planing green wood

[Aaron Kline]

It's been a while since I posted here. I got a tablesaw and decided I didn't need hand tools:eek: Well, I was wrong. But anyway, can you use hand planes on green wood. I'm assuming you could if you open the mouth up enough. I'm thinking of buying lumber from the mill green, planing it a little oversize when its green and finishing it up when it's dry. And I'd like to use a scrub plane on planks for small benches and such.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Aaron,

A scrub would indeed work well on green lumber. A #5 reworked as a scrub would have added benefit as it would be heavier, a bit wider and take fewer strokes. The blade would need a healthy camber, etc. I needed to file open the mouth as you suggest, but not a lot. My converted scrub came from a #5 1/4.

However, I think the amount of waste green lumber produces is bad enough. If you further dimension it before it dries significantly, the amount of waste would affect yield too much.

My vote--as if I had one--is to sticker it, covered, out of doors and let it dry about 1 year for each inch of thickness. Then rough dimension it and let it sit until needed indoors, prefereable untouched for at least several more weeks before using it. If not a while longer.

An investment in a really good moisture meter would be a must.

Not what you maybe wanted to hear.

Take care, Mike

[Aaron Kline]

Thanks for the reply. I kinda figured it wouldn't be worth it. I use air dried lumber more and more anyway. I'll try the scrub plane idea sometime.