Milling rough boards into four square lumber

When you go to your home centers you are likely only able to get finished lumber that is four square, meaning both edges and both faces are at 90° to each other. This is also why a 2x6 is actually 1-1/2" x 5-1/2 inches. Determine if the wood working plans you are using show the rough or finished sizes so you know if you need to adjust the dimensions.

Like all things you have to pay more for finished lumber as opposed to rough boards. In same cases this can be significant. So it only makes sense to try and get stock that is rough. This is lumber that is fresh off the mill. It has not been planed to a finished size and the surface isn't smooth like finished lumber.

Step 1: Rough cut your boards

The first step I take to to rough cut the stock to length. The length is a rough dimension. This way I only have to plane the stock I am preparing to use and avoid wasting other stock. I simply use a circular saw and a combination square to make the cuts. The ends do not need to be perfectly square since I will have to trim them to the finished length I need.

To avoid un-usable wood and the potential hazard from splinters it is always good practice to cut and loose knots and cracks from the rough stock before you start to plane it.

Step 2: Planning one face flat

Analyze the lumber to determine the direction of the grain and whether there is cupping. It is best to place the cupped face down since it will sit better on the jointer table.

You want to make sure that you have it set to only remove about 1/32". Nice light passes and you will get a nice smooth surface. Keep passing your boards through the jointer until you have removed all the rough surface and the face is flat.

Step 3: Square one edge

Adjust the table on your jointer so it is exactly 90° to the table. Again you have to look at the grain of the wood and feed the board through so the direction of the grain is coming out of the wood. This will give a cleaner surface and avoid tear-out.

Keep feeding the stock through checking after each pass with a speed square to make sure the edge is square to the first face you planed flat.

Step 4: Rip to the rough width

Now that I have a flat face and one finished edge I can run the stock through my table saw to rip it to the rough width. You want to make this width 1/16"wider then the finished dimension shown on your plans. Set the fence so it is square to the blade and the blade height should be 1/8" higher then the thickness of your stock. Rip the board to width. Now I go back to the jointer and clean up that edge, removing all the saw marks from the table saw and making it 90° to the finished face.

At this point your stock will have two edges parallel to each other and square to one face.

Step 5: Truing the second face

The next step is to true the last face and make it parallel to the first and square with the two edges. This is done at the thickness planer.

First you have to measure the thickness of the stock and determine the thickest dimension. Don't assume that the board is a set dimension like 2". Set your thickness planer to cut a little less then 1/16". As before determine the direction of the grain and feed the stock in accordingly. Continue this until your desired thickness is achieved.

Conclusion:

Many of the woodworking plans that you use will have tips and advice that will help make it easier to complete that specific project. They also often recommend certain tools they use to make the cuts. This is a big help especially for those with less experience. The 5 steps above are easy to follow and can save you a bunch of money by helping you avoid finished lumber at the lumber yard.

Always remember to read and follow the directions that come with your power tools. This will provide safety information as well as tips and techniques on how to use the tools more effectively.