# Beginner Wood.. New Pupil..



## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

So, I bought the following tools and read up on a bunch of wood working articles before even looking at the price of wood!

I was shocked to find out how expensive wood is when i finally to my visit to the lumber yard at lowes.. 

I went to buy 2' of mapple wood sheet about 1" deep.. to make my first wood project.. a "cutting board".. 

My jaw dropped with i saw 24$ price tag on wood sheet. :no:

===1-1/2 HP Variable Speed Plunge Router Item # 67119 Manufacturer: Chicago Electric Power Tools.. New Paid 59.00 Coupon from HarborFreight.com

==Craftsman router fixed base 1hp model 315.17460 Paid 45.99 with 16 Bits 2nd Hand. 
Craigslist.org

==Black&Decker Jig Saw 5amp Model #: JS660 Paid 19.99 NEW at Lowe's.com 

==BLACK & DECKER 12000 Orbits per Minute ROS Power Sander Model #: RO410S NEW 
Paid 19.99 Lowe's.com

8" Craftsman Table saw 40$ 2nd hand from Craigslist. "15 years in use by last owner" Craigslist.org

Craftsman Nextec 12.0V Drill/Driver Includes multi-tool Sears Item# 00930287000 | Model# 7247 New Paid 54.00 Sears.com


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

Nef003 said:


> So, I bought the following tools and read up on a bunch of wood working articles before even looking at the price of wood!


Welcome to the party.



> I was shocked to find out how expensive wood is when i finally to my visit to the lumber yard at lowes..


There's part of your problem. You're likely to pay less, get more selection, and have better quality from some place that sells mostly wood as opposed to one of the big box stores like Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

4/4 (four quarters) - 5/4 maple which ends up around 3/4" and 1" respectively after milling can be had for $4 per board foot (one square foot of lumber 4/4 thick or 144 cubic inches before it's milled to make it flat with parallel faces) which is $4/square foot for 4/4 and $5 for 5/4. If you lack a local lumber yard that has what you want you can buy online with pictures of your specific boards often available for exotic and figured woods.

Exotic (from far off places like Africa or with unusual figure) woods can be a lot dearer. Nice Gabon ebony runs about $100/bf.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Hi Nefris

Welcome to the Router Forums.

Now you know why solid wooden furniture cost as much as it does. 
Like Drew says look around for the best prices on the woods you want to use. Some times you can buy what you want, pay shipping and still save money.

Work safe, Have fun, Cut some wood,
Mike


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Nefris; can you be more specific as to where you live? You'll likely get some really helpful leads on wood sourcing in your particular neck of the woods.
Cheers, 
-Dan


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Here's a bit of an idea of what's available from a hardwood supplier...
PJ White Hardwoods Ltd.


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## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

Drew Eckhardt said:


> Welcome to the party.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow.. Thank you very much for that info. Those are much better prices. I did notice from the replies and welcomes that members tend to buy easily from online and have delivered. 

I'll be more specific as to where i'm residing. I Commute between Quincy, Ma and Providence Rhode Island on a daily basis.


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## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Nefris; can you be more specific as to where you live? You'll likely get some really helpful leads on wood sourcing in your particular neck of the woods.
> Cheers,
> -Dan


I'll be more specific as to where i'm residing. I Commute between Quincy, Ma and Providence Rhode Island on a daily basis. The two towns are about an 1hour drive. I don't know how to search up on local lumber mills or similar. 

I do have my spring-summer part-time employer, "Lennin's Tree cutting service" Spoke to him today, and he said i can help myself to as much oak pine and mapple wood as i would like for free..

When i say spring-summer part-time employer is because i have worked 2 seasons for him, but hardly had chance to learn about wood from him since he was always up on a tree and i was the helper  work work work :dance3:

I don't know how i would do to strip the wood since its whole and most range about 2 feet length and same or smaller for width. I can always ask him to aid me on this. but any ideas would be great.?

The kind of projects I'm looking forward to, are beginners projects like; "cutting board as first, small 18" table with a drawer, and a study desk for my 2 year old daughter. those should be my 3 first projects. 

as soon as i get my 10 post, I'll post pictures of my bits since i'm totally clueless on the purpose for each and there is only so much i can understand. today afternoon, i'll get scrap wood and test each one


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## Big Steve (Feb 12, 2012)

Netris, do you have a Woodcraft near you? I strongly reccomend a class with them. Good overview of tools and techniques. For my first class some years ago I built a 13" dia. candletable. Used every major tool a bit. It helped with familiarity, safety and confidence.


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## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

Big Steve said:


> Netris, do you have a Woodcraft near you? I strongly reccomend a class with them. Good overview of tools and techniques. For my first class some years ago I built a 13" dia. candletable. Used every major tool a bit. It helped with familiarity, safety and confidence.



I will search for this right away.. Thanks :moil:


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Aha! You DO have access to hardwood!! You don't realize how potentially fortunate you are. If you can transport the wood, the longer the lengths he'll buck up for you the better.
Two choices:
-invest in an Alaska Chainsaw Mill, and chainsaw with a rip blade. (ie do it all yourself)
-find someone with a bandsaw type portable sawmill, or a big bandsaw...agree to split the wood with him...1/2 for you, 1/2 for him for ripping the wood into 5/4 planks. Then stack the wood in a dry place out of direct sun...'sticker' the planks...a very thin piece of wood between each layer of planks for ventilation.
Wait for a year or two...
Don't worry two much about some bark/wain on the edges...it'll come off when you get around to actually working with it.
You know you've got access to a valuable resource, eh? A little trailer, or a van, would make it a lot easier to salvage 6'+ lengths of trunk. Nice little sideline.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

I think a hobbyist investing in a mill is overdoing it a bit.
A tree trimmer is not a good source of lumber.

A Google search brings up some possibilities. Might be 5 years old, but it's a start.
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/forestry/utilmark/SawmillDirectory2006.pdf


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

Nef003 said:


> I don't know how i would do to strip the wood since its whole and most range about 2 feet length and same or smaller for width. I can always ask him to aid me on this. but any ideas would be great.?


The big problem there is that wood shrinks as it dries.

It shrinks at different rates along the three axes - effectively not at all length wise, some perpendicular to the growth rings, and more tangential to the growth rings.

With the grain at different directions across a board if it starts out with flat and parallel surfaces it won't end up that way after it's dry.

You need to 

1. Mill the log into rough boards. Options are going to a saw mill, a chain saw saw mill, or running it through a band saw on a sled to make flat surfaces at right angles and then re-sawing it to board thicknesses.

How To Mill Smaller Logs Using Your Bandsaw - YouTube

2. Dry it. You can go to a kiln if you have a lot or air dry. The boards get stacked with lumber spacers between them to allow for even air flow and sit for about 1 year per inch thickness.

S&WReport - air drying lumber

3. Mill it to a state suitable for use. You run one face and one edge through a jointer so they're flat, then feed it through a thickness planer so that the second face is both flat and parallel to the first.

Planing rough-sawn lumber - YouTube

For small pieces of common wood it's not going to be worthwhile. If you're getting pieces of trunks that become long and wide boards or big slabs you turn into furniture it's a fine idea.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

Also note that sometimes you can get shop time someplace with the big machines you don't own.

There's a wood shop near me where you can rent time by the hour with all the goodies - a band saw setup for re-sawing, jointer, planer, thickness sander.

There's also a Techshop where they have metal working goodies too like vertical mills, a water jet cutter, etc. That's $99 a month with automatic credit card payments.

Your school district's adult education program is another possibility.

The HOA where I live used to maintain a wood shop for the residents but stopped.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"A tree trimmer is not a good source of lumber."
It is where I live. A virtually inexhaustible source of Alder, Birch, Western Maple, D. Fir etc. plus all the more exotic stuff from old fruit orchards and residential lots where poorly placed landscape trees have outlived their welcome.
A neighbour had TWO full size California Redwoods come down across her yard during a major wind storm. The morons-for-hire up here wanted to buck it up for firewood?!!! And charge her for labour and chipping... 
(I found her a guy with a portable sawmill.)


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

This is a chainsaw mill...
Granberg International |


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Addictions*



DaninVan said:


> This is a chainsaw mill...
> Granberg International |


You _know_ you want/need one...
Granberg Chain Saw Mill, Model# G777: Amazon.com: Patio, Lawn & Garden
:lol:


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## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

*Starting to understand now *



AxlMyk said:


> I think a hobbyist investing in a mill is overdoing it a bit.
> A tree trimmer is not a good source of lumber.
> 
> A Google search brings up some possibilities. Might be 5 years old, but it's a start.
> http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/forestry/utilmark/SawmillDirectory2006.pdf



Wow, thanks so much.. I was up last night till 4am Watching these videos and learning.. Talk about information overload. :fie:

Also, I do have access to unlimited amount of wood.. it is true, I could not wrap my head around the it though.. Why?

Since i'm a beginner. I still don't know how to visualize cutting the log.. such big round logs.. lol.. the solution is to have a mill saw or something similar to cut the wood small enough to then use a planer.

What I don't understand yet is.. Do i buy a Shop planner like this one which is being sold on craigslist for 50$.. It is a 3" planer, here is link. 

Or buy an electric one such as this one here

Please feel free to comment..


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## Drew Eckhardt (Aug 2, 2008)

Nef003 said:


> What I don't understand yet is.. Do i buy a Shop planner like this one which is being sold on craigslist for 50$.. It is a 3" planer, here is link.


That's a jointer and you may want a bigger one. It makes one face flat and makes an edge at a right angle to that face. It doesn't make the other face parallel to the first.

You can joint boards 1.5 - 2X the combined table lengths, up to the width of the cutter (4") if you don't jump through hoops.

If you have boards less than twice that width which aren't too warped you can use various methods to cut a rabbet on one side of the work, support the board by another beneath the rabbet when you run it through your thickness planer, and then feed it through a second time with the rabbet up to end up with a usable board.

You also need a thickness planer which makes the second face parallel to the first.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CCXU8




> Or buy an electric one such as this one here


No.

That's the sort of thing you'd use to shave off part of a door that wasn't a good fit for its frame.

You'll want a big enough jointer and thickness planer or combination machine 
like this

http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Jointer-Planer-Combo/G0675


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## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

*Lathe & Jointer/Planer + First Project*

So i picked up a fairly new Jointer/Planer From Reliant model# DD39C
This Jointer/Planer was used for one job and price tag was $150.00 

Also bought a 3/4 Horse power Lathe from Craftsman. It was used and in fair condition. I don't personally know if this was a good buy since don't know much about lathes. I paid $100.00 and brought some extra tools.

The Lathe sits on a big Cabinet/workbench with about 6 drawers and weights approximately 90 pounds. The bar length to work on is about 36"+ and Its mechanical speed with changing of the belt/pulleys. (i'll be using this lade for wet wood projects. 



I guess I am all set to begging my first Project!! yay!

I'll be off to the mills this week (my first time there too) 
I already read/watched video tutorials on what to watch for when picking wood from mills)

Any Advice on what to make first as a project? How much wood to buy and what sort of wood for the following projects below.

to get the hang of basic tooling
1st.. I was thinking of a chopping board 12"L W/4" Handle and 6"W and 1"H

2nd. An end table or coffee table. 20"L 16"W and 20"H with a little drawer to put remote and other little things :dirol:


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Nefris; good on ya, mate! Any chance of taking a wood turning course at Night School, or similar? Just a thought, there are some finer points to the craft...like not getting hurt! 
Cheers,
-Dan


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## Big Steve (Feb 12, 2012)

If you have Woodcraft near you, their classes are great.


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## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

Classes would be great at this point.. I wish i could afford it.. There is one here starting march 24 -May. Sadly its $600.00 :cray:

I guess Forums and YouTube will make DO.:big_boss:


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Man, that's expensive! 
Out of curiosity, I checked out what the Vancouver School Board charges for their Night School woodturning course... (this was for the Winter session) Seems much more reasonable(?).

_"Course ID: JO84194 Cost: $269.00 
First class: safety lecture, demonstration & project discussion is MANDATORY. This course teaches the fundamentals of woodturning by helping students turn 4 simple projects. These projects include an elegant candlestick, a small container, a cork stop and finally a bowl. 90% of the course time revolves around hands on woodturning; the rest is spent exploring subjects such as lathe safety, tool sharpening and the wonders of wood and trees. No previous shop or woodworking experience is necessary to complete this course; it is well paced with a great deal of personal tutelage due to the small class size. A great experience for those who have an interest in making something beautiful with their hands. No refunds due to a limited enrolment of 6 students.
Sorry! The online registration period for this course has ended. For other registration options, please call 604-713-4550.
Sorry! This class is full.
Special Registration Instructions:
NO REFUNDS. MUST ATTEND FIRST CLASS
Number of Sessions: 7
Start Date:25 January 2012
Time: 6:45 PM-9:45 PM
Days: WED
Site: JOHN OLIVER SECONDARY
Instructor: Belway "
_


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## Big Steve (Feb 12, 2012)

The Vancouver class sounds great. The 600 dollar price seems high depending on the length and scope. At my local Woodcraft, a one day class is usually $65 incl. materials.


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## Nef003 (Feb 28, 2012)

*Delta 22-540*

I bought my self an used planner for 100$ off craigslist. 
I now have all the tools required to make my coffee table..

The planer is good condition, but blades are worn out. I also have the manual and it seems to be missing the knife gauge for the blades. 

Question is.. should i try to sharpen blades or just buy new ones?

P.S

I hate the cold up here in NewEngland area. Every day i'm looking forward o waking up and doing some woodwork, then i go outside and its so damn cold. i come here and read some more.. 

"the garage is not powered either, so i have o run a power cord from the basement"


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Buy new blades. Lots of gauges and jigs available for blade installation.
You _could_ get a quote from a saw sharpening shop on resharpening your existing ones, but I don't think you'll be happy (with the cost). 
Unless you have the proper equipment, doing it yourself isn't practical.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Nefris you have a Woodcraft store not too far from you, here is a link to there store page:

Woburn Woodworking Supplies at Woodcraft – Woodworking Store in Woburn, MA

And here is a link for the classes they have scheduled:

Woburn Woodworking Supplies at Woodcraft – Woodworking Store in Woburn, MA

Hope this will help you,
Mike


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