Did I get hosed?

[jimsjinx]

I recently had to buy 3, 6 foot long 4x4's of poplar. I had them tapered on one side only, to be a 4x4 at the bottom, and 2x4 at the top. The bill was $286.00! That is WAY more than quoted over the phone. I had to accept the lumber, as I am on a tight time schedule, and there is no lumber yard around here that stocks kiln dried poplar. What do you think? I know a sawyers job is tough, and I don't mind at all paying the fair rate, but dang! This is gonna be one expensive bed for this customer! jimsjinx

[fiatben]

that's $11.92 a board foot, which seems high to me, but I doubt I could even find such around here

[greitz]

The high price was likely due to the labor involved in tapering the pieces. Next time maybe you could just buy regular 4 x 4's, draw the taper on one face, rip the taper on the bandsaw, and clean up the cut face on the jointer? Seems like it should work. Would someone with more experience confirm the procedure, or offer alternatives?

Gary

[dusty]

I don't know what poplar goes for in your area but that seems pretty expensive. However, I am not certain that I could do the taper myself. Using the bandsaw is one way and it would probably work for most people. I have trouble following the line -- can't see like I once could.

I don't know how long your tapered pieces needed to be but I have a tapering jig (from Shopsmith) that might have worked. A shop built fence might do the same thing for you.

I gotta look into this. I might want to start a tapering service. I'll send you a business card if I am successful.

[dusty]

Just thinking online. Tell me if I am all wrong.

If I have a long board with a rough edge that I want to straighten, I attach to it a "long straight edge" and pass it through the table saw with the straight edge against the fence.

If I want a taper, can I not do the same thing by attaching the straight edge at the desired angle of the taper.

Determining the angle is a matter of measuring the distances at opposite ends.

[ATTACH]12023[/ATTACH]

Sorry about the graphic. It could be better. Should have done this to scale based on your needs. The Shopsmith won't work due to limited depth of cut.

If the right hand side was placed against the fence, the blade would cut on a taper. The piece on the bottom is the piece being tapered. Two sided tape, screws or brads could be used to hold the two pieces together.

[charlese]

I recently had to buy 3, 6 foot long 4x4's of poplar. I had them tapered on one side only, to be a 4x4 at the bottom, and 2x4 at the top. The bill was $286.00! That is WAY more than quoted over the phone. I had to accept the lumber, as I am on a tight time schedule, and there is no lumber yard around here that stocks kiln dried poplar. What do you think? I know a sawyers job is tough, and I don't mind at all paying the fair rate, but dang! This is gonna be one expensive bed for this customer! jimsjinx

Poplar around here sells for about $3.50 per board foot. The rest of the cost would have been shop rate costs. Don't have any idea of the machinery or setups required for them to do what you needed. Can't say if you got hosed! Did they explain their costs on your invoice? Maybe you can ask their shop rate for labor.

If I were to make these boards, I'd prefer the bandsaw method and then hand plane the slope on the first one, then run the others through the thickness planer using the first as a bed. Probably take me several hours.

[mbcabinetmaker]

I pay about $1.25 per foot in 500 ft bundles. Is there a reason that you did not want to glue up 8/4 stock to build the post? It is a lot more readily available that 4" thick stock. You already have good advice on cutting the tapers so I'll not go there.

[fiatben]

The Shopsmith won't work due to limited depth of cut.

per SS's spec page
http://www.shopsmith.com/markvsite/specs.htm
the maximum cut at 0-degrees is 3-1/4" but the next column says it will cut a 4x4 (which, even if S4S, is 3-1/2" right?)

Am I missing something?

[jimsjinx]

The merchant who took the money was very specific about 32 dollars being the cutting cost. I felt the wood was super high. I had to have solid material, as that is what was spec'ed by the customer. The posts also had to be a final 6 foot high for the headboard, and the third post was cut in half and then tapered. (3 ft) I just didn't want to do it on my smaller equipment,and 32 bucks was worth it to me. I just couldn't believe the wood costs! I still have the planks for the sideboards to buy, and if they are as bad as the posts, I'm gonna break even! I'll start posting some pictures, as I start mortising and assembly. I really enjoy the friendship here, and that we are all connected by something we all do and love. Well, I think I'll do some research for other suppliers! There's not much call around here for that big of dimentional poplar, so I guess it's just what it is. Thanks, and I did mull over alot of ways to do the milling myself, but 32 bucks was tempting! Jim (jimsjinx)

[JPG]

Just thinking online. Tell me if I am all wrong.

If I have a long board with a rough edge that I want to straighten, I attach to it a "long straight edge" and pass it through the table saw with the straight edge against the fence.

If I want a taper, can I not do the same thing by attaching the straight edge at the desired angle of the taper.

Determining the angle is a matter of measuring the distances at opposite ends.

[ATTACH]12023[/ATTACH]

Sorry about the graphic. It could be better. Should have done this to scale based on your needs. The Shopsmith won't work due to limited depth of cut.

If the right hand side was placed against the fence, the blade would cut on a taper. The piece on the bottom is the piece being tapered. Two sided tape, screws or brads could be used to hold the two pieces together.

That is the way a 'taper jig' works!:) Only difference is the jig sits flat on the table between the fence and the workpiece.