What tool do I need?

[Todd Burger]

I have 2000 sqft of pine 1x8 weathered barn siding (about 7/8"+ actual), milled in 1940's that I want to use as 3/4" lap jointed ceiling and wall boards in a new building interior. What machine or machines should I buy? I have a fairly complete shop (Delta Unisaw, etc) but no powered planer or belt sander.

[Martin Wasner]

I have 2000 sqft of pine 1x8 weathered barn siding (about 7/8"+ actual), milled in 1940's that I want to use as 3/4" lap jointed ceiling and wall boards in a new building interior. What machine or machines should I buy? I have a fairly complete shop (Delta Unisaw, etc) but no powered planer or belt sander.

You'll want to plane pine. It tends to gum up a widebelt rather quickly. Or plane, and just lightly hit it with a widebelt.

[Dave Cav]

Considering you can get a decent thickness planer for about 1/10th the cost of a widebelt, and a planer is pretty much a basic shop tool, I'd go with a planer. Plus with a widebelt you'll need an air compressor and a (good) dust collection system. And belts (not cheap). And probably at least a 50 amp breaker. And yeah, pine can make a mess of a widebelt sanding belt.

[Leo Graywacz]

But it's a go to tool.

[Dan Hahr]

I am thinking you might want to keep the weathered face untouched. I would by plane or to clean off the back face and make the boards uniform in thickness. You could use a good router but a shaper would make it a lot faster especially with a stock feeder. If you were going to sand them, a decent little drum sander will save you a ton of time for that much lumber. I bought a Supermax 1938 and I’m very happy with it, but it won’t work for the thickness.

Dan

[matt romanowski]

If you are going to plane and/or shape it, I would suggest a metal detector too.

[Dave Richards]

What tool do I need?

Everyone seems to have missed the logical answer which is: All of them. :D

If you follow the good advice given and buy a planer instead of a wide belt sander, put the money you save toward a shaper. You can use it to rabbet the edges of all that pine for the lap joints. It'll be much nicer to listen to than a router even with hearing protection and it'll do a better job faster. Add a power feeder if you can to make the work easier.

[mark mcfarlane]

As Dan said, if you mill the old barn lumber, it won't look like old barn lumber. It will be flat and clean-pine shiny, like new lumber,... and thinner.

There are some rotary brush devices that may be used for 'cleaning up' old lumber without losing all the patina. Supermax sells some, e.g. https://www.supermaxtools.com/products/wood/13″-combo-brushdrum-sander/

[Jim Dwight]

I would just use a lunchbox planner unless you want more capability later. You might need to replace or sharpen knives once or twice but it will do it. I have an old Ryobi AP 10 and it will plane several hundred board feet before I have to touch up the knives. Newer designs typically have replaceable knives. The DeWalts seem to be the currently recommended design. The cheapest lunchbox planners are about $300 new. I got my Ryobi for $100 used. The best exceed $500. Even a cheaper one will work but you will get more thickness variation. Home Depot's Rigid brand is usually a pretty good buy.

[johnny means]

I have to ask, why bother milling it at all? It's pretty close to your specs already. Reusing it as is saves a lot of time and effort.

[Bill Dufour]

A shaper, metal detector, and a nailgun.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The very first tool you need is this one.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/3M-Lead-Check-Swab-Disposable-Lead-Test-Kit/4329974?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-Paint-_-ThinnersAndSolvents-_-4329974:3M&CAWELAID=&kpid=4329974&CAGPSPN=pla&store_code=605&k_clickID=go_625682584_34615012510_111134774830_au d-299487635210:pla-289226792324_c_9015361&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmafhBRDUARIsACOKERNYYB5lgm374ea8A5lf UXOYIVuF3ChV5aspBwxm0-uyds844yIAoX4aAp1LEALw_wcB

[Jacob Reverb]

What machine or machines should I buy? I have a fairly complete shop (Delta Unisaw, etc) but no powered planer or belt sander.

I guess that depends on what you plan to do with the material that you can't do with a Delta Unisaw, etc..

If you're going to keep the weathered look, you should probably buy a hammer if you don't have one (or air nailer) and nails. A short ladder or work platform would help for ceiling work. If you plan to use a nailer, you'll need a compressor if you don't already have one. You can see where I'm going with this...

[Mark Wooden]

You can shiplap with a dado head on the table saw, its just a lot of work to push 4000 sq feet (you have to push it through twice). and as long as you always work from the back of the boards, you can leave it for thickness- will it matter whether it's 7/8" or 3/4" on the walls or ceiling?

Smoothest application- plane the backs to uniform thickness (planer)
shiplap the edges-(best done with a shaper with powerfeed)

You should make your shiplaps with 1/64" less on the tongue than the depth of the rabbett, and the rabbett should be 1/16" wider than the width of the tongue for ease of application.

and you can do it all on the saw if need be
A router in a table will do it also, but it should be a 2+hp; again, a feeder will make it easiest

[Bill Dufour]

When I build a fence I do not use shiplap. I use wedge tongue and groove. It keeps boards from warping out of line much better. Of course the nails show while shiplap hides the nails except the extra ones to hold it tight.
Bill D.