Timber Preparation?

[PeteG]

I have several boards of mixed timber which are around three year air tried, thickness ranges from 30 - 50 mm.
I haven't prepared boards ready for the planer/thicknesser before, is it simply a case of starting with a straight edge
and cutting them to around planing width? Any help would be much appreciated

 

[EddyCurrent]

I only cut the wood when I have a use for it, that way I'm only thicknessing the part I need rather than the whole board and maybe spoiling it for another job.
Rough cut the piece you want then surface plane one side flat, rotate 90 degrees and hold that planed face up to your planer fence then plane the face down side.
You now have a piece that has two faces planed flat and at right angles to each other.
Now use the thicknesser to plane down the other two rough sides according to your required dimensions.

 

[blackrodd]

Yes, that's it, you have the idea, I turn the board until the hollow side is down and hopefully more stable and flatter.
with a fat chippie's pencil mark the sap edge each end and join the two lines using the FC Pencil and a decent straight edge.
Using a bandsaw, or a jigsaw cut down the line, shoot the edge straight on you're planer and cut out whatever you need on you're cutting list.You must allow for waste including the timber you will soon be cutting twisting, bowing or bending.
A small indication will be the offcut of you're first cut off the edge just now, if that has "cast" then allow plenty.
You noticed I have left out using the circular saw, If you're riving knife is well made and fixed and you're guard not made of plastic and you are experienced then it's up to you.
Be very ready for the board to either hit you in the face or the "Gentlemens area" giving you the need to walk bow legged and talk Falsetto instead of Macho for several days.
Be very careful, you do get used to it!

Rodders
I have to say I suggest you cut that board shown as wide as possible for use as cutting it smaller 3", or 4" I guess, will be a waste, good example of controversial grain!

 

[Rhossydd]

Now use the thicknesser to plane down the other two rough sides according to your required dimensions.

Worth noting Custard's advice in another thread planer-thicknesser-curls-timber-t94764.html

a better working practise is to flatten one side, thickness the other side, then after that thickness down to dimension but alternate the board on each pass. This is so an equal amount of material is removed from each face.

 

[Jacob]

I only cut the wood when I have a use for it, that way I'm only thicknessing the part I need rather than the whole board and maybe spoiling it for another job.
Rough cut the piece you want then surface plane one side flat, rotate 90 degrees and hold that planed face up to your planer fence then plane the face down side.
You now have a piece that has two faces planed flat and at right angles to each other.
Now use the thicknesser to plane down the other two rough sides according to your required dimensions.

Yep. Don't do anything to it until you have a design and know what you are going to make. Then saw it to near finished component sizes before planing.
If you try to flatten it first you will probably have to remove much more material than if you reduce it in size and then flatten/thickness.

PS it looks a pretty carppy bit of wood you might have a prob getting much out of it.

 

[PeteG]

I only cut the wood when I have a use for it, that way I'm only thicknessing the part I need rather than the whole board and maybe spoiling it for another job.

Thanks Eddy. I had planned to cut all the boards so the planed size was around 250 x 20 mm, hadn't realised folk only cut/planed what was required at the time.

A small indication will be the offcut of you're first cut off the edge just now, if that has "cast" then allow plenty.

Appreciate the advice Rodders, but can I ask what "cast" means?

You noticed I have left out using the circular saw, If you're riving knife is well made and fixed and you're guard not made of plastic and you are experienced then it's up to you.

I had intended to start with the circular saw, didn't think the table of the bandsaw would be large enough to support the size of the boards unless I make a false table.
But the jigsaw is an option.

I have to say I suggest you cut that board shown as wide as possible for use as cutting it smaller 3", or 4" I guess, will be a waste, good example of controversial grain!

A few of the boards have similar grain, although one or two look fairly straight.

Now use the thicknesser to plane down the other two rough sides according to your required dimensions.

Worth noting Custard's advice in another thread planer-thicknesser-curls-timber-t94764.html

a better working practise is to flatten one side, thickness the other side, then after that thickness down to dimension but alternate the board on each pass. This is so an equal amount of material is removed from each face.

I read that this morning Ross, very handy to know as I'd been planing one side and thicknessing without alternating the two faces.

Yep. Don't do anything to it until you have a design and know what you are going to make. Then saw it to near finished component sizes before planing.
If you try to flatten it first you will probably have to remove much more material than if you reduce it in size and then flatten/thickness.

This is making more sense now Jacob, appreciate the advice.

PS it looks a pretty carppy bit of wood you might have a prob getting much out of it.

Here's me thinking it had interesting grain Sadly a few of the boards look the same, thankfully it was all free.