Sourcing 1/2" pine for craft projects

[whit richardson]

I do a number of small craft type items (Salt boxes, pipe boxes, etc.) from the David T. Smith book on Colonial repro's. often I'm taking BORG 1"x8' and planing them down to 1/4" or 3/8" to make these smaller items. Anyone know how to find sources for thinner stock without shaving off all that wood? the craft wood is so dang expensive that it's not cost effective to buy that and make 10 or 20 salt boxes. I just hate to waste that much wood even if it's cheap pine.

[Garth Almgren]

How about resawing them in half before you plane them down? Do you have a bandsaw with the capacity to resaw the widths you need?

[Anthony Whitesell]

I have two suggestions:

(1) Contact the local sawmills and see if they sell shorts and pieces that are ungradeable. They usually sell them cheap enough that resawing and planing away a bunch of material doesn't hurt the wallet as much.

(2) Buy a sawmill. That's what I did.

[glenn bradley]

How wide is the stock? You can resaw 6" on even a typical 14" bandsaw with a low tooth count blade. You might post a thread, looking for resaw help in the <your zipcode here> area here on the creek. I've helped folks in my area out and been helped with tools or processes I was lacking as well.

[Lee Schierer]

How about resawing them in half before you plane them down? Do you have a bandsaw with the capacity to resaw the widths you need?

Resawing 3/4" (1" BORG stock) will not yield any savings to get 3/8" material and you have to be pretty careful to even get two pieces of 1/4" material from 3/4 S4S material.

[Erik Christensen]

not sure where you get your "craft wood" but suggest you check other places - you might find that re-sawing 6/4 poplar would give you a pair of 3/8" pieces for about the same cost as a buying 2 pieces of 1" BORG pine and running it through the planer. the poplar should have a lot less waste and result in a better finished product than trying to make a quality product out of BORG material.

[Steve Peterson]

I think resawing on a bandsaw is your best option. Most small bandsaws can cut 4" or 6" tall stock. Every place I have ever seen 1/4" thick stock usually prices it by the square foot. The cost is the same as getting 3/4" thick material.

Steve

[whit richardson]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm in Indiana so there are sawmills around. buy a sawmill? no thanks. I'm into finishing, antique repair, restoration so not my direction. Or the space or money.

I can find some folks that have those super nice, spendy bandsaws (like next door) that could resaw 6/4 poplar too. So seems like some options I hadn't considered. Holidays are coming and I need to start making gifts plus family has urged me to make some to sell. we have friends that have businesses that would sell them for me.

[Yonak Hawkins]

A 2X4 would yield 5, 1/2" X 1-1/2"s cut on a table saw or, probably, 6 cut on a band saw. It would yield 6 or 7, 3/8"Xs, or 9 or 10, 1/4"Xs.

[whit richardson]

A 2X4 would yield 5, 1/2" X 1-1/2"s cut on a table saw or, probably, 6 cut on a band saw. It would yield 6 or 7, 3/8"Xs, or 9 or 10, 1/4"Xs.

The things I make require some pieces to be wider than a 2x4. Some of the salt boxes have a 6' wide back.

[Yonak Hawkins]

The things I make require some pieces to be wider than a 2x4. Some of the salt boxes have a 6' wide back.

Sorry whit. I misunderstood your requirements.

[cody michael]

use a 2x8 for the wider pieces? resaw on bandsaw

[whit richardson]

So my bandsaw is a $80 Craftsman sorta beat up saws okay but the lower guide bearing is loose and the screw/nut doesn't tighten any further. I think the housing is worn. So I do minimal stuff like small crafty things but resawing is out. I still like visiting the sawmill idea or maybe even a local cabinet shop for usable scrap. where I am there are a lot of cabinet shops (Indiana). I'm adding the shaker/Colonial style small wall hanging cabinet too so I need wider stock or wide enough to glue up two boards and get 8" to 9" wide.

Like Red Green would say "Welcome to "Harold's Handy Crafts" where crafty hands make handy crafts!"

[Steve Peterson]

So my bandsaw is a $80 Craftsman sorta beat up saws okay but the lower guide bearing is loose and the screw/nut doesn't tighten any further. I think the housing is worn.

I think I have that same bandsaw, but I might have paid $99 for mine. The maximum cutting height is around 2" and it barely has enough motor power to cut Styrofoam at full height.

I found a good deal on an 18" saw on CL, but I keep my Craftsman around for simple cuts in flat stock.

I seem to recall seeing a 10" Rikon BS on sale recently for $200. That seems like an OK deal if you can find one at that price. It has a 4.5" cutting height with a 1/3hp motor. The next step up to a 14" saw would jump the price to at least the $600 range. I would keep my eyes on CL to see if you can find a 14" model for under $200.

If you have a tablesaw, you could always cut nearly half way through each side and finish the middle 1/8" with a handsaw. A 10" saw should be able to split a 6" tall board this way.

Steve

[Mike Henderson]

Off subject question: What's a salt box? Is it a small box that you put salt into and then put the box next to your stove? Can you post a picture or a link to a picture of one?

Mike