Scrap board bonanza and questions - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

lilsparky · 08-09-2008, 09:28 PM

Brand new scoller. Shiny new DeWalt 788 still in the box.

Came across a fella at a yard sale/flea market who told me he had a whole bunch of hardwood he wanted to get rid of for cheap. Like a buck a board. Sounded to me like great practice wood.

Came home with a truck load for $50.

Besides finding where to put it all, need to figure out how to (most economically) make it usable.

Have about 20 boards of varying lengths of oak, cherry and maple. (Mostly about 8') These are rough cut. I don't have a planer, and hadn't planned to get one soon, at least not a full sized one, mostly because of space constraints.

What would be the best way to get these planed to usable? Take them to a lumber yard? (is that expensive?) Short of learning how to use a hand plane, and I know there's a big learning curve, would a power hand planer be of any use? (I'm a very novice power tool user). Would a power planer then some sanding get it to usable? I'm just a newbie. This is all about learning and practicing, not turning out saleable items.

Also have four Rubbermaid buckets full of 4" and 7" wide oak pieces about 8-12" inches long. Also have a pile of pine scraps. Would be neat to resaw some of those so I'd have 1/2" wood instead of 1".

The guy that sold me this wood did that with one piece of the 4" on a table saw, cut through, flipped it, cut back through. But oh my gosh. He took the guard off to do that. Just about gave me a heart attack. I'd almost spring for a little Ryobi just to do that, but without the guard? I don't think so. I've been shying away from adding a table saw to my inventory as it is.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
PS Do you think I got a good deal on the wood? It's all kiln dried, some a little cupped, but for my purposes, I think very usable.

Stoney · 08-09-2008, 09:55 PM

Hard to tell how good a deal you got by the information given. It depends on several things like the width, thickness, percentage of clear surface, if there are cracks and how many, imperfections, etc. I have learned that in some cases it is very hard to tell exactly what you have until the wood is planed. However you didn't give alot for what sounds like could be quite a lot of lumber.

Stoney

Mike Crosa · 08-09-2008, 10:24 PM

Welcome to the group. I don't know but this sounds like a gloat to me.

lilsparky · 08-09-2008, 11:00 PM

Mike, oh gosh, sure not gloating. I was just so excited to get so much for so little. Thinking of all the miles and miles (well, yards and yards) of practice board I got.

Stoney, I'm not sure that it's excellent or even very good quality. But for practice and learning, I'm thinking (hoping) it'll be just fine. Please tell me it will be.

Just have to figure out how to get those rough cut boards smooth short of tons of sanding.

newscroller · 08-10-2008, 02:55 AM

lilsparky,
I had to do just about the same thing, and ended up finding a local cabinet shop that had all the right tools. Your wood has to be good, and free of any nails or such that would damage a cutting blade. Maybe you can find one in your area that will plane your wood for you. It probably won't be free but sometimes they will do it for you for a reasonable price or be able to send you to someone that can. Good Luck.

lucky788scroller · 08-10-2008, 08:13 PM

Gloat all you want! You deserve to, we all do it when we get a lucky find like that!!!!

Mike Crosa · 08-11-2008, 01:01 AM

Lilsparky, I sure would be gloating with a buy like that.!

marshall · 08-11-2008, 01:58 AM

lilSparky : Their's really no way to say, but even for small crafts you can use it sooner or later at the worst .But before it's over with , if you keep doing this you'll have to have a planer . You did good , in my thoughts. Just maybe you can find a friend to help you out on planeing it as long as it's not used lumber.I learned the lesson runing used lumber through my planer> never do it again , mess up you planer blades. Good Luck!!! Marshall

wklaus · 08-11-2008, 04:10 AM

Congratulations you are at the start of tool collecting. You know that you need a thickness planer, you just need someone to tell. Spring for a thickness planer. You might also get a band saw, so that you recut your wood without wasting somuch in the thickness planer.

Congratulations

f250 · 08-11-2008, 04:38 AM

Well, don't go after that planer yet. I first used the planer to get my wood (close to 1") down to thin enough to scroll. Then I got going on the table saw for resawing. Let me tell you, that is the scariest cutting I have ever done and the only time my hand has touched the table saw blade with it running. There WAS a lot of blood, but not enough to kill me or even make me stop.

Eventually I got smart and bought a band saw. With a good sharp blade on your bandsaw you can resaw to whatever you want and have no need at all to plane. I have resawed wood so thin you can almost see right through it.

Get a bandsaw, you will not be sorry. It is so much cheaper to buy regular planks of wood then get wood already cut down to size for you. You'll save the money easily if you do much scrolling.

Tom