Resaw vs Thickness planing

[Jim Becker]

There are a lot of variables here and no one "correct" answer. I tend to re-saw valuable material when the resultant off-cut would at least give me something that I can final thickness to 1/4" or more. I always have uses for thinner stock, especially 1/2" material for making small boxes on the CNC that I offer for sale or 1/4" for trim material on the high-end tack (equestrian) storage systems I build on commission. If it's ho-hum material, then I might just turn the waste into chips. I also re-saw when the material is really unique and can provide elements for a project that make it stand-out. I did that recently with some English Brown Oak on a hall table project, taking materail from the stock I was making the legs out of to use as some really interesting live-edge aprons. Those off-cuts were thin, so they got laminated to "not as pretty oak" to get the required thickness for my joinery with the unique material as the "show" surface. The bottom line: do what's best for the particular material you are using.

[Mike Cutler]

Hi Bill

The reason for stickering is to ventilate, as you note, but stickering, per se, does not equalise the tension. Tension relaxes over time. My view is that this is aided by the moisture levels on opposing sides equalising. I have found that clamping the boards reduces, and may prevent, unwanted movement - boards do not always return to a flat state when they relax. Boards need different amounts of time to relax (thickness, moisture content, time of year, species, grain). It is important to plan ahead when building with solid wood. In part, this is forced on me as a weekend warrior.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek
I have found the same to be true.
I too clamp boards together after the milling process, or clamp them to the work bench edge, to keep them flat while they're equalizing stress. I also keep them that way during a project. So far, this has worked out for me exceedingly well.
I may start a project,and then something else becomes a priority, and it may be a few days, or weeks, until I can get back to it. There the material is, ready to go.

[John Petsche]

Thanks for sharing your process and photos. Great tips!

[john schnyderite]

How long might one expect before equalizing after resawing? days? weeks? longer?

Derek
I have found the same to be true.
I too clamp boards together after the milling process, or clamp them to the work bench edge, to keep them flat while they're equalizing stress. I also keep them that way during a project. So far, this has worked out for me exceedingly well.
I may start a project,and then something else becomes a priority, and it may be a few days, or weeks, until I can get back to it. There the material is, ready to go.

[Mike Cutler]

John

I cannot speak to any given time period, and I am certainly no expert, but for me, all of the material stays this way until it is in it's final form. We're generally talking a week or so.
To be clear though,I have an unheated, non climate controlled garage shop. This winter has been a very trying winter. Below freezing, followed by 50 degrees and raining.I have to leave all of my machines covered and protected, or the rust will bloom overnight. I use a lot of wax!!and LPS 3.
It is all too common for me to store the wood in the house, or the basement, and carry it back and forth to the garage as I work. I have a lot of wood stored outside in a shelter logic building also.
Right now I have a couple hundred board feet of cherry in the basement. The combination of wood stove and dehumidifier keep it at ambient environment conditions. This material will become kitchen cabinets the spring. I've also stored wood in a spare bedroom upstairs for months at a time.
Some of the cherry has already been milled into rough 2"x2" square stock that will be the vertical section partitions for my project. Those have ben clamped for quite a while now and are very stable.
This system has worked for me so far.
I will add though that I am extremely picky about lumber. It is very rare that I ever buy flat sawn lumber. I try to ensure that everything is rift sawn, to quarter sawn.