Milling Four Square Lumber

Written by Dave Markel


Introduction:

This tutorial assumes that you know how to safely operate your power tools. Always refer torepparttar manufacturer instructions if you are unsure how to use your tools.

Any wood worker needs to take a board fromrepparttar 116178 lumber yard or their local sawyer and make this board a uniform thickness, length and width. This board needs to have all four edges square to each other. This is referred to a milling a board four square and is a pre-requisite to any wood working project.

This is best accomplished by using a jointer, thickness planer, miter and circular saws and a table saw. In this example we will mill a board 30" x 4-1/2" x 5/8" with all for edges square to each other.

Step 1: Rough cut your stock Rough cut your stock to 30-3/4" x 4-3/4" and maintainrepparttar 116179 same overall thickness. Start by selecting a piece of stock larger then your finished size (obviously) and use a framing square to square off one end ofrepparttar 116180 board. Be surerepparttar 116181 end isn't checked (cracked) and if it is squarerepparttar 116182 board off just beyond whererepparttar 116183 cracks end.

Makerepparttar 116184 cut using a circular saw being careful to make a fairly square cut. Now measure 30-3/4",repparttar 116185 rough length, and square offrepparttar 116186 board using your framing square. and makerepparttar 116187 second cutrepparttar 116188 same way you maderepparttar 116189 first. Be careful to cut onrepparttar 116190 waste side ofrepparttar 116191 line.

Step 2: Rip to rough width The table saw isrepparttar 116192 best tool for this cut. Setrepparttar 116193 rip fence so it is 4-3/4" fromrepparttar 116194 blade and setrepparttar 116195 height ofrepparttar 116196 blade sorepparttar 116197 gullet ofrepparttar 116198 teeth arerepparttar 116199 same height asrepparttar 116200 stock. Followingrepparttar 116201 directions included with your table saw startrepparttar 116202 blade and makerepparttar 116203 cut, being sure to use a push stick.

Step 3: Truing one face Now that your piece of stock isrepparttar 116204 rough size needed it is time to true up one face. This is best accomplished withrepparttar 116205 jointer.

As always withrepparttar 116206 jointer it is advisable now to take more than 1/16" per pass. Taking more wood per pass will overworkrepparttar 116207 machine and give results that are less than optimal.

Analyzerepparttar 116208 board to determinerepparttar 116209 direction ofrepparttar 116210 grain and whether there is cupping. It is best to placerepparttar 116211 cupped face down since it will site better onrepparttar 116212 jointer table. Runrepparttar 116213 board through for a couple of passes until you have a uniform face free of voids and dips.

Shop and Personal Safety

Written by Dave Markel


Don't let your table saw catch you working unsafely inrepparttar workshop.

Shop and Personal Safety:

Being safety conscious should berepparttar 116177 priority for everyone whether they are a serious wood worker or just a week-end warrior. Shop safety begins when you buy a new tool, before operating it you should read through and understandrepparttar 116178 operators manual. This will have important instructions aboutrepparttar 116179 safe operation of that particular tool.

Lets face it! All wood working machines are made to remove wood, which is considerably harder than flesh and bone. Some tools are much more dangerous than other. I would say that a table saw isrepparttar 116180 most dangerous stationary tool andrepparttar 116181 circular sawrepparttar 116182 most dangerous hand tool.

Aside from readingrepparttar 116183 manuals that come with your tools, protecting your hearing and eyes should be high onrepparttar 116184 safety priorities list. Some people, me included, rely on prescription glasses for protection. This is OK but really doesn't provide full coverage.

If you don't protect your ears you will loose your hearing. This is not debatable! After 25 years of operating power tools without protection my father wears a hearing aid.

One aspect of safe wood working that is often overlooked is dust. Wood dust is a carcinogenic. Recient studies have shown wood workers that don't use dust masks or have a dust collection system have higher rates of nasal cancer.

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