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Thread: What to do with spare hardwood planks

  1. #1

    What to do with spare hardwood planks

    Hello all,

    I bought some red oak 3/4" thick flooring planks (tongue and groove) last year for a stair remodeling project. Given I bought online and didn't want to pay for shipping twice, I ordered some extra.

    Now I am left w/ 8 long planks of 6" wide x 8ft long and few shorter planks. Not sure what to do with them and would welcome any idea you may have.

    Would it be appropriate as a table top? Either a dining table or a desk. Can we make a bed?

    The bottom of the planks are not flat but wavy (see picture). Given they are not S4S pieces, I find it a bit challenging to hide the cross-cut profile.

    Thank much
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmodel, Ga.
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    798
    I bought several bundles of red oak flooring some years ago that was as you described with the T&G and wavy bottom. I cut the T&G off with the table saw and then ran item through the planer to take off the bottom. Made several pieces of furniture with them. Most of the wood was QS, and really machined nicely. Makes some good furniture.
    My Dad always told me "Can't Never Could".

    SWE

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
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    11,248
    As Steve indicated you could plane these a bit thinner to get rid of the bottom relief cuts.

    Thinner red oak makes nice cabinets such as spice cabinets, medicine cabinets etc.

    regards, Rod.

  4. #4
    I used my extra flooring to make a few sort of a mini hard tables that sat over a sofa arm. Basically it was an upside-down U shape with a flat top to set drinks on. Worked well and looked good with a bit of BLO on it.
    Licensed Professional Engineer,
    Unlicensed Semi Professional Tinkerer

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,688
    I got a bunch of that from a contractor friend who had excess from a project and didn't want to send it to the landfill. I plane it to .5" stock and use it for general utility in my shop...small projects, clamps for my CNC machine, etc. It doesn't matter if it's pretty or not and once you thickness to .5" or .625" (sometimes you can achieve the latter), it's perfectly usable material that will give no hint of its origin.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    North Alabama
    Posts
    548
    This chest was made from leftovers--oak on the outside, maple and mystery plywood on the inside. The drawer fronts are from the small quantity of oak flooring I had left over from a remodel. Like others, I sanded/planed it to 1/2" to remove the relief cuts on the bottom and the factory finish on top.
    IMG_1415, 800.JPG
    Chuck Taylor

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    On the edge of Pisgah National Forest
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    Here in North Carolina we'd burn'm for BBQ. Maybe 50/50 with Pecan.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Camillus, NY
    Posts
    356
    I used T&G oak to "floor" the top of an inexpensive 2x4 work bench. It isn't perfectly flat, but it looks great, is easily maintained, and is functional.
    Jerry

    "It is better to fail in originality than succeed in imitation" - Herman Melville

  9. Best thing to do with oak is let it continue its life as a tree.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    New Westminster BC
    Posts
    2,981
    Not solid hardwood, but I used leftover engineered hardwood flooring to make runners for table saw sleds and zero clearance inserts, a stand for a computer monitor and a shelf unit to house the tower and some accessories.

  11. #11
    Thank you all for the great suggestions. Recently, I finally convinced my wife to let me get a table saw, but I still don't have a planner. Given I am not a pro, it might be little used. Any way to work around that wavy profile? I was thinking of using a rabbet cut to join them as I do have a router.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    New Westminster BC
    Posts
    2,981
    Maybe add your location to your profile and ask if there are any forum members near you that could run your boards thru their planner, perhaps for a few of the boards as payment.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Central New Jersey
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    1,007
    Quote Originally Posted by joe webb View Post
    Thank you all for the great suggestions. Recently, I finally convinced my wife to let me get a table saw, but I still don't have a planner. Given I am not a pro, it might be little used. Any way to work around that wavy profile? I was thinking of using a rabbet cut to join them as I do have a router.
    I agree with what Joe Webb says - see if there is someone local that can run the boards down for you. Also, a planer is really a valuable tool in the workshop to help bring boards to the thickness you want, unless you are into hand planning of course. Keep a look-out, I see lunchbox planers like the Dewalt 734 show up pretty often on craigslist for a relatively good price.

  14. It is good hardwood, that would not take any more presswork than working rough lumber. You can use it anyway that you would used hardwood of similar dimensions. Enjoy.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    2,758
    We have a bow window with a seat (no cushion). The original plywood was looking bad so I replaced it with excess flooring to match the room. Looks great.

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