When to plane rough cut lumber?

[Egon]

Plane the boards just before using.

Planing wet and stickered stacking usually means you will plane again before use

 

[Ken45101]

You don't HAVE to final plane to 3/4". Thicker boards will be stronger of course and extra strength for shelving is often useful.

BTW, I have read not to try to season green lumber in the basement, the humidity is too high. YMMV.

 

[amarsh64]

I guess the better way to ask the question is, once the planks are dry is it okay to plane them even if it will be a long time before I build with them?

My experience has been that if you dress dry rough lumber and leave it for a long period before using it , chances are it will move again on you to a degree. Best to simply store it until you need to use it then mill it. What I do with wider wood after dressing is stand it on edge on a bench or wherever I have room so that air gets on all sides of it ( good chance it won't move much this way) . If you lay it flat on a bench and leave it for a few days it will almost always start to curl or cup on you. If you dress a bunch of wood and pile it you will notice that the next day the top 1 or 2 pcs will start to bow or cup . MHO
Happy woodworking.

 

[N80]

You don't HAVE to final plane to 3/4". Thicker boards will be stronger of course and extra strength for shelving is often useful.

BTW, I have read not to try to season green lumber in the basement, the humidity is too high. YMMV.

My basement can be humid at times. At other times it is dry. But it is almost never as humid as it is around here in the summer.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My basement can be humid at times. At other times it is dry. But it is almost never as humid as it is around here in the summer.

Personally, I'd want it "properly" stickered outside, with the rain kept off it and not with a lot of direct sunlight on it.

I wouldn't put green lumber in a basement to dry.

SR

 

[N80]

Personally, I'd want it "properly" stickered outside, with the rain kept off it and not with a lot of direct sunlight on it.

I wouldn't put green lumber in a basement to dry.

SR

Why not? Humidity down there is consistently lower than it is outside. Much of what I have drying outside has a thin layer of mold on it.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

IF your lumber has mold on it, that's caused by air flow problems... That's why I said "properly" stickered!

SR

 

[newbury]

Depending on species and other factors,one board out of a certain number will twist,buckle or warp after unstacked.

Have you done much Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)? That's about the worst wood (for warping) I've tried to
use. Sometimes the certain number of 2" thick stock would be two (or less) after a year drying in the shed.

 

[N80]

IF your lumber has mold on it, that's caused by air flow problems... That's why I said "properly" stickered!

SR

All stacks have 1x1 inch stickers spaced every two feet. Open for ventilation on all 4 sides. Is that improper?

So far virtually no warping or twisting. Some have been on the stack for six months.

Maybe you are not familiar with our humidity.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Properly stickered also means putting the stack in the proper place for drying.

Mould means there's NOT enough air going through the stack.

SR