Need someone who can square up some 2x10s near Burlington.

[CSHamblen]

Does anyone know of someone in or near Burlington, NC who might be able/willing to help me square up some 2x10s for a current (time sensitive) project that I am working on? I am willing to drive about an hour in any direction to get some help. The options in my shop are limited so any suggestions along with contact information would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Fishbucket]

How long are the 2x10's ? And how many do you need cut? Both ends?

 

[CSHamblen]

8'. I need 5 or 6 of them jointed and planed to a consistent thickness for a table top. The wood is off the rack at Home Depot, nothing fancy.

 

[Fishbucket]

Ah, much better description on what's needed.
I don't have the tools yet, but hopefully someone with them and close to you will help you out.

Good luck, Welcome to the forum, keep posting !

 

[gritz]

8'. I need 5 or 6 of them jointed and planed to a consistent thickness for a table top. The wood is off the rack at Home Depot, nothing fancy.

Sounds like trouble brewing...I've seen this movie before. That wood won't be dry enough to avoid cracks.

 

[Jeff]

8'. I need 5 or 6 of them jointed and planed to a consistent thickness for a table top. The wood is off the rack at Home Depot, nothing fancy.

What are the dimensions and design of the tabletop that you're shooting for?

Construction grade pine lumber is usually kiln dried to about 15-18% moisture content (look for the stamp on each piece). A 2 x 10 is 1.5" t x 9.25" w so you need...

Both edges ripped to remove the factory beveled edges and each board will probably end up about 8.5" w.

This is an example, built for a friend on a tight budget, and it's doing just fine after 6 years so don't be dissuaded from going ahead as planned. I believe that there are 5 boards and it's about 42" w with breadboard ends to keep it aligned and flat.

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[DaveD]

You can edge joint them with a router guided by a straightedge made from sheet goods and/or a piece of aluminum angle.
The current thickness should be close enough to not require thickness planing. If the thickness is off a little just use a belt sander at a angle to the grain and hit them with a rough sanding belt and then with the grain with a finer grit. Do the sanding after you edge fasten the boards.

 

[scsmith42]

Sounds like trouble brewing...I've seen this movie before. That wood won't be dry enough to avoid cracks.

Agreed.

CS - construction lumber is typically dried to 18% MC, give or take. Once that top is placed inside a modern climate controlled house the wood will equalize down to 8% MC, give or take - and it's going to move a lot as it makes the transition.

 

[CSHamblen]

Good to know. What are some other options?

 

[CSHamblen]

what are some other options?

 

[CSHamblen]

I'm building the table for my wife's coworker. She asked for a 7'x42" table (also on a budget).

 

[Jeff]

I'm building the table for my wife's coworker. She asked for a 7'x42" table (also on a budget).

Go ahead and build it on a budget as planned. I share the wood movement concerns of the others using BORG dimensioned lumber but "on a budget" and "time sensitive" doesn't leave many options for you. The wood shrinkage from 18%MC to +/- 8-10% is a concern but it doesn't make the project a non-starter by any means.

Read about wood movement and dimensional changes with temperature and humidity. If you'll share the design that your friend wants we can give some useful advice about how to accommodate the wood movement in your construction so that the table doesn't blow up.

This is a handy tool...

http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/shrinkulator/

For example, loblolly pine at 18%MC may shrink as much as 7/8" at 10%MC.

 

[gritz]

If you proceed, just make sure the top is secured in a way that it can move as it shrinks.
My sister has passed a similar table my Dad made her on down to my nephew.
They all think the cracks are part of it's charm.

 

[Jeff]

If you proceed, just make sure the top is secured in a way that it can move as it shrinks.
My sister has passed a similar table my Dad made her on down to my nephew.
They all think the cracks are part of it's charm.

It'd be helpful for all of us to have some pics of that table. Top, bottom, frame, etc. with some details. How did Dad make it and what didn't he do? Not being critical, but we can all learn from what was done back then (see attached).

 

[scsmith42]

what are some other options?

You simply need to dry the lumber before working with it. Pine dries relatively quickly.

What I would suggest you do is to source about 35% more lumber than you think that you will need, and stack and sticker it in a hot attic for 2 - 3 weeks. It should dry down below 10%MC and be ready to use.

 

[sandfarm]

PM me. I believe I can help you.
@9 miles south of Burlington.

Joe

 

[rgf]

Nice table-what finish did you use? Indoor or outdoor use?

 

[CSHamblen]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the tips and one very generous offer to help out with this project! I had already moved on to a different plan when the offer for help came in, but the offer was greatly appreciated and I will definitely take him up on it in the future.

The project is wrapped up and I'm just waiting to set a time for pick up.

 

[Jeff]

Nicely done on short notice and a tight budget. You asked about prepping the boards so how did you do it and then glue them up? The edge jointed boards (2, 3, and 4) aren't perfect but the table is a utilitarian farmhouse style so don't fret and I doubt that your wife's coworker friend is aghast. :roll:

 

[CSHamblen]

Nicely done on short notice and a tight budget. You asked about prepping the boards so how did you do it and then glue them up? The edge jointed boards (2, 3, and 4) aren't perfect but the table is a utilitarian farmhouse style so don't fret and I doubt that your wife's coworker friend is aghast. :roll:

Thanks! She picked up the table and loved it. The main reason I am starting with the farmhouse style is that it is more forgiving and the imperfections add to the character of the pieces (at least that's what I tell myself when I screw something up! Ha!) I purchased more wood that was less twisted to help with the flatness of the top. Also, I have a small table saw so I went out and purchased a sheet of mdf. I used the tablesaw to rip a piece of mdf that was slightly bigger than the boards and I screwed that to the underside of the boards leaving a little bit hanging off and then I ran that back through the table saw to get straight(ish) sides. I used pocket hole screws underneath to join the top boards together as well as attaching the top to the frame.