Hi James, I want to tell you how refreshing it is to listen to your woodworking tips. You're clear and to the point with advice on how to be a better woodworker. I have used many of your tips and the result has made me work safer and more efficient. I still at times make mistakes by getting distracted and cutting a piece wrong resulting in frustration and of course this makes my scrap pile larger. I do learn from my mistakes but I usually manage to create new ones along the way so I guess that makes me a life long learner. Keep making sawdust and I'll be watching.
hey as retired cabinet maker i still make mistakes. a moments inattention and more fire wood. no one is perfect and its about hiding your mistakes that makes you a good woodworker lol
Sometimes I make the project fit the lumber, a small change can result in better use of material or a very special look. Sometimes the wood will direct the project
James, I’m following you for a long time now. Still you manage to keep me ‘hooked on’ from the first to the last minute. I’ve learned a lot here and still do. Thanks!
Jim commented on the inadvisability of cutting rough lumber on a table saw. I believe that is because rough lumber is not flat, and can wobble as it moves through the blade, ramming an edge against the blade. Even on a radial arm or miter saw, the wood can move as the cut proceeds. I've managed to cross cut bowed wood on my radial, with the concave side facing up, so that the cut-off piece tends to fall away from the blade. Cutting with the convex side facing up, with a space beneath the board where the blade passes, lets the cut-off piece fall toward the blade. Saw blades express annoyance when a piece of wood pokes them from the side.
Do you ever straighten bowed boards? I have put them across a gap and stored them with a weight on the middle to do that and it often works well. You have to do it intelligently and only use such straightened boards in places where they will be unable to bow again because of a supporting structure around them. It does work if you do it thoughtfully. Thanks for the tips in this video, they really will help on those rare occasions when I buy lumber rather than salvaging it. I seem to live in an area where people frequently dump broken or sometimes even intact furniture made from really good wood. Grabbing it and making something new from it is my favourite form of recycling and saves me from having to buy wood very often.
Excellent tips, thanks. One thing I do is to leave the pieces two or three inches long on each end so the snipe will happen there and then cut it off later. I'm sure you can do an entire video on snipe. Those ragged split ends? Leave two or three inches on the project piece. Leave a number of short pieces connected in a board where practical so the snipe will only happen before the first one and after the last one. Thanks again for your tips.
Barry Irby I’m always amazed at how reluctant people are to include a waste factor when picking out wood. On one hand, I get it - Lower waste factor= less wood to buy. However, including a little over length, as you suggest here, can save a lot of headaches. It’s a wise investment, in my opinion! 👍
G'Day Jame's,After listening to your plug for that fellow selling Planner bit and pieces,,makes me think i may need a planner,,yep i'm one of those guys that buys over price machine timber, and to be honest a lot of it is not Flat square and over all Parallel,Bit i make do, any way just a big thank you for supporting the little guy and some really great tips,,
Re "...i make do,..." Ayuh, that is the way of the shop world. Keep your eyes open for a shaper and a planer. One of the most useful school courses I took was when I was 37 years old -- an adult-education course in woodworking. The teach taught us that a shaper and a planer are essential. The shaper gives you two sides perpendicular to each other, and the planer cuts the other sides parallel to those two.
Great video, James. Informative, as always. I found it interesting, in a conversation about rough-sawn lumber, that you didn't mention allowing for snipe, from one's planer. Certainly, some planers are better than others, but for beginners and novices who may have skimped on the planer they bought and who a video like this is made for, I found it to be an odd omission.
Great tips. Thanks as always. I hope when you finish the project you’ll point out certain parts of the completed project and reference back and show your original selection from this video to see the end-to-end process together.
I cut my own trees and made lumber from it. Three during sheds later I have enough to last me. I like figured wood and the challenge of adding butterflies or keys to keep the wood together if splitting might be an issue. With knots I fill them with an epoxy mineral mix. Your so right if your trying to get that straight grained look. Thanks for your videos. Bob
I can't remember the last time I used a 25 ft. tape... probably on a remodeling project. In the shop I use a 12 ft. or smaller... easier to work with, lighter, and not as bulky in my hand... great tips on preparing rough-sawn lumber for projects!
Just getting into woodworking in my retirement I've had to learn a LOT along the lines outlined in this video. I was a welder / metal fabricator and a 3" x 3" angle iron measured true, not so with wood. It was frustrating at first but slowly and surly I'm learning.
Good tips here James. I always use rough sawn lumber when I can get it. It can be much cheaper than S2S or S4S material. I especially liked the tips about avoiding the defects like checks and edge knots. I do use my table saw for ripping rough sawn lumber but I have a carrier to clamp the boards to. Thank you for sharing.
I was wondering about the tablesaw comment. I have never used anything but a miter, hand saw, or tablesaw for cutting project parts to size. Never considered it cause for concern.
Awesome! Quick question for you. Once you’ve broken done your boards to rough size, do you mill them right away or do you sticker and let them acclimate?Further to this, assuming the rough lumber was already at the proper MC%, do you do any further acclimating during the build (ie. after rough cutting, after jointing/planing, etc)
I am still early in my woodworking journey. I am not yet ready for rough sawn lumber. Part of the reason is that I don't have a jointer or planer at this time..maybe at some point. But, I still found this video very informative, as I do all your videos!
James, have you ever tinkered with some of the stringier lumbers such as cottonwood, or would you consider doing a video on handling that kind of lumber? I’ve heard it’s difficult to work with but comes out beautifully.
James, so my question is, with the "rough" state of some rough lumber, how do you know what grain is going to be good, or even have an idea what the finished colour it will end up as. In the country where I live, a lot of rough lumber is local and of species I will never have woodworked with. So it is always a gamble, and it feels risky to start chopping into boards that I;m not even sure are right for the project. Thoughts?
Went to a woodworkers shop that was selling out and closing up. I wound up with a bunch of walnut and some really nice pieces of purpleheart. I have no idea what I am going to do with this stuff, but I have it and it was very cheap.
I have a cut list optimizer app on my phone. I input the size and quantity of every piece I need for my project. Only after I've done that do I go to the hardwood dealer. Once there, I pick out boards I think will work, run the optimizer and see if all my pieces fit with at least 20% waste. Way faster than laying out boards of random length/width and drawing on them
Great insights for using rough lumber. Thank you. Curious to know why you consider cutting rough cust a bit unsafe on a table saw? I use mostly rough cut lumber. Thanks for your time and dedication.
Thanks for sharing that James, I think I'll be able to use that in a few weeks.I am trying to equip a new shop and plan on building a new work bench. Several years ago I saw you build a new workbench out of 2x4s from a big box store. You turned them on edge and I think glued them up. I think I remember how to build it but I want to know how well is it holding up? Thank you for your time. God Bless my friend.
I've got some rc lumber like the pile you had there. I want to make two shop doors but they are really twisted and cupped. Thanks for the video. It helps.
Wanted to ask there are small cutting mills selling hardwood at preaty fair prices and was wondering is it ok to buy a bunch and stack it to dry or jyst go and buy from mills that rough cut and dry the lumber ready to go. Also is it a bad idea to just buy a bunch and stock pile it in a barn for future use rather just go buy hen your ready for a project. TY for all your great Help and videos.
You can buy and dry yourself. But you should do some reading on proper stacking and stickering technique. It's not too complicated but it is important.
Chalk, crayon, pencil, pen, marker, Sharpie.... Maybe a video on how to get rid of the witness marks and writing on your wood, for each method? Sometimes I find it hard to get the crayon markings off--even with a fair amount of sanding. Tips? tricks? And HOW to get that Sharpie removed?
I am wanting to build an Adirondack chair. The last one I built I used regular 2x pine, it was horrible, lots of pitch to deal with on blades and when I drilled into it, a glob of sap came up out of the hole. Making another, I was looking at cedar but the only thing I can find is rough sawn. Somewhere I heard that rough sawn cedar is wet because it's not kiln dried. So would this be as bad of a choice compared to pine? Can it be planed smooth on one side?
Hi James, can you do a video explain what 5 quarter and 6 quarter is about. Sounds like a measurement of some kind. I have heard it mentioned from time to time and always wondered what it is. Thank in advance, Dave
as many have mentioned, yes the wood is cheaper, but you spend more money on milling equipment and more time preparing the wood for the project. is it always worth it? I'm still getting (re)started in this hobby and have limited tools -- mainly a table saw, router/table, and handheld power tools. if i can find nice looking S4S lumber, why not buy it and get right to work?
When you mill your own wood, you know it's flat, straight and square. When you buy pre-milled it's is very likely not going to be that way once you get around to using it.
Depends on the price of the rough lumber. But in this case, it made it much more expensive. However, I was buying 8/4 (2-inch) walnut, which you can't usually buy pre-surfaced. So I had no choice but to buy it.
I really like your channel. You do give good advice. I am looking for a wood supplier that has exotic woods. I am even having a great deal of difficulty finding Birdseye maple. I would appreciate help with this.
Hi Stumpy. This is a little off this topic but maybe you can give me a quick answer. I have a plan for an entertainment center. It calls for mortised joints at the corners. (not sure that's the right term). Could I just make the 'box' using pocket hole joinery?
Can you explain why it is too dangerous to saw rough cut lumber on a table saw? I've done this a few times without a problem, but would like to avoid a problem it really is dangerous. I don't have a joiner or planner so I just have to do the best I can with straitening lumber on a table saw.
If you don't have a straight edge against the fence and a flat surface on top of the saw the work piece can easily shift mid-cut, pinch against the blade and kick back. Check out our table saw series for more info: ruclips.net/video/qSbS5zhH7cE/видео.html
Basically rough lumber typically isn’t flat or straight enough to pass stably through a table saw, so you risk is wobbling or angling on the way through which could bind up and kick back. A band saw won’t kick back and is more forgiving with making cuts on less-than -perfectly milled boards.
Its a good way to get a board thrown at your face no matter what safety equipment is attached. If you find you're going to be straightening out a lot of lumber buy a good track saw. Its the best way to get the most out of your pieces. Especially if you dont have a jointer. What do i know though?
Adrian Abshire I think it’s because the rough surfaces make it difficult to hold the board flush on the table as it moves through the blade. If the board moves, the blade may yank the board potentially pulling your hand toward the blade. However, I suspect many people still cut rough lumber on the tablesaw, even though you technically shouldn’t. 🤷♂️
Please teach me how to keep track of my pieces once I start milling and the markings are gone. I use tape on the ends but even that doesn't always work so well :)
@@StumpyNubs devise a simple code and write it on a sliver of paper and staple it to the end. When you chop it into smaller pieces, chop the code up into smaller pieces and ditto.
@@StumpyNubs devise a code for the piece and write it on a sliver of paper and staple it to the end. When you start to chop up the board, separate the codes and staple to each offcut.
In the meantime... 1. See to it the end grain is sealed... Sure, there are products like "water anchor" and so forth for premium prices... AND you're certainly free to go with the professional stuff... BUT as long as you bother with it, you'll save more lumber than you waste. Moisture leaves end-grain faster than any other part of the wood, so dabbing literally ANYTHING on it will help prevent waffling, cracking, and cupping... maybe not perfectly, but better than nothing. MOST sawyers do this already if they're competent... BUT there are exceptions to every rule. AND it's just worth a finer point, I also seal the ends when I take cuts, and put boards back to storage too... Just in case you're scratching your head... If you go to the big-box store and look at the boards of regular lumber, notice the colored ends... The colors may be coded (which changes from one store to the next) but the stuff that does the coloring is specific sealant used to decrease the end grain evaporation while in transit. If you've bought boards without that sealant, and they've split or cupped or warped horribly... well... now you know why. 2. Store the stuff FLAT on a FLAT surface. It doesn't have to be "nuclear science level", just reasonably level and as flat as possible. It's awfully tempting to prop boards up on sides, edges, or ends, but this ONLY ever increases the amount of planing and flattening you have to do later. 3. USE SHIMS... anything about an inch thick will do the job. AND yes, I encourage stacking. Shims are mostly feasible around every two feet (24 inches/ 60 - 70 cm ish) BUT I generally propose a shim every foot or so (12 inches/ 30cm ish) This promotes a slightly more even transfer of weight as the stack gets taller over the bottom most boards... pressing them literally flatter than you started if you're just a bit careful. The second purpose of the shims is to promote air-flow, allowing the wood to breathe and reach equilibrium (moisture wise) with your storage area and shop. It's all part of the settling process, and (in some technical sense) should be allowed at least three weeks (but we're all guilty of too damn much enthusiasm/excitement...lolz) 4. DON'T FORGET to rotate your stock... This includes getting boards off the bottom and bringing them to the top, will bringing the upper boards in a stack down to the bottom. This will exploit the very same nature of wood that CAUSES the cupping, warpage, and twists in the lumber to prevent or counter-act it. While it still may not be a "perfect fix" every time, it's certainly going to work better for you in shorter and longer runs than throwing a tarp over the whole thing and forgetting all about it... Finally, temperature and humidity are factors in cupping, shrinking, squirming, waffling, and warping in general, too. It's worth a strategic research project or even buying a credible book on the matters of storing and drying your own lumber, just to have some of the major species noted and temperatures and humidity levels they can tolerate for your perusal (as long as we're on the subject). It avoids headaches to have real numbers to work with, and then however you manage your stock-piles is up to your judgment... but there's nothing more frustrating than to find out AFTER years of split-ends, hopelessly banana-shaped boards and horrible twists turning remarkable stuff into kindling... that simply raising the humidity a few points and dropping the temperature around a dozen degrees would've likely saved you a heap of money and tears. You don't have to be a professional sawyer nor get certified to run a kiln for the stuff to be able to figure out the better ways to store it for your own location and atmospheric concerns and constraints. This short list is my top principles for it, and has served me well so far. I tried to keep them in approximately a prioritized manner, but there is a fair degree of "crossing over" to be considered... SO I just hope this helps out. ;o)
Your American wood, is the envy of we Brits! LMAO! (Not entirely true these days though, as I have found a few great sources in the last couple of years).
It's not neccessarily the wood we're jealous of so much, as the prices! I recently watched a video of a guy making a beautiful chopping board from a 12 ft rough sawn walnut board. It was about 10 x 3+ inches in cross section and all got used in this one chopping board! He only paid about $80 for it!!! I just got a quote for 3 pieces of rough sawn walnut approx 4 ft x 10 x 3 inches. This is their reply. " for those dimensions in green walnut it would cost £29.80 per meter plus vat. There is a chance we may have a bit of walnut we could milk up. The wood would be green not air or kiln dried." That equals approx $165...WTF!
any wood merchant who won't let me select each board isn't going to get my business, as while he may be left with boards i don't like, doesnt't mean they are no good for someone else. plus charge me a premium when i have to take half a day pulling apart stacks and rebuilding them, i don't think so lol my time is money too.
@@reubenpopp2006 To help, yes. But they can only do so much. Your "ah, ok" sounds like you are skeptical. But if you took some time to think this through, you will see what I mean. Imagine what happens when you rip down the center of a cupped board and the crown collapses. Or if a warped board rocks during a rip. Or how a curved edge will shift as it is run along a fence that is shorter than its full length.
@@StumpyNubs Not skeptical, just making sure I understand the difference, and to determine if I need something else to help prevent kickback on my saw.
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Im watching your vids consistently more than many other worthy channels. Thank you.
Just the tip about avoiding a knot on the edge made this worth watching.
Hi James, I want to tell you how refreshing it is to listen to your woodworking tips. You're clear and to the point with advice on how to be a better woodworker. I have used many of your tips and the result has made me work safer and more efficient. I still at times make mistakes by getting distracted and cutting a piece wrong resulting in frustration and of course this makes my scrap pile larger. I do learn from my mistakes but I usually manage to create new ones along the way so I guess that makes me a life long learner. Keep making sawdust and I'll be watching.
hey as retired cabinet maker i still make mistakes. a moments inattention and more fire wood. no one is perfect and its about hiding your mistakes that makes you a good woodworker lol
@@TaylerMade lol
Making mistakes happens to everyone. Learning from mistakes is a sign of intelligence. Hiding your mistakes - now that's mastery.
Sometimes I make the project fit the lumber, a small change can result in better use of material or a very special look. Sometimes the wood will direct the project
James, I’m following you for a long time now. Still you manage to keep me ‘hooked on’ from the first to the last minute. I’ve learned a lot here and still do. Thanks!
The tips in your videos are always so helpful, that is why i love your channel my friend!
Jim commented on the inadvisability of cutting rough lumber on a table saw.
I believe that is because rough lumber is not flat, and can wobble as it moves through the blade, ramming an edge against the blade. Even on a radial arm or miter saw, the wood can move as the cut proceeds.
I've managed to cross cut bowed wood on my radial, with the concave side facing up, so that the cut-off piece tends to fall away from the blade. Cutting with the convex side facing up, with a space beneath the board where the blade passes, lets the cut-off piece fall toward the blade. Saw blades express annoyance when a piece of wood pokes them from the side.
Do you ever straighten bowed boards? I have put them across a gap and stored them with a weight on the middle to do that and it often works well. You have to do it intelligently and only use such straightened boards in places where they will be unable to bow again because of a supporting structure around them. It does work if you do it thoughtfully.
Thanks for the tips in this video, they really will help on those rare occasions when I buy lumber rather than salvaging it. I seem to live in an area where people frequently dump broken or sometimes even intact furniture made from really good wood. Grabbing it and making something new from it is my favourite form of recycling and saves me from having to buy wood very often.
Excellent tips, thanks. One thing I do is to leave the pieces two or three inches long on each end so the snipe will happen there and then cut it off later. I'm sure you can do an entire video on snipe. Those ragged split ends? Leave two or three inches on the project piece. Leave a number of short pieces connected in a board where practical so the snipe will only happen before the first one and after the last one. Thanks again for your tips.
Barry Irby I’m always amazed at how reluctant people are to include a waste factor when picking out wood. On one hand, I get it - Lower waste factor= less wood to buy. However, including a little over length, as you suggest here, can save a lot of headaches. It’s a wise investment, in my opinion! 👍
As usual you have supplied common sense suggestions. Thank you
G'Day Jame's,After listening to your plug for that fellow selling Planner bit and pieces,,makes me think i may need a planner,,yep i'm one of those guys that buys over price machine timber,
and to be honest a lot of it is not Flat square and over all Parallel,Bit i make do,
any way just a big thank you for supporting the little guy and some really great tips,,
Re "...i make do,..."
Ayuh, that is the way of the shop world.
Keep your eyes open for a shaper and a planer.
One of the most useful school courses I took was when I was 37 years old -- an adult-education course in woodworking. The teach taught us that a shaper and a planer are essential. The shaper gives you two sides perpendicular to each other, and the planer cuts the other sides parallel to those two.
Great video, James. Informative, as always.
I found it interesting, in a conversation about rough-sawn lumber, that you didn't mention allowing for snipe, from one's planer. Certainly, some planers are better than others, but for beginners and novices who may have skimped on the planer they bought and who a video like this is made for, I found it to be an odd omission.
Jim has a video on snipe: ruclips.net/video/RnSkDz7B9vg/видео.html
Well done and great advice, Dr. Nubs!
Great tips. Thanks as always. I hope when you finish the project you’ll point out certain parts of the completed project and reference back and show your original selection from this video to see the end-to-end process together.
More helpful than the wood whisperer video. Thanks
Thanks for the great video James.
Your tip on using the band saw to rip rough cut lumber is money!
I am pretty new to woodworking so that little tidbit definitely made me think.
Excellent timing as always!
I cut my own trees and made lumber from it. Three during sheds later I have enough to last me. I like figured wood and the challenge of adding butterflies or keys to keep the wood together if splitting might be an issue. With knots I fill them with an epoxy mineral mix. Your so right if your trying to get that straight grained look. Thanks for your videos. Bob
Buckup piece, verrrrrrrrrry good idea.
Once again you have made a very informative video.
Great walk through on dimensioning rough cut boards
Thank you for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks James. I've been subscribed for a few years now and always appreciate your advice and perspective. Cheers from Australia!
I can't remember the last time I used a 25 ft. tape... probably on a remodeling project. In the shop I use a 12 ft. or smaller... easier to work with, lighter, and not as bulky in my hand... great tips on preparing rough-sawn lumber for projects!
Nicely done!
Just getting into woodworking in my retirement I've had to learn a LOT along the lines outlined in this video. I was a welder / metal fabricator and a 3" x 3" angle iron measured true, not so with wood. It was frustrating at first but slowly and surly I'm learning.
Good tips here James. I always use rough sawn lumber when I can get it. It can be much cheaper than S2S or S4S material. I especially liked the tips about avoiding the defects like checks and edge knots. I do use my table saw for ripping rough sawn lumber but I have a carrier to clamp the boards to. Thank you for sharing.
I was wondering about the tablesaw comment. I have never used anything but a miter, hand saw, or tablesaw for cutting project parts to size. Never considered it cause for concern.
Awesome! Quick question for you.
Once you’ve broken done your boards to rough size, do you mill them right away or do you sticker and let them acclimate?Further to this, assuming the rough lumber was already at the proper MC%, do you do any further acclimating during the build (ie. after rough cutting, after jointing/planing, etc)
Great lesson James! Thank you! ~ Bill
Great common sense tips. Thanks for another great video!
Awesome video, as always! thank you James
Appreciate the tips have a blessed day
I am still early in my woodworking journey. I am not yet ready for rough sawn lumber. Part of the reason is that I don't have a jointer or planer at this time..maybe at some point. But, I still found this video very informative, as I do all your videos!
What a great video! Very useful tips.
James, have you ever tinkered with some of the stringier lumbers such as cottonwood, or would you consider doing a video on handling that kind of lumber? I’ve heard it’s difficult to work with but comes out beautifully.
Another great video. I buy from a local sawmill and the owner works with me and lets me choose boards w/o an extra cost.
Always learning from your channel. Thanks!!
Great info...Thanks! You make it look so easy...
Hey Stumpy, great information here to help a noob!
Awesome Stumpy!
James, so my question is, with the "rough" state of some rough lumber, how do you know what grain is going to be good, or even have an idea what the finished colour it will end up as. In the country where I live, a lot of rough lumber is local and of species I will never have woodworked with. So it is always a gamble, and it feels risky to start chopping into boards that I;m not even sure are right for the project. Thoughts?
I love splits knots and extreme colour changes. My favourites would be salted beech olive and Philippine Toog.
thank you James great info for me
Very Helpful, Thanks!
Went to a woodworkers shop that was selling out and closing up. I wound up with a bunch of walnut and some really nice pieces of purpleheart. I have no idea what I am going to do with this stuff, but I have it and it was very cheap.
I have a cut list optimizer app on my phone. I input the size and quantity of every piece I need for my project. Only after I've done that do I go to the hardwood dealer. Once there, I pick out boards I think will work, run the optimizer and see if all my pieces fit with at least 20% waste. Way faster than laying out boards of random length/width and drawing on them
Great insights for using rough lumber. Thank you. Curious to know why you consider cutting rough cust a bit unsafe on a table saw? I use mostly rough cut lumber. Thanks for your time and dedication.
Really good tips, thanks a lot :)
Would love to see the rest of the bathroom vanity project! Great video!
Nice vid Jim
I ordered one of those pencils. Looks good
Good info as usual
Thank you, a lot of very useful information, enjoy your videos and thank you for such a miss understood topic.
Thanks for sharing that James, I think I'll be able to use that in a few weeks.I am trying to equip a new shop and plan on building a new work bench. Several years ago I saw you build a new workbench out of 2x4s from a big box store. You turned them on edge and I think glued them up. I think I remember how to build it but I want to know how well is it holding up? Thank you for your time.
God Bless my friend.
It's still great. We have it in the other shop. It was 2X6's.
Great information as always - thanks for sharing!
I've got some rc lumber like the pile you had there. I want to make two shop doors but they are really twisted and cupped. Thanks for the video. It helps.
Thanks for sharing that James! Learn something new everyday!🍻💥
Thank you, very well described
Great advise.
Great tips i self developed a lot of those skills by buying construction grade 2x6 and milling them just for practice, not very fun but worth it.
Wanted to ask there are small cutting mills selling hardwood at preaty fair prices and was wondering is it ok to buy a bunch and stack it to dry or jyst go and buy from mills that rough cut and dry the lumber ready to go. Also is it a bad idea to just buy a bunch and stock pile it in a barn for future use rather just go buy hen your ready for a project. TY for all your great Help and videos.
You can buy and dry yourself. But you should do some reading on proper stacking and stickering technique. It's not too complicated but it is important.
Chalk, crayon, pencil, pen, marker, Sharpie.... Maybe a video on how to get rid of the witness marks and writing on your wood, for each method? Sometimes I find it hard to get the crayon markings off--even with a fair amount of sanding. Tips? tricks? And HOW to get that Sharpie removed?
I am wanting to build an Adirondack chair. The last one I built I used regular 2x pine, it was horrible, lots of pitch to deal with on blades and when I drilled into it, a glob of sap came up out of the hole. Making another, I was looking at cedar but the only thing I can find is rough sawn. Somewhere I heard that rough sawn cedar is wet because it's not kiln dried. So would this be as bad of a choice compared to pine? Can it be planed smooth on one side?
Hi James, can you do a video explain what 5 quarter and 6 quarter is about. Sounds like a measurement of some kind. I have heard it mentioned from time to time and always wondered what it is. Thank in advance, Dave
Already did: ruclips.net/video/k9TTb-QBGLo/видео.html
Good info !!
Do you have any recommendations for where to buy lumber online?
as many have mentioned, yes the wood is cheaper, but you spend more money on milling equipment and more time preparing the wood for the project. is it always worth it? I'm still getting (re)started in this hobby and have limited tools -- mainly a table saw, router/table, and handheld power tools. if i can find nice looking S4S lumber, why not buy it and get right to work?
When you mill your own wood, you know it's flat, straight and square. When you buy pre-milled it's is very likely not going to be that way once you get around to using it.
reasonable advice
Would that 40% premium of handpicking the rough lumber still be cheaper that picking finished wood? I have no idea on prices of rough lumber.
Depends on the price of the rough lumber. But in this case, it made it much more expensive. However, I was buying 8/4 (2-inch) walnut, which you can't usually buy pre-surfaced. So I had no choice but to buy it.
I really like your channel. You do give good advice. I am looking for a wood supplier that has exotic woods. I am even having a great deal of difficulty finding Birdseye maple. I would appreciate help with this.
James, what folding stand are you using to clamp that osb to (when you're laying out the hickory boards)
The Bora Centipede: boratool.com/?SID=1tjo5dhimgrlflhndij3jkbro0
Hi Stumpy. This is a little off this topic but maybe you can give me a quick answer. I have a plan for an entertainment center. It calls for mortised joints at the corners. (not sure that's the right term). Could I just make the 'box' using pocket hole joinery?
Pocket hole joinery is quite strong for casework like cabinets, etc. I think it should work fine for an entertainment center.
@@StumpyNubs Thank you.
When is the next journal going out?
We're redesigning it. Hope to finish soon.
I dig it.
Aside: when I cut off one or two small pieces of scrap, my scrap pile increase by a half-dozen pieces of scrap.
Why is that?
Any tips for removing pencil marks?
Naptha will do it. I've heard of others using lacquer-thinner or acetone.
Can you explain why it is too dangerous to saw rough cut lumber on a table saw? I've done this a few times without a problem, but would like to avoid a problem it really is dangerous. I don't have a joiner or planner so I just have to do the best I can with straitening lumber on a table saw.
If you don't have a straight edge against the fence and a flat surface on top of the saw the work piece can easily shift mid-cut, pinch against the blade and kick back. Check out our table saw series for more info: ruclips.net/video/qSbS5zhH7cE/видео.html
It wouldn't work with sawed timber, but with plywood I use SketchUp to work out the most efficient way to place my cuts.
You mention it’s too dangerous to cut rough lumber on a table saw, would you please elaborate why?
If you use the splitter or riving knife, pawls and blade guard and board to be cut is attached to a straight edge you'll be safe.
Basically rough lumber typically isn’t flat or straight enough to pass stably through a table saw, so you risk is wobbling or angling on the way through which could bind up and kick back. A band saw won’t kick back and is more forgiving with making cuts on less-than -perfectly milled boards.
Its a good way to get a board thrown at your face no matter what safety equipment is attached.
If you find you're going to be straightening out a lot of lumber buy a good track saw. Its the best way to get the most out of your pieces. Especially if you dont have a jointer. What do i know though?
This is also covered in our table saw safety video: ruclips.net/video/qSbS5zhH7cE/видео.html
My wife wants to SEE this wood after you made something with it! Also WHY is it NOT safe to cut rough wood on the table saw please?
Same question, since I don't have a cross cut or band saw. Yet!
Adrian Abshire I think it’s because the rough surfaces make it difficult to hold the board flush on the table as it moves through the blade. If the board moves, the blade may yank the board potentially pulling your hand toward the blade. However, I suspect many people still cut rough lumber on the tablesaw, even though you technically shouldn’t. 🤷♂️
Anne O'Reilly see my answer to Adrian above 👍
Please teach me how to keep track of my pieces once I start milling and the markings are gone. I use tape on the ends but even that doesn't always work so well :)
Write it on the end grain with a pencil
@@StumpyNubs devise a simple code and write it on a sliver of paper and staple it to the end. When you chop it into smaller pieces, chop the code up into smaller pieces and ditto.
@@StumpyNubs devise a code for the piece and write it on a sliver of paper and staple it to the end. When you start to chop up the board, separate the codes and staple to each offcut.
Maybe add how to store rough cut lumber
In the meantime...
1. See to it the end grain is sealed...
Sure, there are products like "water anchor" and so forth for premium prices... AND you're certainly free to go with the professional stuff... BUT as long as you bother with it, you'll save more lumber than you waste. Moisture leaves end-grain faster than any other part of the wood, so dabbing literally ANYTHING on it will help prevent waffling, cracking, and cupping... maybe not perfectly, but better than nothing.
MOST sawyers do this already if they're competent... BUT there are exceptions to every rule. AND it's just worth a finer point, I also seal the ends when I take cuts, and put boards back to storage too...
Just in case you're scratching your head... If you go to the big-box store and look at the boards of regular lumber, notice the colored ends... The colors may be coded (which changes from one store to the next) but the stuff that does the coloring is specific sealant used to decrease the end grain evaporation while in transit. If you've bought boards without that sealant, and they've split or cupped or warped horribly... well... now you know why.
2. Store the stuff FLAT on a FLAT surface. It doesn't have to be "nuclear science level", just reasonably level and as flat as possible. It's awfully tempting to prop boards up on sides, edges, or ends, but this ONLY ever increases the amount of planing and flattening you have to do later.
3. USE SHIMS... anything about an inch thick will do the job. AND yes, I encourage stacking. Shims are mostly feasible around every two feet (24 inches/ 60 - 70 cm ish) BUT I generally propose a shim every foot or so (12 inches/ 30cm ish) This promotes a slightly more even transfer of weight as the stack gets taller over the bottom most boards... pressing them literally flatter than you started if you're just a bit careful.
The second purpose of the shims is to promote air-flow, allowing the wood to breathe and reach equilibrium (moisture wise) with your storage area and shop. It's all part of the settling process, and (in some technical sense) should be allowed at least three weeks (but we're all guilty of too damn much enthusiasm/excitement...lolz)
4. DON'T FORGET to rotate your stock... This includes getting boards off the bottom and bringing them to the top, will bringing the upper boards in a stack down to the bottom.
This will exploit the very same nature of wood that CAUSES the cupping, warpage, and twists in the lumber to prevent or counter-act it. While it still may not be a "perfect fix" every time, it's certainly going to work better for you in shorter and longer runs than throwing a tarp over the whole thing and forgetting all about it...
Finally, temperature and humidity are factors in cupping, shrinking, squirming, waffling, and warping in general, too. It's worth a strategic research project or even buying a credible book on the matters of storing and drying your own lumber, just to have some of the major species noted and temperatures and humidity levels they can tolerate for your perusal (as long as we're on the subject). It avoids headaches to have real numbers to work with, and then however you manage your stock-piles is up to your judgment... but there's nothing more frustrating than to find out AFTER years of split-ends, hopelessly banana-shaped boards and horrible twists turning remarkable stuff into kindling... that simply raising the humidity a few points and dropping the temperature around a dozen degrees would've likely saved you a heap of money and tears.
You don't have to be a professional sawyer nor get certified to run a kiln for the stuff to be able to figure out the better ways to store it for your own location and atmospheric concerns and constraints. This short list is my top principles for it, and has served me well so far. I tried to keep them in approximately a prioritized manner, but there is a fair degree of "crossing over" to be considered... SO I just hope this helps out. ;o)
@@gnarthdarkanen7464
🖒
Your American wood, is the envy of we Brits! LMAO!
(Not entirely true these days though, as I have found a few great sources in the last couple of years).
It's not neccessarily the wood we're jealous of so much, as the prices! I recently watched a video of a guy making a beautiful chopping board from a 12 ft rough sawn walnut board. It was about 10 x 3+ inches in cross section and all got used in this one chopping board! He only paid about $80 for it!!! I just got a quote for 3 pieces of rough sawn walnut approx 4 ft x 10 x 3 inches. This is their reply. " for those dimensions in green walnut it would cost £29.80 per meter plus vat.
There is a chance we may have a bit of walnut we could milk up.
The wood would be green not air or kiln dried."
That equals approx $165...WTF!
That was supposed to read spalted beech the spell checker switched it.
"How much lumber should you buy?"
Me: ALL OF IT!!!
Thanks Nubs! This was a very useful video! I can call you Nubs, right? Or is it Mr. Nubs?
Just Jim.
Ha, then thanks Jim! I have been wondering about getting rough lumber. This video was very educational!
Thanks for sharing that
any wood merchant who won't let me select each board isn't going to get my business, as while he may be left with boards i don't like, doesnt't mean they are no good for someone else. plus charge me a premium when i have to take half a day pulling apart stacks and rebuilding them, i don't think so lol my time is money too.
I know this is a bit of an older video, but you mention that cutting rough lumber on the tablesaw is too dangerous. Why do you say that?
Table saws are made to cut straight, flat boards. Rough boards can pinch the blade and kick back.
@@StumpyNubs ah, ok. But aren't reaving knives and/or splitters designed to help preventing that?
@@reubenpopp2006 To help, yes. But they can only do so much. Your "ah, ok" sounds like you are skeptical. But if you took some time to think this through, you will see what I mean. Imagine what happens when you rip down the center of a cupped board and the crown collapses. Or if a warped board rocks during a rip. Or how a curved edge will shift as it is run along a fence that is shorter than its full length.
@@StumpyNubs Not skeptical, just making sure I understand the difference, and to determine if I need something else to help prevent kickback on my saw.