When to plane rough cut lumber?

[N80]

I just got a bench top planer. This question pertains to when to use it. I have some rough cut white oak planks. Most are a little over 1 inch in thickness. They were cut about a month ago and have been stacked on stickers in my basement since that time.

My plan is to make some built-in shelves out of them.

I know they need a lot longer to dry at this point.

But once they have dried sufficiently what is the timing of thickness planing them to their final (pre-sanding) dimension which will be around 3/4"? Should it be done well before I plan on building the shelves or right before I build them......of does the timing even matter once the rough cut boards are dried?

Any input much appreciated.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I just got a bench top planer. This question pertains to when to use it. I have some rough cut white oak planks. Most are a little over 1 inch in thickness. They were cut about a month ago and have been stacked on stickers in my basement since that time.

My plan is to make some built-in shelves out of them.

I know they need a lot longer to dry at this point.

But once they have dried sufficiently what is the timing of thickness planing them to their final (pre-sanding) dimension which will be around 3/4"? Should it be done well before I plan on building the shelves or right before I build them......of does the timing even matter once the rough cut boards are dried?

Any input much appreciated.

Once dried, ready for use.

 

[N80]

I guess the better way to ask the question is, once the planks are dry is it okay to plane them even if it will be a long time before I build with them?

 

[rbstern]

It really depends on the joinery you intend. If the shelves will be fitted into tight joints, it's best to have them at the finished dimensions and close to the approximate moisture content they will be when inside. If they are just resting on supports, far less critical to do so.

The wife and I just put in some live edge shelves on black pipe supports a couple of months ago, using some black walnut slabs. We cut the slabs, let them sit outside to loose the worst of the moisture. After about a week, we planed, stained, and installed the shelves over a weekend. Because the shelves aren't part of any joinery, no concern about final dimensions. And they were thick enough to be fairly resistant to warping, and have a ton of books sitting on them, holding them flat.

 

[/pine]

I would invest in a moisture content meter...run a board through the planer a few times and see what the MC is...as long as it's less than 20% or so you're fine...any wetter I'd let it dry some more...

 

[mo1]

I guess the better way to ask the question is, once the planks are dry is it okay to plane them even if it will be a long time before I build with them?

Once they are fully dry and located in about the same humidity as where the finished product will be, you can thickness plane them and they should stay stable and not warp or twist. Do note that you will want to face plane the rough stock either on a jointer or using a planer sled on your planer before you thickness plane it.

 

[jaxs]

I guess the better way to ask the question is, once the planks are dry is it okay to plane them even if it will be a long time before I build with them?

Yes,as long as boards are protected from light and moisture between planeing and finishing to prevent color change,,,unless you plan to stain before clear coating. To retain natural color you could plane in advance leaving boards a bit thick then plane to final dimension within a few weeks of finishing. I pull enough boards for project from stack as much in advance of planing as possible then lay them out individually so that if they are to warp,they do it before use rather than after in project. Depending on species and other factors,one board out of a certain number will twist,buckle or warp after unstacked.

 

[chevy]

I never plane rough lumber until I am ready to build something. I agree with pine, a moisture meter is a great investment. Electromagnetic meters are the best, Pin types are good, but you have to drive the pins into the wood get a true reading.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I just did 22 18 wheeler loads of cypress. Some was walnut and pecan, but not much. Some boards were 30" wide and 16' long. I was looking for places to put planer shavings. We had a large drum sander too. It was all dry. Stacked with strips for 7 years. It was at an old pre civil war plantation house. Had to plane some of it down to 5/8" and repair some siding on the house. Oh and I had to straight line rip it with a Skil saw, because it had bark on each side. I just clamped a straight 1x6 on it and ran the saw beside it.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I never plane rough lumber until I am ready to build something. I agree with pine, a moisture meter is a great investment. Electromagnetic meters are the best, Pin types are good, but you have to drive the pins into the wood get a true reading.

I agree, plane it just before using it, not before.

With a pin type meter, it's best to ck moisture content in a "fresh" cut off end, of a board.

SR