There are many different steps that you have to do to prepare lumber for a woodworking project. Make sure that you flatten the best face of the board and don’t use a planer to do the flattening on the first side. A planer will only mirror what’s on the other side of the board and won’t show the warpings that may be present. You also don’t want to use green wood as it has a very high moisture content. Finally, look over the board before you prep it to make sure you can avoid knots.
Key Takeaways:
- Make sure you flatten the best face of the board and don’t use a planer on the first side as a planer just mirrors the other side of the board.
- To cut the best end square you want to take a very small amount off, about one quarter of an inch and then cut it at a 90 degree angle.
- Make sure you let the boards acclimate in your shop for 1-2 weeks before you use them. This lets the board settle down with the equilibrium moisture of the shop.
“Run the board through the table saw with the reference edge against the fence. Leave about 1/16 inch extra for jointing and smoothing.”
