What to do with spare hardwood planks

[joe webb]

Hello all,

I bought some red oak 3/4" thick flooring planks (tongue and groove) last year for a stair remodeling project. Given I bought online and didn't want to pay for shipping twice, I ordered some extra.

Now I am left w/ 8 long planks of 6" wide x 8ft long and few shorter planks. Not sure what to do with them and would welcome any idea you may have.

Would it be appropriate as a table top? Either a dining table or a desk. Can we make a bed?

The bottom of the planks are not flat but wavy (see picture). Given they are not S4S pieces, I find it a bit challenging to hide the cross-cut profile.

Thank much

[Steve Eure]

I bought several bundles of red oak flooring some years ago that was as you described with the T&G and wavy bottom. I cut the T&G off with the table saw and then ran item through the planer to take off the bottom. Made several pieces of furniture with them. Most of the wood was QS, and really machined nicely. Makes some good furniture.

[Rod Sheridan]

As Steve indicated you could plane these a bit thinner to get rid of the bottom relief cuts.

Thinner red oak makes nice cabinets such as spice cabinets, medicine cabinets etc.

regards, Rod.

[Matt Schrum]

I used my extra flooring to make a few sort of a mini hard tables that sat over a sofa arm. Basically it was an upside-down U shape with a flat top to set drinks on. Worked well and looked good with a bit of BLO on it.

[Jim Becker]

I got a bunch of that from a contractor friend who had excess from a project and didn't want to send it to the landfill. I plane it to .5" stock and use it for general utility in my shop...small projects, clamps for my CNC machine, etc. It doesn't matter if it's pretty or not and once you thickness to .5" or .625" (sometimes you can achieve the latter), it's perfectly usable material that will give no hint of its origin.

[Charles Taylor]

This chest was made from leftovers--oak on the outside, maple and mystery plywood on the inside. The drawer fronts are from the small quantity of oak flooring I had left over from a remodel. Like others, I sanded/planed it to 1/2" to remove the relief cuts on the bottom and the factory finish on top.
426725

[bill epstein]

Here in North Carolina we'd burn'm for BBQ. Maybe 50/50 with Pecan.

[Jerry Wright]

I used T&G oak to "floor" the top of an inexpensive 2x4 work bench. It isn't perfectly flat, but it looks great, is easily maintained, and is functional.

[nicholas mitchell]

Best thing to do with oak is let it continue its life as a tree.

[Doug Garson]

Not solid hardwood, but I used leftover engineered hardwood flooring to make runners for table saw sleds and zero clearance inserts, a stand for a computer monitor and a shelf unit to house the tower and some accessories.

[joe webb]

Thank you all for the great suggestions. Recently, I finally convinced my wife to let me get a table saw, but I still don't have a planner. Given I am not a pro, it might be little used. Any way to work around that wavy profile? I was thinking of using a rabbet cut to join them as I do have a router.

[Doug Garson]

Maybe add your location to your profile and ask if there are any forum members near you that could run your boards thru their planner, perhaps for a few of the boards as payment.

[Justin Rapp]

Thank you all for the great suggestions. Recently, I finally convinced my wife to let me get a table saw, but I still don't have a planner. Given I am not a pro, it might be little used. Any way to work around that wavy profile? I was thinking of using a rabbet cut to join them as I do have a router.

I agree with what Joe Webb says - see if there is someone local that can run the boards down for you. Also, a planer is really a valuable tool in the workshop to help bring boards to the thickness you want, unless you are into hand planning of course. Keep a look-out, I see lunchbox planers like the Dewalt 734 show up pretty often on craigslist for a relatively good price.

[jeff norris 2011]

It is good hardwood, that would not take any more presswork than working rough lumber. You can use it anyway that you would used hardwood of similar dimensions. Enjoy.

[Tom Bender]

We have a bow window with a seat (no cushion). The original plywood was looking bad so I replaced it with excess flooring to match the room. Looks great.

[Jerry Olexa]

AS JIM SAID, PLANE DOWN TO 1/2" then its perfect for drawers..Just IMHO