Planing painted wood

[Zac wingert]

I have a good amount, +\- 75BF, of 1x6 lumber 96” that is painted. It’s 30+ years old and it’s likely construction type wood, likely pine as I can see knots through the paint. I’d like to salvage it. Also, given its age there may be some nice old growth boards in there.

I know it will ruin my blades, but is there any other risk involved? I plan on holding on it it until it’s time for new blades and just running it through. I have a dewalt 735 and I’ve already flipped my blades once. Is there any other risk to my planer other than ruining the blades? I’m not interested in using paint stripper or sanding or anything like that. Thanks

[Jamie Buxton]

If it is old enough, it could be lead-based paint. If it is, planing it will put lead dust in the air. Inhaling lead is very bad for you.

[Zac wingert]

Thank you, didn’t even think of that. Even worse now that you say that, I’d bet there are several coats of paint on there too.

Well, any other ideas for it rather than throwing it away. If I were to say, cut it with a miter saw to make something for outdoor use, does that create enough dust to be dangerous? Just hate to throw it away.

[Steve Eure]

I would also worry about embedded nails too. I don't recall when the ban on lead paint was implemented, but I believe it was back in the 70's. Not too sure on that. If the wood is 30ish years old you may be safe, but why take the risk? Construction lumber iis quite inexpensive compared to hardwoods and it may not be worth the risk. But if your like me, I hate throwing any wood away.

[Ron Citerone]

Not sure if the paint dust would get ground into the rollers in addition to the other issues others posted. IMO, the juice ain't worth the squeeze. Maybe you can find another use for it.

My 2 cents.

[Andrew Hughes]

If the salvaged is thick enough I use a bandsaw and rip off the painted faces. Sometimes I rip off the top and bottom edges to save the blade a little.

[Mike Cutler]

I would first get a lead paint test stick and test it. If it's lead based paint, just sent it to the landfill.
If I wanted to get the paint off the surface with a machine, it would be the jointer, and not the planer, I'd use. Same result, but blades and clean up on a jointer are a lot easier than a planer, so is installing and setting a new blade set. That paint is going to get into everything on a planer.

[Grant Wilkinson]

After checking for lead, I would rent a floor edge sander and some 20 grit disks. HD here in Ottawa, Canada, has them. Once all the paint is removed, you could plane them to get them ready for future projects.

[johnny means]

I would only use that in its current state. It's not worth the effort.

[Doug Dawson]

I would first get a lead paint test stick and test it. If it's lead based paint, just sent it to the landfill.
If I wanted to get the paint off the surface with a machine, it would be the jointer, and not the planer, I'd use. Same result, but blades and clean up on a jointer are a lot easier than a planer, so is installing and setting a new blade set. That paint is going to get into everything on a planer.

Lead-based paint was supposedly banned in the US in 1978, but some rapscallions may have used leftover cans after that, so you should test. Also test for metal.

Assuming no lead, the best way of getting the paint off is with a Festool Rotex sander, it's delightfully fast for this sort of thing (do it outside and wear a mask, and hold on tight.) Save the surfacing for later.

[Lee Schierer]

Both of the Borgs carry lead test kits. You may need to ask to find them.

[Zac wingert]

The house was built in 1986, so shouldn’t be lead paint. I gave up on the idea but then I cross cut the end ofone board and even though it looks like pine or something it looks a whole lot better than what you buy at the borg now. Now I have to decide what to do again.
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[Kris Cook]

What about a handheld power planer? The one I have has disposable blades. Could get through the paint with that and then run through planer. Is the wood 4/4 or 3/4? Might not be enough there to do a whole lot with if you plane it. Sander might be a better idea if you are really determined to save it.

[Andrew Hughes]

It does look good Zac I’d try to salvage it too. Riftsawn pine it’s worth a look.
Plane it !

[Andrew Seemann]

Before you get too far, clean up a couple board feet and work with it to make sure you like it enough to do the rest. From the picture, it looks like either vertical grain fir (mostly vertical at least) or one of those hard pines from the South. Both of those woods can be quite hard and not easy to work with. Note that some people really like those woods, but not everyone does.

[Zac wingert]

I like the idea of hand power planer. It looks to be 3/4, so even if I end up with 1/2 inch boards I’m happy, I hate throwing away wood, and being in Hawaii, everything is exspensive.

The tightness of the growth rings and what looks to be be riftsawn boards, I wouldn’t just trash them. At this point. And my initial estimation of 75 BF is probably way off. It’s about 24 boards 3/4x6x48. Thanks

[Kevin Beitz]

Repaint and use it for barn wood.

[Eric Schmid]

This is what I do, powered hand plane with carbide blades. Sometimes I’ll go through the same process as Andrew with the bandsaw. I have an old job site table saw that will take off the edges before resawing the faces. Carbide is your friend with paint as paint dulls steel quickly.

You can also use a heat gun to release the paint; heat and scrape. Much slower process, however and not all of the paint will be removed.

[Dan Hahr]

Okay. I’d flip my knives back to the dull side and plane the paint off, one pass each side. No big deal; just wouldn’t want to possibly ding up good knives doing it. Wear a dust mask if you’re worried about the paint and keep a shop fan blowing past you out of the shop. I can’t believe anyone would actually try to sand off years of paint layers. If it’s good heart pine, you’ll be happy. If nothing special, it will eventually come in handy.

Dan

[Zac wingert]

I’m surely going to salvage it now. It came from my open carport, as slats. I’m tore it all down to frame and enclose it. I am making an enclosed garage for my shop. I’m in Hawaii so I don’t have to worry about insulation too much etc.. my current plan now is to build some cabinets for tool storage with it. I’ll update in a couple months when it’s done.

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[Dick Strauss]

Could it be redwood? The timeframe might be right for redwood (it was still very common and inexpensive into the 80s if I remember correctly). I would expect pine/fir to have long since rotted in a warm moist outdoor environment.

[glenn bradley]

Before you get too far, clean up a couple board feet and work with it to make sure you like it enough to do the rest.

Yes, this. Also, figure out what it would cost to replace it with decent pine from a lumber yard. Be generaous; price 75 bf of VGF (fir) which is more expensive. Subtract the materials and time to prep the stuff you have, subtract all the waste from the recovery process and you will have a number to consider. Is it worth it? If the material were from Grandpa's house . . . and it were going to become a china hutch for a relative that would be passed down, the value is subjective. If it is just free wood . . . meh.

[Zac wingert]

Before you get too far, clean up a couple board feet and work with it to make sure you like it enough to do the rest. From the picture, it looks like either vertical grain fir (mostly vertical at least) or one of those hard pines from the South. Both of those woods can be quite hard and not easy to work with. Note that some people really like those woods, but not everyone does.

you called it. Many of the boards have growth rings far tighter than the one in the photo, when I tried to plane or face them on the jointer they acted like I was trying to machine metal. Crazy. There is some very, very nice old growth wood in there, but I gave up. I would have destroyed my tools. And, there were some dark stains from either the paint or weather over time that distorted the appearance. Oh well, would have been beautiful material

[Zac wingert]

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[Andrew Seemann]

The grain looks like some of the joists in the old man's previous house; I think they were Douglas Fir. I tried to drive some 12d nails into them (I don't remember why I needed to) They got about two thirds of the way in and then the 16 oz hammer I was using just started bouncing off of them. They wouldn't go in any further no matter how hard I hit them. I think I ended up having to drive screws in after pilot drilling.

[Davis Young]

It’s a little spendy but I love my Metabo paint remover. It uses carbide inserts like those found in a helical cutterhead. Dust collection is pretty good too.

[Mike OMelia]

So, this is something like 25 1x6x96 boards, right? New stock is $150. I don't think this is worth your health or tool damage. Like another poster said, use as is. Or take to a art community that will use as is. If there is lead, u will never get that dust out of your shop or ur lungs.

[Tom Bender]

If it might be lead paint, don't sand, plane or burn it.

[Vince Shriver]

I agree with Davis. I have that exact tool and it does work very well.