Squaring rough cut lumber

[PalmettoTrooper]

I’ve been getting 1x6x8-10 rough cut cedar.
I’ve gone out and bought a planer and have a Bosch table saw. I thought that I could plane the face of the boards then run them through my table router and younger and grove them. Well, I did that to many of the boards but the edges aren’t perfectly straight lining up.
What’s the best method to straightening the edges? Jointer? Table saw? Festool track saw?
At the end of the day, what’s the fastest?
I’m building a small cabin at my pond and want to use the cedar on the walls in the inside.
Thanks for any tips....I’m a welder, not a wood worker by no means
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[Longbeard Exterminator]

I use a lot of rough cut cedar too. Make a clean square cut on the table saw and two boards aren't square to one another, blows my mind. So I got a Jointer and now its seamless.

[Saltydog235]

Jointer, helical head if possible.

[DoubleSprig]

thats gonna turn out pretty when you get it put up.

[dixiedeerslaya]

part of your problem is that you dont have a straight edge to butt up to the fence on your table saw. A jointer is the correct tool for this, but 8-10' boards are pretty long and takes a pretty big jointer with a long bed to really get a perfect straight edge.

Instead of buying a jointer, you can cut a straight edge on your table saw by ripping a piece of MDF or something similiar about 4-5 inches wide (keeping the factory edge on one side). Turn your board upside down and screw that straight edge to one side of the board making sure that it sticks over the edge just a bit. Use that straight edge to but up against your fence on your table saw. that will give you a perfectly straight edge on the cedar board. then you can take the straight edge off and use the freshly cut straight edge on your cedar board to butt up against the fence and run it through your table saw again. this will get you two perfectly straight edges on the cedar.

[FishSticker]

part of your problem is that you dont have a straight edge to butt up to the fence on your table saw. A jointer is the correct tool for this, but 8-10' boards are pretty long and takes a pretty big jointer with a long bed to really get a perfect straight edge.

Instead of buying a jointer, you can cut a straight edge on your table saw by ripping a piece of MDF or something similiar about 4-5 inches wide (keeping the factory edge on one side). Turn your board upside down and screw that straight edge to one side of the board making sure that it sticks over the edge just a bit. Use that straight edge to but up against your fence on your table saw. that will give you a perfectly straight edge on the cedar board. then you can take the straight edge off and use the freshly cut straight edge on your cedar board to butt up against the fence and run it through your table saw again. this will get you two perfectly straight edges on the cedar.

I was just going to say you need a guide...this is a MUCH better answer

[Slaya]

part of your problem is that you dont have a straight edge to butt up to the fence on your table saw. A jointer is the correct tool for this, but 8-10' boards are pretty long and takes a pretty big jointer with a long bed to really get a perfect straight edge.

Instead of buying a jointer, you can cut a straight edge on your table saw by ripping a piece of MDF or something similiar about 4-5 inches wide (keeping the factory edge on one side). Turn your board upside down and screw that straight edge to one side of the board making sure that it sticks over the edge just a bit. Use that straight edge to but up against your fence on your table saw. that will give you a perfectly straight edge on the cedar board. then you can take the straight edge off and use the freshly cut straight edge on your cedar board to butt up against the fence and run it through your table saw again. this will get you two perfectly straight edges on the cedar.

I did exactly that for a whole summer in my late teens, turning rough cut oak into flooring, cedar into interior paneling, and cypress into dutch-lap siding on site. It is a lot of work, but the end results were worth the efforts. We'd work half a day milling to get in half a day of nailing. Good times.

[ccleroy]

Great thread!!

[dixiedeerslaya]

im currently turning 30+ year old rough cut cypress into countertops for my kitchen. milling and dimensioning every single board. its been fun, challenging, time consuming, and at times, aggravating work. but its turning out to be one of the most rewarding projects i've ever worked on. Ive been snapping pics along the way. maybe i should start a thread when im done.

[Chuck the Duck Slayer]

im currently turning 30+ year old rough cut cypress into countertops for my kitchen. milling and dimensioning every single board. its been fun, challenging, time consuming, and at times, aggravating work. but its turning out to be one of the most rewarding projects i've ever worked on. Ive been snapping pics along the way. maybe i should start a thread when im done.

you need more clamps

[dixiedeerslaya]

from this.....

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to this.... so far. going with an epoxy bartop finish once installed.

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[Longbeard Exterminator]

part of your problem is that you dont have a straight edge to butt up to the fence on your table saw. A jointer is the correct tool for this, but 8-10' boards are pretty long and takes a pretty big jointer with a long bed to really get a perfect straight edge.

Instead of buying a jointer, you can cut a straight edge on your table saw by ripping a piece of MDF or something similiar about 4-5 inches wide (keeping the factory edge on one side). Turn your board upside down and screw that straight edge to one side of the board making sure that it sticks over the edge just a bit. Use that straight edge to but up against your fence on your table saw. that will give you a perfectly straight edge on the cedar board. then you can take the straight edge off and use the freshly cut straight edge on your cedar board to butt up against the fence and run it through your table saw again. this will get you two perfectly straight edges on the cedar.

I Had to read this 3 times but now im picking up what ya throwing down lol....

[dixiedeerslaya]

I Had to read this 3 times but now im picking up what ya throwing down lol....

you have to "create" a straight edge by attaching something that you KNOW is straight along the length of the board. use that as a guide to rip one straight edge. then take that piece off and flip board over and rip the other side.

[PalmettoTrooper]

I used a floor hoist system that I cut in the saw mill. At the end of the day, it would of been easier to just buy straight, dried lumber. This was free but time consuming
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I bought the 2x6 T&G flooring but had to hand plane every floor house to get it level

[4THEGIRLS]

You can make a joiner jig to use with your table saw to get one edge of each board true, then run the other side on the table. That is if you don’t want to buy a joiner.

[PalmettoTrooper]

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[Saltydog235]

You can also clamp a straight edge on the board and use a circular saw to get it, then fine tune on a table saw.

Or bring it, your welder and aluminum tubing to me you can fabricate some stuff on my boat and I’ll run those boards on my jointer.

[PalmettoTrooper]

You can also clamp a straight edge on the board and use a circular saw to get it, then fine tune on a table saw.

Or bring it, your welder and aluminum tubing to me you can fabricate some stuff on my boat and I’ll run those boards on my jointer.

Let me get my wife’s Greenhouse off the trailer And you might have yourself a deal!
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[Smilee]

Poor man's way, use a chalk line.

[HARV]

Poor man's way, use a chalk line.

Too easy.