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Thread: Rough Cut and Then Store?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Miami, FL.
    Posts
    19

    Rough Cut and Then Store?

    Hello all. I've been lurking around for a while learning, but haven't posted anything yet. So my first of many questions is regarding letting boards acclimate to the shop. I understand letting the wood acclimate to the shop, but should I rough cut boards before letting them sit? Like any noob, I am going to start off with the cheaper pine stuff to learn. I'll be buying the wider boards and ripping them down to the sizes that I need. My concern is if buying wider boards with the pith so I can get the ends because they will be as to close to quarter sawn as I can get, will they bend while they rest? I will be using my garage to store my boards. I live in South Florida, so we have high humidity 9 months out of the year. Garage isn't insulated but I have space farthest away from the two exterior walls. The humidity inside the house is typically about 50%. At least that's what my thermostat says. Thanks.

  2. #2
    You are definitely asking some very good questions...unfortunately there is no one good answer. First off, when you say "rough cut" I am guessing you do not refer to sawmill lumber??? It sounds like you mean boards that have been dried, planed and edged and are flat straight and square and basically ready to use??? Your main question is whether or not you should cut them to basic size for the project you intend and then leave the wood sit for an undetermined amount of time.
    Wood moves for a lot of reasons. Aside from stress it can move not only when it loses moisture but also when it gains.
    My experience has always been that you are best to acquire the dried and ready to use wood for a project when you are ready to go ahead and use it and build and get it done. I have seen others do exactly what you are asking and it always seems to work out fine for them...but never for me. Cutting boards down to the rough basic sizes which you will require for your project definitely does not negate the wood moving or even lessen any movement or warping. I agree it would be nice and handy if you could get the wood you need and simply store it indoors until you are ready to go. There is of course nothing at all saying you cant do just that, but I would not count on it staying perfectly straight and square.
    I get rough cut {as in sawmill rough cut} boards and store them as is until such time when I know I can go ahead and mill them and proceed with my project...definitely not Ideal or remotely convenient, and not necessarily the way to do it warp or bend free, but at least if it moves or warps before you face join and cut it square you have the extra thickness to help get it straight.
    Hope any of this makes some sense and best of luck!!!

    Edit: I don't know about others experience, but for me the idea that you have to "allow wood to acclimate to your shop" for some secret, never discussed period of time is way over rated. I have a large shop and typically store a lot of board feet of lumber for my up coming projects and then some...almost without exception, when I plane and join boards they still immediately move a little. Sometimes they move more than a little and they had been "acclimating" for over a year!!! FWIW, we too have high humidity in the summer and I run a dehumidifier 24/7/365 set at 45% and my shop is heated and air conditioned.
    Last edited by Martin Siebert; 03-04-2019 at 11:58 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Miami, FL.
    Posts
    19
    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Siebert View Post
    First off, when you say "rough cut" I am guessing you do not refer to sawmill lumber??? It sounds like you mean boards that have been dried, planed and edged and are flat straight and square and basically ready to use??? Your main question is whether or not you should cut them to basic size for the project .
    Yes. I meant to say, cut them down to roughly the size I will need for my projects and then let them sit til I'm ready to build. I should have proof read my post before I uploaded. Thanks for your response.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    I can only offer my methods and suggestions. First, start with poplar or better yet, maple instead of pine. The cost is not much more and the workability of the wood is much better. I've seen too many stories of beginners disappointed with their results that have to do with material whose fibers "bend over rather than be cut" resulting in poor joinery.

    Second, when making parts, IF, the material is not from where I am and IF it:
    - has not been well prepared
    - has not been well stored
    - is wetter than it ought to be (think BORG dimensional material)
    - or if it is just plain lively material (it happens)
    I will cut and mill to oversize and let the material rest overnight before I cut to final size and begin assembly. I try to never cut parts more than a day or so before I will use them. Sub-assemblies can set around for quite a while before joining the main piece.

    Example; final dimension is 5/8" x 1-1/8" by 22". I would rough cut to a fat 3/4" by a fat 1-1/4" by 23" long. After the questionable material has rested a day or two, mill to final size.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  5. #5
    Pine is fine
    I'm guessing you are buying "whitewood" boards from home depot or something similar. The big box stores are conditioned so there is no need to acclimate the wood. You aren't making violins or intricate inlay .

    Pine is fine for beginning it's forgiving although it's soft and not very strong . An interesting note the white wood is a product of Sweden it's probably a mix of spruce pine and fir due to its northern climate the growth is slow and there can be 12-20 rings per inch. When you rip the boards you are releasing pent up pressure and one board may bow and warp to the extreme.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
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    2,758
    Yes, after ripping you will probably have to joint the edge if the wood is wet or dry, Pine or Maple.

    Example: Yesterday I ripped a piece of Oak that had been in my A/C shop for 32 years. It was straight and flat when I started. Ripped 5 1/2" wide into 4 pieces 1 1/4" wide x 24" long. One warped about 1/16" in the center.

    Warping due to moisture changes is often a bigger problem if you lay a board on the bench overnight. Stand it on edge or sticker it and it will move in a more balanced way.

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