Best method to turn t&g flooring into panel (cutting off t&g)?

[Josh Reet]

As I have mentioned previously, I'm working on a project to turn some old maple gym flooring into a panel glue up bookshelf for my nephew.

Now that I have gotten everything busted down to individual boards and the nails removed, I realize that I'm a little confused as to what to do to make sure I have square faces. The only reference face I have is the finished side of the flooring. The t&g sides are messed up enough to not be useful.

I've got jointer/planer/TS to work with. though I have to admit that I haven't used my jointer a whole lot yet. So I'm not completely familiar with what I can do with it. Can I use it with the finished side of the flooring against the jointer fence to joint the T or G edges then use that edge to cut off the T&G with the table saw? I've never run anything on edge through my jointer, is that even a good idea? Do you need some sort of a jig?

And speaking of cutting off the T&G, I see that Woodcraft has the GRR-ripper system on sale. As I am paranoid about misplacing my fingers into the TS blade, would a set of these be a logical safety item for this sort of project? Their videos show people mostly doing short stuff with them, and these boards are up to 4ft long. But they do show people using two of the GRR-rippers to "walk" long boards through. Useful or a waste of money? I do have and use a pile of featherboards, pushsticks, boardbuddies and whatnot.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Josh, I would rip most of the tongue and groove off on the table saw as a first step. Set up some feather boards or use a stock feeder for this.

Then I would joint one edge, using the flat face against the fence. This will establish a 90 degree straight edge.

Then I would run the piece through the planer, face down to thickness it, and run it edge down to make the second edge parallel to the jointed edge.

Regards, Rod.

[Jim Rimmer]

Hi Josh, I would rip most of the tongue and groove off on the table saw as a first step. Set up some feather boards or use a stock feeder for this.

Then I would joint one edge, using the flat face against the fence. This will establish a 90 degree straight edge.

Then I would run the piece through the planer, face down to thickness it, and run it edge down to make the second edge parallel to the jointed edge.

Regards, Rod.
Are you suggesting that he run the board through a planer standing on edge? Or did I misread this?

[Stephen Edwards]

To remove the T&G, I'd recommend a straight edge jig, used with the table saw, to get one straight edge to begin with. If you're not familiar with this jig just google the phrase:

table saw straight edge jig

Search images. You can build a very simple one that will do the trick using scrap that's laying around the shop. You don't need an expensive or complicated one to do this.

Proceed from there.

[Eric DeSilva]

You can use the jointer the way you describe--reference the fence with the flat face and run one of the T&G edges across the knives. Perfectly safe operation, although with thin T&G boards I'd use push pads/blocks.

I would not try to take off all the T&G with the jointer. That will require many, many, many passes. Just get a straight edge, then take it to the table saw. Run the now flat edge against the fence and rip off the T&G on the other edge. Then flip the board, run the freshly sawn edge against the fence, and take off the rest of the T&G on the other side.

You are right to be paranoid about fingers and table saws. Use a featherboard to keep the board hard against the fence right before the board hits the blade. You might also think about a vertical featherboard to make sure the thin T&G doesn't ride up on the blade. And use a push stick.

[Rod Sheridan]

Are you suggesting that he run the board through a planer standing on edge? Or did I misread this?

Yes I am...........Rod.

[Chris Padilla]

Consider this wood as "rough stock" and treat it as such. The steps are usually:

(1) Face plane on the jointer to get a flat face
(2) Now plane the other side such that both faces are parallel to each other
(3) Now place that face on the jointer fence and joint one edge
(4) Now rip the other edge on the table saw

If you understand the basic step to prepare stock to use, you should be able to come up with a good game plane to handle your wood. You may not need to do all the step nor to full completion (for example, the backs may only need a light pass to just get it reasonably flat).

If your stock is long enough, using Rod's "stand on edge" technique for the planer works just dandy.

Lottsa ways to skin this cat.

[Chris Padilla]

Oh, let me add...I would cut off the T&G completely to reveal a full thickness of wood with which to glue to...that long-grain to long-grain joint will be very strong if fully used....

[Josh Reet]

You can use the jointer the way you describe--reference the fence with the flat face and run one of the T&G edges across the knives. Perfectly safe operation, although with thin T&G boards I'd use push pads/blocks.

I would not try to take off all the T&G with the jointer. That will require many, many, many passes. Just get a straight edge, then take it to the table saw. Run the now flat edge against the fence and rip off the T&G on the other edge. Then flip the board, run the freshly sawn edge against the fence, and take off the rest of the T&G on the other side.

You are right to be paranoid about fingers and table saws. Use a featherboard to keep the board hard against the fence right before the board hits the blade. You might also think about a vertical featherboard to make sure the thin T&G doesn't ride up on the blade. And use a push stick.

Eric's post is essentially what I was planning on doing before I asked the question (and what I'm still thinking I will do). Though as has been stated (and as I can see from the great responses) there are many ways to skin this cat.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Feather boards & table saw & Freud Glue Line Rip blade made short easy work of taking off the T&G pieces I did last year.
I had about 80 of them that I did.

Bit of a tip - save the cutoffs. I've found a gazillion and one uses for the cutoff T&G pieces.
Everything from small picture frames & placard edging to decorative trim.

[Jim Rimmer]

Yes I am...........Rod.
I am guessing that these boards are 3 to 4" wide. Wouldn't it be rather risky to run these through the planer on edge? I guess you could put a group together with double side tape or something but a single board seems unsafe to me. Since there is not a flat edge to begin with I'm not sure that would even work. Just my opinion.

[Josh Reet]

Any thought on the GRR-ripper system for this sort of project? Or am I better off with just my existing safety devices (featherboards, pushsticks, etc)

[Myk Rian]

I bought one Grrripper from a Creeker, and bought another from Woodcraft last week. Makes ripping on the TS nice and easy/safe.

[Chris Padilla]

Grippers are great...don't hesitate to pick these up....

[Josiah Bartlett]

I made some doorframes for my shop out of old oak strip flooring. I ripped the tongues off on the table saw by putting the groove side against the fence, then jointed it and planed it. One thing to watch out for is that there is typically a whole lot of gritty dirt in the groove and on the tongue. It is best to use a sawblade you don't care about to do this, and make sure to saw it before you joint it so you don't dull your knives. If the top side is dirty then kiss it with a belt sander first before you plane it or run it through with old knives. And, most of all, check with a metal detector for hidden or broken off nails.

[Rod Sheridan]

I am guessing that these boards are 3 to 4" wide. Wouldn't it be rather risky to run these through the planer on edge? I guess you could put a group together with double side tape or something but a single board seems unsafe to me. Since there is not a flat edge to begin with I'm not sure that would even work. Just my opinion.


Hi Jim, I suggested using the jointed edge down in the planer so that there would be a flat side to use as a reference.

Each piece will stand up just fine in the planer, one at a time.

Regards, Rod.

[Jim Rimmer]

Hi Jim, I suggested using the jointed edge down in the planer so that there would be a flat side to use as a reference.

Each piece will stand up just fine in the planer, one at a time.

Regards, Rod.
OK - you respond like you may have done this. It's just the mental picture of a 1/2 to 3/4 by 4" piece on edge going through a planer that had me concerned.

[Scott T Smith]

I made some doorframes for my shop out of old oak strip flooring. I ripped the tongues off on the table saw by putting the groove side against the fence, then jointed it and planed it. One thing to watch out for is that there is typically a whole lot of gritty dirt in the groove and on the tongue. It is best to use a sawblade you don't care about to do this, and make sure to saw it before you joint it so you don't dull your knives. If the top side is dirty then kiss it with a belt sander first before you plane it or run it through with old knives. And, most of all, check with a metal detector for hidden or broken off nails.

+1 for this as well as Rich's posts. I too have reclaimed old flooring, and used a tablesaw to do it, followed by joint/planing. In my instance I had a powerfeeder attached that helped speed things up.

Unless your boards are bowed or extremely long, I would not see the need for a straight edge jig. I removed the tongue portion first when I did mine, as the groove side is usually a more consistent reference for the initial cut.

Blowing out the T&G's with air will help clean them a bit before milling. If there is a lot of dirt, you may need to budget in a replacment blade for the TS.

A Planer will do a good job of removing the old finish on the pieces. Be sure to isolate the shavings (in case you use yours for compost or mulch) and dispose of them, since they will be contaminated by the old finish.

[Josh Reet]

A Planer will do a good job of removing the old finish on the pieces. Be sure to isolate the shavings (in case you use yours for compost or mulch) and dispose of them, since they will be contaminated by the old finish.

I'm skeptical that using my planer would be a good idea for this finish as these are old maple gym floorboards. That's pretty hard finish. I worry that it would dull the planer blades pretty quickly. I had intended to use the belt sander to take the finish off.

[Alan Schwabacher]

To remove the T&G, I'd recommend a straight edge jig, used with the table saw, to get one straight edge to begin with.

I agree. This lets you use the carbide blade rather than steel jointer and planer knives to rip the tongue or groove off one edge to provide a clean straight edge in one pass. A simple rip cut will take off the other edge. (I wouldn't trust old flooring to be straight enough to rip without some type of jointing.) Unless you have carbide jointer knives, I'd worry about the dirt and finish trashing the knives. I might even use the saw with a jointer fence to take the finish off the faces of the flooring, it it's narrow enough after removing tongue and groove.

I was surprised at how quickly my jointer knives were trashed when I processed some tongue and groove boards the way most are suggesting. I don't want to do that again.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I agree. This lets you use the carbide blade rather than steel jointer and planer knives to rip the tongue or groove off one edge to provide a clean straight edge in one pass. A simple rip cut will take off the other edge. (I wouldn't trust old flooring to be straight enough to rip without some type of jointing.) Unless you have carbide jointer knives, I'd worry about the dirt and finish trashing the knives. I might even use the saw with a jointer fence to take the finish off the faces of the flooring, it it's narrow enough after removing tongue and groove.

I was surprised at how quickly my jointer knives were trashed when I processed some tongue and groove boards the way most are suggesting. I don't want to do that again.

You don't need the jig if you rip off the tongue, then joint that side, then rip off the groove with the jointed side against the fence. I've never seen a floorboard that warped.

[Peter Quinn]

I'm skeptical that using my planer would be a good idea for this finish as these are old maple gym floorboards. That's pretty hard finish. I worry that it would dull the planer blades pretty quickly. I had intended to use the belt sander to take the finish off.

Really? I figure HSS beats urethane every time. The biggest problem I could foresee is the finish sticking to the knives, gumming up, heating up, and dulling them that way. The real hard part on your planer is going to be those old maple floor boards under that finish! That and the inevitable bits of dirt and grit that seem to attach themselves to the tops, edges and bottom reliefs of old floors. I'd go through every stick with a wire brush, an air blow gun and a metal detector.

When I'm repurposing flooring boards, new or used, I like to joint the groove side just until straight, then rip off the tongues, flip and rip off the remainder of the grooves. Unless you have a big silly industrial jointer that will hog off the 1/4" in one or two passes.

[Rod Sheridan]

OK - you respond like you may have done this. It's just the mental picture of a 1/2 to 3/4 by 4" piece on edge going through a planer that had me concerned.

Jim, I've done it for 30 years, however I haven't done it in a portable planer, however I see no reason why they couldn't do it as well.

If you think about how hard a planer pushes down on a piece of wood, it's like clamping it in a vise. Unless it was very narrow, there's no way it will tip over.

Regards, Rod.

[Scott T Smith]

I'm skeptical that using my planer would be a good idea for this finish as these are old maple gym floorboards. That's pretty hard finish. I worry that it would dull the planer blades pretty quickly. I had intended to use the belt sander to take the finish off.


Been there - done that - with reclaimed maple flooring from a gym too! I too tried the belt sander route - what a pain it was! Took a long time, hard to keep things even, just an all around PITA. Yes the planer blades will dull, but it's manageable. One of those tools that let's you hone the blades in place will help extend the time between replacement.

[Josh Reet]

Been there - done that - with reclaimed maple flooring from a gym too! I too tried the belt sander route - what a pain it was! Took a long time, hard to keep things even, just an all around PITA. Yes the planer blades will dull, but it's manageable. One of those tools that let's you hone the blades in place will help extend the time between replacement.

Well it's hard to argue with someone who has done exactly what I am trying to do. Perhaps I will give it a go that way. Hell, DC is better on my planer than on the belt sander, so there's that to consider.

[Josh Reet]

And just a "thanks" to everyone for replying. Great advice on this thread. Just the type of thing that I come to SMC to find.