Questions tagged [lumber]

Uses and applications of the common raw material also known as timber (British English, in the US/North America timber refers to standing trees).

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14 votes
5 answers
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How to straighten a warped board

So you have a board removed from a pallet that, once removed, shows significant warping. Or perhaps you bought some lumber and you didn't notice an imperfection. This is visible along the width of ...
Matt's user avatar
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7 votes
4 answers
82k views

What are the techniques to seal or remove sap?

For starters this is not green-wood. I have been cutting up some 2x4 into small blocks for painting and decoration. The block were cut and then sanded. About 3 days later I had the time to paint them....
Matt's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
378 views

Protecting wood from powder post beetles

I have some rough sawn maple that I'll be storing for a while, I've read that as long as there's no bark on it, it's safe from new infestations of powder post beetles; is this true? Is it better to ...
SqlACID's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
6k views

What are the different uses for plain sawn (flat sawn), rift sawn, and quarter sawn boards?

When shopping for lumber, how do you identify each type of board, and what are some examples of when you would choose to use each one? In other words, what are the visual and physical characteristics ...
rob's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
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What is a board foot?

Considering this lumber sales site, what is a board foot? I am use to seeing lumber measured width by height, but these products are measured thickness by board feet.
nipponese's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
494 views

Would a slab constructed from 2x4s be stable?

I have a fairly simple project I'm considering which will require slabs of approximately 3-4 inches thick. Because of its light weight and price I thought I might use 2x4 dimensional lumber to make ...
Daniel B.'s user avatar
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20 votes
8 answers
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How do I shop for lumber to use in home wood working projects?

When I took wood working as a student, I learned to finish rough wood - cut it to rough size, joint it, plane it, rip and cross/cut on a table saw, etc. As much as I'd love to own large versions of ...
Steven's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
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Does dropping boards really relieve internal tensions?

A Fine Woodworking article I read a while back has a picture of Steve Latta dropping boards onto concrete. The caption reads: Drop relieves stress. For larger doors, like those on armoires, Latta ...
rob's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
19k views

When is it best to use kiln-dried vs. air-dried vs. green wood in a project?

Kiln dried wood is usually recommended for woodworking projects since it's more stable than green and air dried lumber. On the other hand, I've been told kiln dried wood is bad for lathe work, and in ...
rob's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
3k views

Crosscutting 18" diameter logs by hand

I tried my hand at crosscutting a beefy 18" log with a relatively low tooth-per-inch bowsaw today. I eventually made it all the way through, but not without cutting V-slices into the wood to give the ...
Edward Ocampo-Gooding's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
523 views

What are some guidelines to consider when determining the thickness of boards to use?

Assuming one has the necessary tools to mill their own boards, what are some guidelines to consider when determining the thickness of boards to use in the various parts of a project? For some context,...
Steven's user avatar
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9 votes
4 answers
5k views

Hollowing out a piece of timber

Wood, well most wood, is heavy. Is there any such thing as people ever hollowing out the inside of the wood to make the finished product lighter? For example, let's say I have a 4in. x 4in. x 8' ...
CRABOLO's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
139 views

Actual KVH sleepers dimensions

I know that for some kinds of lumber there is significant difference in nominal and actual size (for instance 2 by 4). How is with KVH (dried and glued up construction lumber used in EU)? What are ...
Davorin Ruševljan's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
898 views

Given final dimensions in mm, how do I choose what dimensional lumber (in customary units) to buy?

I would like to know how to figure out what timber to buy for a 45mm x 46mm x 1.6m part. My lumber supplier sells boards in customary units (2x4, 2x6, etc.). Can anyone provide a solid method to work ...
Dave Smith's user avatar