Comments on: Precisely Dimension Rough Lumber in Eight Steps (Part 2 of 2)

By: Can San

Can San — Mon, 31 May 2010 15:37:37 +0000

I just wanted to say thanks for these very nice and clear instructions. I am just getting started with woodworking and try to get a lot of input. This video like the others on the site is really inspiring and well made. Thanks to Eric and to you Keith.

Keith’s Note: Welcome aboard and good luck as you explore the hobby!

By: Don

Don — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:35:52 +0000

It is suggested that a hand plane should be used to remove any machine marks. However, after viewing your videos on hand plane usage and Eric Matson’s videos on dimensioning, as well as other sources, the final dimension size is always mentioned when doing the machine work. Won’t final hand planing actually change the final size? I’ve never seen any mention of “final” sizing on a machine when using a hand plane. What dimension considerations should be made when combining machine and hand plane? What considerations should be made when cleaning up edges on joinery such as a mortise and tenon or on a shooting board?

Keith’s Note: I couple of thoughts. The first issue to consider is what are the characteristics of the surface you are working. If it’s a table top, or exterior surface of a cabinet or leg, the final thickness of that surface may not matter too much. I few thousands of an inch here or there won’t cause you any trouble when no joinery is involved. So you might run the top through a surfacer at your design specification or slightly thicker and then hand plane out the mill marks or sanding marks. In this case, it doesn’t matter that the final thickness is not perfect and the “eye” won’t pick up small variances. So that is pretty straight forward.

However, in the case of mortises and tenons or other joinery, the tolerance are much tighter. If for example, you intend to hand plane a tenon for final fitting after machine milling, then you will need to oversize it a bit and work down slowly until the fit is correct. Some woodworkers like to avoid all handwork and so in this case, you need to set your machines up extremely accurately since no handwork is planned. In the end, there are no right or wrong ways of doing this and I’ve learned over the years that in woodworking as in most things in life there are many ways to skin a cat. I hope that helps.

By: Tom O'Brien

Tom O'Brien — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:47:54 +0000

These videos cover some things I had already learned about rough lumber, but in somewhat more detail. I especially liked the emphasis on using the right surface for reference and the tapping to test the cutoff for checks. Is there a particular sound to listen for, or just whether it falls apart? Although it’s time-consuming, I like working with rough lumber because it is less expensive and I get a greater sense of accomplishment at project completion.

Keith’s Note: Tom – It’s interesting that you made this comment, because this is exactly how I felt when I met with Eric. This whole process seems obvious, especially to intermediate and even more advanced woodworkers, but there are many subtle techniques and ideas that Eric shares that really help woodworkers improve their results. More accuracy, faster, more refined results.

The tapping sound (Eric’s cross-cut test) should be “solid” and I get the sense that your ear will learn to detect a weakness. The main reason to tap is to make sure the wood holds together. That will detect most flaws.

And finally, to pick up on your comment about liking to use rough lumber – One of the key reasons to use rough lumber is that you can mill it to very exacting tolerances. You can’t do that if it’s already been thicknessed by a lumber yard. With pre-processed lumber there is no way to mill out the inevitable twists, warps, and other flaws that develop while wood is stored.