak trim and cabinets in the rest of the house.  Stupidity on my part...had plenty of dry oak I could have used for jams, sills and wouldn't have taken hardly any extra time...no worries iffen a guy used non-standard framing lumber either.  Heck could have even made doors...but that would have taken quite a bit of time.  Window units weren't a problem...trimmed them out on the outside and inside to suit myself.

[woodmills1]

most windows and doors are made for store bought framing lumber dimensions, so unless you are making your doors and windows it does matter, at leats on the width.  Constant thickness is valuable for double studs and top and bottem plate, but not so much for individual studs.  Constant width is needed if you plan on putting an interior finish onto the studs.

That said I cut my own 2 by stock to 1 5/8" by either 3 3/4 or 5 3/4 then dry.

a light planer pass to each face will bring it to 1 1/2 and then back onto the sawmill for a cut to 5 or 6 studs at something just over 3 or 5 and 1/2 then a flip and finish cut.  this is labor intensive so I do it for my own use and would look for labor if hired to do so.

[Don P]

I do the saw/dry/rip too, with a skip planing before the rip. For the rip I clamp a long fence on the tablesaw. If some have heavy bow I'll snap chalklines and use a skilsaw or bust them down before the first cut.

[Tom]

I just grow the trees in the dimensions that I need.