Router or thickness planer... which should I get?

iclark · Post by **iclark** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:44 pm

heathicus wrote:I've investigated the various chainsaw mills... but I don't have a chainsaw!

I have plenty of attic space above the garage with walk in entrance from the 2nd floor. Is that a suitable place for storing lumber for drying?

fresh cut wood is heavy. you want to check the load limit for that second floor before you carry too many tons of wood up there. if you have the yard space, a solar drying lean-to next to the garage (there was a thread somewhere here recently) could be a real back saver and cut down on the moisture in the garage that the drying in the attic would dump in. then the drying would be quicker and you could shift the drier lumber to the attic for storage.

as for the chain saw need: how were you planning to convert the logs into lumber?

since the planer is next year's need, the chain saw and mill might both fit in the budget.

Ivan

shipwright · Post by **shipwright** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:51 pm

No need to wait for air drying. You could build a cheap solar kiln like mine in this thread. https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=4943
If you did and you really want to use your local wood (my favorite kind) you could build this kiln for about $50 if you have some scraps around. Add the Alaska Mill (chainsaw) and you still may be able to squeeze in the planer.

Personally I'd try to find someone with a band mill in your area and see if he will cut for a part of the wood. You may be able to deal if he produces lumber and you have a kiln. Trust me this can be a nice relationship. Then all you need to do is get the planer.

Paul M

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:57 pm

iclark wrote: don't forget to paint/coat the end grain of the logs as soon as possible when they come in.
Ivan

Really not necessary to paint the ends of logs. All that's necessary is to realize end checking will occur and will be several inches deep. That's why loggers are required to allow a trim allowance on logs. Is softwoods that allowance is 6" for every 16 ft. Any log less than 16',6" is considered as a 14' log as a scaling penalty.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:06 am

I've been trying for nearly a year now and haven't found anybody with a mill. So it looks like a chainsaw and "Alaskan" type mill needs to be added to my potential purchase list. In fact, my dad is pretty good at metal fabricating and might could build a mill.

What size chainsaw should I be looking at? Would an 18" or 20" suffice? Any power requirements I need to keep in mind?

iclark · Post by **iclark** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:20 am

heathicus wrote:What size chainsaw should I be looking at? Would an 18" or 20" suffice? Any power requirements I need to keep in mind?

the combination of the Granberg and the Northern Tool sites answered a lot of questions for me. I didn't buy one (yet) because my sister found me a very reasonably priced guy with a very nice portable mill.

http://www.granberg.com/

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... _100+85630

Ivan

dickg1 · Post by **dickg1** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 7:32 am

However you obtain your rough cut lumber, when you consider getting a thickness planer, add a metal detector. You will be surprised to see how many nails or pieces of nails you will find. Bad news for planer blades.

Dick

dwevans · Post by **dwevans** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:32 am

DW 734 vs DW735, I have the DW735, I looked at the 734 because it was cheaper, but I would really recommend going with the 735 over the 734 much nicer machine, I've had mine for several years and have planed several hundreds of feet with no issues and nearly no snipe. You will need the infeed and outfeed tables though.

Oh, and yes I would choose the planer!

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:30 am

Here's a very detailed how-to on air drying lumber: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr117.pdf

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:46 am

Okay everyone has an opinion.
I have a planer and routers and I use the routers far more than the planer.

My opinion of Dewalt planers is they are excellent but costly. Delta is coming out with a replacement for their 580 planer and I would wait to see how it looked before I bought anything.

My opinion find a saw mill and talk to the owner, find a cabinet shop and talk to the owner. The Cabinet shop owner can probably put you on to a wood supply at the right price. The sawmill owner may agree to mill and plane you lumber at a right price. I had a mill that would cut my lumber, give it to me to dry and then when I was ready would plane it down to thickness. They were charging me less than 50 cents a broad foot. They are now out of business and since I have a plane I haven't established a new relationship but my father in law in SC has and he is still getting his wood cut and stickered for half the wood. His method is take 6 logs to the mill and get 3 logs of wood back. Works for him!

I use my planer to custom thickness wood, and I know many cabinet shops will do this after hours for you for a song that is why I suggestted a cabinet shop.

Also if there is an adult education woodworking course most have really nice planers and will allow students to use the equipment. Lastly is there a woodworkers club in your area. In ours there is a one and at one point in time that gave you access to a 19" planer, a 10' jointer.

Like I said there are many alternatives to a planer but very few for a router.

shipwright · Post by **shipwright** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:53 am

Good point Ed.
I had a shipyard for years and planed many a board for walk ins usually for free. I now have a rediculously well equipped personal shop and I still do it for all my friends. Metal detector a must for unknown boards but it won't tell you if the "customer" sawed up beach logs full of sand.

Paul M