Do You Mill Your Own Lumber?

[Jim Becker]

fwiw Menards has a better selection of species and better prices for s4s hardwood

Menards is only in a small geographic area compared to Home Depot and Lowes, unfortunately.

[Derek Cohen]

About 8 years ago I remodeled our kitchen. It was a big job with a huge island. Used 500-600 BF of Euro steamed beach. I justified purchasing a 15" planer and 8" jointer for this project. I actually enjoyed milling my own lumber especially knowing everything was to the same size. Since the big kitchen project I have done smaller projects and had the opportunity to use the jointer/planer on rough sawn lumber I picked up on lumber runs.

Past couple weeks I have been working with my son on a couple of cabinets for him. We had to mill some lumber and it really hit me the amount of time it took even with a helper to mill the lumber (ha, maybe because I want his cabinets out of my garage/shop and in his basement).

So I'm contemplating selling my jointer and planer (probably jointer first) because of:

• Added time to a project.
• Space the tools take up.
• The pain to take the tools out and put them away in a small garage/shop (especially the jointer).
• For some reason lack of lumber runs.
• Have found out local hardwood supplier will join/plane for reasonable price (although his wood is more expensive than I got on lumber run deals).
• Bought a nice lathe about 6 years ago and don't find enough time to turn because of all the flat work projects I have.

Anyone else go through the same thing? Will I regret getting rid of them?

Thanks,
Mike

Hi Mike

I am coming in late, but note that you have not responded to anyone here. In my opinion, you should get rid of your machines. The reason I write this is that you do not appear to be interested in the type of work that involves building furniture or anything where preparation of stock for furniture (or larger items). You appear to enjoy (?) building small items, and it is quite reasonable that these can either be prepared from processed boards (more expensive, but a labour saving), or you could use hand planes to do this work (saving lots of space ... although you do need a work bench).

Those here recommending keeping your machines don’t get it because their mindset is on the preparation of boards for furniture. This involves finding the desired section of a board, cutting it to size, flattening and thicknessing it to the desired dimensions. That does not appear to be on your radar ... at least not further than getting your son squared away. The mindset of a furniture builder .. even box builder .. lies with the aesthetics as much as the stock for use.

You need to consider whether this is important to you, that is, whether woodworking is a passionate hobby or a cost-saver at home.

On a train to Munich

Derek

[Doug Dawson]

Hi Mike

I am coming in late, but note that you have not responded to anyone here. In my opinion, you should get rid of your machines. The reason I write this is that you do not appear to be interested in the type of work that involves building furniture or anything where preparation of stock for furniture (or larger items). You appear to enjoy (?) building small items, and it is quite reasonable that these can either be prepared from processed boards (more expensive, but a labour saving), or you could use hand planes to do this work (saving lots of space ... although you do need a work bench).

Those here recommending keeping your machines don’t get it because their mindset is on the preparation of boards for furniture. This involves finding the desired section of a board, cutting it to size, flattening and thicknessing it to the desired dimensions. That does not appear to be on your radar ... at least not further than getting your son squared away. The mindset of a furniture builder .. even box builder .. lies with the aesthetics as much as the stock for use.

You need to consider whether this is important to you, that is, whether woodworking is a passionate hobby or a cost-saver at home.

I didn't get the impression that the OP is forsaking woodworking. However, I _would_ add no matter what small items one is dealing with, _square_ lumber is essential, no matter how you're achieving that, and keeping the machinery is important for that, if hand tools aren't in the picture. That everything is an exact thickness or whatever is secondary (a separate issue.)

[Mike Goetzke]

Thanks for all the replies.

Think my post should have been how do I increase my work space? I work out of a 2-1/2 car garage. Have to reserve one space for my wife's car but she lets me use the whole garage on the longer length projects. Half the garage is already filled with my large tools and benches. Think I need to narrow down what I do - I have 1950 Uni, SCMS on mobile base, dust collector, 17" BS, floor standing DP, 15" planer, air compressor, track saw system, 4'x8' knock down MFT table, router table, 8" jointer, PM 3520B lathe, Miller welder, and 6' workbench. And this is just the big stuff .

Checked the price of milled hardwood at the local supplier and think I'll keep the J/P for now.

Thanks
Mike

[Patrick Kane]

Mike,

Curious, do you mind posting the breakdown of rough versus S3S per species? I almost reached out to my wholesale supplier to have actual price comparison. I know its nowhere close to $0.13 a board foot. I almost remember it being 50-100% more.

[Doug Dawson]

Thanks for all the replies.

Think my post should have been how do I increase my work space? I work out of a 2-1/2 car garage. Have to reserve one space for my wife's car but she lets me use the whole garage on the longer length projects. Half the garage is already filled with my large tools and benches. Think I need to narrow down what I do - I have 1950 Uni, SCMS on mobile base, dust collector, 17" BS, floor standing DP, 15" planer, air compressor, track saw system, 4'x8' knock down MFT table, router table, 8" jointer, PM 3520B lathe, Miller welder, and 6' workbench. And this is just the big stuff .

Well, I work out of a 3-car garage, with a full complement of stationary tools, and I can park _two_ cars in there, in a pinch, thanks to the modern miracle of mobile bases, and some careful planning. Heck, right now I'm doing a significant overhaul of one car, surrounded by tool trays, and it's not even tight. The lathe might be an issue (I have a separate wood/jig storage room for that stuff.) Tomorrow I could roll everything back into place. Overhead and high wall storage is also helpful.

[Mark Bolton]

[QUOTE=Patrick Kane;2981070. I know its nowhere close to $0.13 a board foot. I almost remember it being 50-100% more.[/QUOTE]

Find a new supplier. I cant say If your buying 3-6-10 boards but if your buying half packs or reasonable quantities it should be well below $1 and more like well below $0.50 per bf.

How would a percentage ever work anyway? Surfacing 6/4 figured maple is exactly the same work and time as surfacing 6/4 poplar or pallet wood.

If your being quoted a percentage of your order your being scammed beyond scammed or your dealing with someone who is trying to drive off the fussy public

[Frank Pratt]

Thanks for all the replies.

Think my post should have been how do I increase my work space? I work out of a 2-1/2 car garage. Have to reserve one space for my wife's car but she lets me use the whole garage on the longer length projects. Half the garage is already filled with my large tools and benches. Think I need to narrow down what I do - I have 1950 Uni, SCMS on mobile base, dust collector, 17" BS, floor standing DP, 15" planer, air compressor, track saw system, 4'x8' knock down MFT table, router table, 8" jointer, PM 3520B lathe, Miller welder, and 6' workbench. And this is just the big stuff .

Checked the price of milled hardwood at the local supplier and think I'll keep the J/P for now.

Thanks
Mike

I work out of a 2 car garage that has 2 cars parked in it every night. I've got a table saw/router table, floor standing 17" drill press, 6" jointer, 13" planer/sander flip cart, 14" band saw, SCMC, 32" x 72" workbench, 24" x 48" sharpening/general purpose workbench, folding assembly table and folding outfeed table. So to me, you've got lots of room

[Jim Becker]

Think my post should have been how do I increase my work space?

J/P combo puts both functions in the same footprint and can be mobile to help conserve assembly space when it's not in use.

[Dan Hahr]

The only wood I don’t mill is plywood.

Dan

[Bob Jones 5443]

Boy, I’d love to have that 8” jointer. Mine’s a 6”.

[Mike Goetzke]

Boy, I’d love to have that 8” jointer. Mine’s a 6”.

Tell me about it! Years ago I took on the challenge to build a new entrance door with sidelights. At the time I had a 6" jointer and one of the heavy frame pieces almost cause my jointer to tip over as I hit the out feed table. That was the decision point to get the 8".

[Derek Cohen]

Mike

You sound more like a serious woodworker now than you did early on! Sorry I doubted you

I also recommend a combo jointer/planer. This was my solution and it saved a ton of space.

Regards from Munich

Derek

[Mike Goetzke]

Mike

You sound more like a serious woodworker now than you did early on! Sorry I doubted you

I also recommend a combo jointer/planer. This was my solution and it saved a ton of space.

Regards from Munich

Derek

Milled lumber for these big projects -

My door:

IMG_0391.jpg


kitchen (learned a lot on this project!):

[Earl McLain]

Thanks for all the replies.

Think my post should have been how do I increase my work space? I work out of a 2-1/2 car garage. Have to reserve one space for my wife's car but she lets me use the whole garage on the longer length projects. Half the garage is already filled with my large tools and benches. Think I need to narrow down what I do - I have 1950 Uni, SCMS on mobile base, dust collector, 17" BS, floor standing DP, 15" planer, air compressor, track saw system, 4'x8' knock down MFT table, router table, 8" jointer, PM 3520B lathe, Miller welder, and 6' workbench. And this is just the big stuff .

Checked the price of milled hardwood at the local supplier and think I'll keep the J/P for now.

Thanks
Mike

Mike--as a favor, i'd be happy to store that 3520B and/or jointer in my garage for you!! I've been to Mike's a few times, and he truly makes tremendous use of space...also, that picture doesn't do justice to that front door--it's incredible!!

Glad you posted Mike--i'm past due for the time to put my EZ-One table on a lift. Can't find the one you got at Lowe's (powered by a drill), which i'd prefer...so i'm about to pull the trigger on an electric from HF. If you can recall the brand of the one you have i'd really like a reminder. Thanks!!

And on the topic of S4S from box stores--i bought a little when i first started out, a pair of mahogany boards. Both labeled as 3/4", but the thickness was more than 1/16" different--which i discovered after i cut the dovetails under the assumption that 3/4" would be the same. Nice thing about milling my own is that whatever the thickness--it's consistent. I'd need to have a very reliable supplier to trust that consistency to someone else.

earl