Milling Long Lumber

[Kris Cook]

I am getting ready to start breaking down some African Mahogany 4/4 boards that are 15' long and up to 19" wide. I mapped out my cuts on paper with the idea being to not have any scarf joints in the baseboard (longest length needed is 13') After getting one of the boards in the shop I am starting to re-think my plan.

I know I can get them ripped to width and planing them shouldn't be a big deal.

I have a jig for straight-edging rough cut lumber on the TS but not for boards this long. I snapped a line down the first board with a measurement of 6-1/2" at each end - trying to yield a 6" wide baseboard after milling. I am measuring 6-1/2" most of the way down the board but I am getting 6-1/4" about 5' from one end, and I can see the "wow" in the board there. My jointer has 39" of infeed table, so pretty good support but I am wondering about the wisdom of trying to wrestle a 15' board through the jointer (talking edge-jointing here).

I am thinking it might be smarter to keep the pieces to no more than 10' I would end up with joints in the baseboard on two walls. Everything else is broken up or is door or window trim.

Would appreciate any input.

[Mel Fulks]

That stuff moves more than a “Slinky “. I would make a list of needed sizes ,then start cutting longest needed sizes, and dressing and
sizing them. Some won’t “make the cut”….after being cut, and will have to be demoted to shorter parts.

[Jim Dwight]

My jointer beds are shorter than yours. I don't try to dress the edge of anything more than about 4 feet on it. Instead I use my track saw. I have prepared edges for table top glueup with it that were more than 10 feet long (finished top of the table is 10 feet). I think I could cut a straight edge on boards around 15 feet long by joining my three tracks. I would need another jointer piece, however. I can do 12 or 13 feet with what I have.

I am not familar with the wood you are using but I wonder how straight it will be after you cut it down. But you could try it and if it warps, reduce the length to get what you need - even if it has to have joints.

[Dave Roock]

One method you could do is to get a 15' piece of angle iron. Prop board up on several cinder blocks or whatever convenient, clamp down angle iron & put cinder blocks behind/on backside of angle iron to keep in place and use circular saw with a new blade. Far, far cheaper than buying track saw/track.

[Kevin Jenness]

Rough rip the pieces oversize using a chalkline guide, then decide if you can get the needed width at the desired length. For 15' lengths rough out at least 1/2" over net width, more if possible, keeping in mind how many useable pieces you can get out of each board. Once the squirrels have been let loose you can decide if you need to cut to shorter lengths. Then saw a straight line on one edge, dress the edge on your jointer if you can manage it with an extension table, roller stand and/or helper, or use a power plane, hand plane or sanding block, then rip to finished dimension. Easy peasy.

Full length baseboards will be worth it if you can manage the process, but well done splices will be ok if necessary. The best results will come from splicing before sanding and cutting to length if you have to go that way.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Are the floors perfectly flat? My thought about a 13' baseboard is that you might be better off to scribe it to fit, rather than trying to make it perfectly straight on your jointer.

[Kris Cook]

OK, so all good input. I appreciate it.

So here is what I did on the first board. I measured back 6-3/4" on each end and snapped a chalk line, then went over the line with a straightedge and a carpenter's pencil. I ripped it with the track saw.

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Not bad considering I only have the one track. I can clean up with a hand plane. I will see what it looks like in the AM. I did check MC in the cut face and it is 6% which is great.

Zach - very good point on scribing the fit. I doubt the floor is flat, so that is a great thought.

[Dan Hahr]

As long as the edges are parallel, a long board will flex enough at 6" for baseboards. If you can rip a straight edge and have enough to rip it straight at 6", go for it. But, if it is only slightly skewed, ripping it to 6" with a little bow is fine. Just press it flat to the flooring and nail it. The shorter stuff you can joint to your heart's content.

Dan

[Kris Cook]

Thanks Dan. I did take a straight 8' 1x4 into the house and laid it down on edge where the longest piece of baseboard is going. There is some deviation (which you would expect in a house built in 1910).

Anyway, I think you are right. I will be installing a base shoe as well, which will conform more easily, and hide any gaps.

[johnny means]

If your base has a profile on the top, you could easily hide a seam there and just glue up a peice tall enough for your needs.