How do you prep lumber before dimensioning?

[John Lankers]

This just crossed my mind today, I am paranoid when it comes to embedded sand or metal particles in rough lumber and therefore use a wire brush or a hard bristle brush to get as much dirt off as possible before taking it to the saw, jointer or planer.
What do you do?

[Marc Burt]

I think to myself that I need to do what you do and be more thorough. What I actually do is take a bench brush to sweep off any loose dirt and feed it to the jointer.

[Chris Padilla]

It depends on the source of the wood. I do always wave my metal detector over it to be sure. But I clean it up as much as I can and just look it over carefully. If there is anything questionable, I just dig into carefully with whatever. Sometimes a hose down with water is necessary or a good wipe with mineral spirits might be in order.

[Wayne Lomman]

John, if I am opening a new bulk pack of timber, I only inspect the end grain for staples and even that is not so critical anymore as the mills mostly use plastic staples now. If it is timber that has been moved around a bit, I will give it a quick look over and hand rub before use. If it is recycled timber, it gets the full check for steel and rocks etc and then machined. However, I don't use timber that has a lot of embedded sand such as bridge decking. It never goes away. Cheers

[Mel Fulks]

Sometime a suplier will send some "re-stack" material that has been mis handled and picked up gravel. Move on to a better company. You shouldn't have to encounter anything beyond staples in the ends.

[Randy Red Bemont]

I agree with Mel. At my lumber dealer you're not allowed to even set a piece of lumber on the concrete floor when you're picking through the lumber.

Red

[Brian Tymchak]

the one time I used old lumber, it had some old bird poop on it. I remembered that there was some disease that could be contracted from inhaling that, so I washed it down with brush and water first, let dry for a few days. otherwise, as mentioned before, I check for metal and pull the staples from the end, if any. If I had a moisture meter (soon to be rectified) I would do a cursory check to make sure it was dry enough.

[John Lankers]

Sometime a suplier will send some "re-stack" material that has been mis handled and picked up gravel. Move on to a better company. You shouldn't have to encounter anything beyond staples in the ends.

Unless you purchase a whole lift this is hard to avoid at times, especially when you have a freight company pick it up - 300 bf 4/4 12 footers birch.
I get my lumber from a very reputable wholesaler at an outstanding price and I wouldn't dare to complain.
I do saw some of my own (not very much though) and there you never know what a log picks up on the way when you drag it out.

[Jim Dwight]

I don't even see staples in rough hardwood lumber. The places I get it do not use any. If I buy softwood at big box stores, I see staples and try to remember to pull them. But often I don't plane those pieces. The hardwood I normally just use the planner on - but I should use the jointer first.