5 easy steps to finished lumber

For most people the only lumber that is available to them is finished lumber. This is lumber that had been planed down to a finished size like 1-1/2" x 3-1/2". This is fine for most people. although the cost is quite a bit more then the alternative, rough lumber. The steps below show you how to take a rough board and use a table saw, thickness planer and jointer to clean up the faces and edges as well as getting it to a size that fits your plans.

Like all things you have to pay more for finished boards as opposed to rough boards. In same cases this can be substantial. So it only makes sense to try and get boards that is rough. This is lumber that is fresh off the mill. It has not been planed to a finished size and the surface isn't smooth like finished lumber.

Step 1: Cut your stock to rough length

First thing to do is rough cut your lumber. There is no point in milling rough boards until you are ready to use it. It will remain more stable also. I generally cut the stock to length and make sure the ends are square. This is easiest to do with a miter saw and you will get the most accurate cut.

It is important for safety as well as aesthetics to remove and loose knots or cracks from your boards at this point as well.

Step 2: Planning one face flat

The first step I take is to plane one face to make it flat and true as well as remove all the rough surface left from the milling. To do this I use a jointer. Set the depth of cut to 1/32" and inspect the wood to see if the piece is cupped. I also look to see which way the grain is running since this will make a difference to the direction I can run the board through the jointer.

You want to make sure that you have it set to only remove about 1/32". Nice light passes and you will get a nice smooth surface. Keep passing your boards through the jointer until you have removed all the rough surface and the face is flat.

Step 3: Square an edge with the face

The next step is to square one of the edges and make it 90° to the face I just planed flat. Once again I will use the jointer for this. I set the jointer fence so it is exactly 90° to the table. Once again I determine which way the grain runs so I can pass the board through the jointer the right way. Just continue to pass the board through until the edge is clean with no rough wood or other defects.

Keep feeding the stock through checking after each pass with a speed square to make sure the edge is square to the first face you planed flat.

Step 4: Rip to the rough width

Now that I have a flat face and one finished edge I can run the boards through my table saw to rip it to the rough width. You want to make this width 1/16"wider then the finished dimension shown on your plans. Set the fence so it is square to the blade and the blade height should be 1/8" higher then the thickness of your stock. Rip the board to width. Now I go back to the jointer and clean up that edge, removing all the saw marks from the table saw and making it 90° to the finished face.

Now your board should have two finished edges parallel to each other plus are square to one face.

Step 5: Planning the other face

The next step is to true the last face and make it parallel to the first and square with the two edges. This is done at the thickness planer.

First you have to measure the thickness of the stock and determine the thickest dimension. Don't assume that the board is a set dimension like 2". Set your thickness planer to cut a little less then 1/16". As before determine the direction of the grain and feed the stock in accordingly. Continue this until your desired thickness is achieved.

Conclusion:

By following the 5 steps above you will get beautiful square finished lumber at a lower price. This does take some time but the freedom to have dimensions of lumber that aren't available at the lumber store is a nice. Most woodworking plans that you purchase will also have advice on how to complete the plans and what tools work best for making certain cuts.

Always remember to read and follow the directions that come with your power tools. This will provide safety information as well as tips and techniques on how to use the tools more effectively.