Wide Boards ?

[Qweaver]

I sawed a 26" poplar that the customer wanted to use as siding on a new shed.  It was a good log and when I got it to a cant, he decided to make the boards  that width.  At 20" it still had a little bark on the corners so I went to 18" and made all the boards 1" x 18".  I tried wide boards when I first started sawing to build our cabin and they really warped a lot.  I had to cut many in half to get them flat enough for sheathing and sub-floor.  I explained that but he wanted them wide.  I hope it works out for him.

[Peter Drouin]

Sometimes the customer knows better. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :

[Dave Shepard]

I've seen really wide white pine boards on old barns around here. 24" or better. But I think white pine is one of the most forgiving species.

[Chuck White]

Through the course of a sawing season, I usually saw large amounts of wide boards, anywhere from 18 to 24 inches!

[Magicman]

Lotsa times the customer just can not help themselves.  They see the potential for getting wider boards than they have ever seen in their lives and do.

[tmarch]

I saw lots of wide live edge slabs for windbreak material.  As long as they are put up quick the cupping isn't as bad.  If they are air dried under weight it helps, but best to get them up quickly.

[thecfarm]

The WM dealer here in Maine has some wide boards on some of his buildings. I forgot the species,EWP,hemlock?? These was put up green. Saw'em and nail'em.I will be seeing them on April 17.

[WDH]

My customers love wide boards.

[Den-Den]

For construction purposes; wide boards don't seem worth the trouble to me.  As a woodworker, I love them.  Sometimes they warp quite a bit; those I rip in half.  I cut wide boards a little thicker to allow for some warping.  I have just about used up my 16" wide hackberry boards (5/4 with very little warp).

[WoodenHead]

I suppose cupping would depend a bit on species and where it was cut from the log.  I've cut 16" and 18" white pine boards and they turned out fine while 8" or 10" boards cupped horribly.

[Ron Wenrich]

I used 10" and wider white pine on my house with no problem.  It replaced the original wood, which was the same width and some were that wide.  White pine works well being wide, but the tulip poplar will probably cup or split.  The only ones that have a chance of being stable are when you get close to the heart.  Then, they'll probably split.

But, as said, the customer is always right.

[bandmiller2]

I've never had one person complain about wide boards, many have never seen boards over 10 or so inches. Frank C.

[Peder McElroy]

Yesterday I milled a 32" X 12' Redwood log and made about 20 1X22"  wide boards for siding my new Treehouse, redwood does well and is very stable. It was a job for my lt35 thank god for hydraulics .

[Qweaver]

I saw lots of wide live edge slabs for windbreak material.  As long as they are put up quick the cupping isn't as bad.  If they are air dried under weight it helps, but best to get them up quickly.

He going to nail them up right away and that may work OK.

[Qweaver]

Yesterday I milled a 32" X 12' Redwood log and made about 20 1X22"  wide boards for siding my new Treehouse, redwood does well and is very stable. It was a job for my lt35 thank god for hydraulics .

No hydraulics on my LT28 but the winch works better than just a cant hook on my old lt15.   Any bigger than 28" and they go on the Peterson. 

[Delawhere Jack]

If he's got the patience, it would help to sticker and dry it before nailing it up. Then if it cups he can rip it in half.

I made a repeat visit to a client I had milled some 4/4 and 5/4 poplar for about 8-9 month prior. Much of it was 16-18" wide. He did a good job stickering and drying it, and it was as flat as could be.

[sealark37]

The rookie woodworker is drawn to wide boards like a carp to a doughball.  He will cull the wide ones out of a rack of lumber and pay extra for them.  The experienced wood butcher goes for the more narrow, quarter or riff-sawn boards.  Regards, Clark

[Foxtrapper]

I sawed out some 16" ewp boards last week, so far so good.  Seems people just love those wide boards.  I like 10" or 12" boards myself, don't have much of a problem with them warping..

[Dave Shepard]

The rookie woodworker is drawn to wide boards like a carp to a doughball. He will cull the wide ones out of a rack of lumber and pay extra for them.  The experienced wood butcher goes for the more narrow, quarter or riff-sawn boards.  Regards, Clark

That is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. :D :D

[Tom the Sawyer]

One of a client's nicer dilemma's: a cant with clear, 20" wide walnut boards... and a 12" planer.  :-\

[shakebone]

Whew for poplar I wish him luck around north ga they would be hard to keep nailed down what don't crack ! But who's gets what they want ? The man with the cash $$$$  I hate selling someone something knowing it ain't gonna do them good l

[woodjunky]

Im one of them carp that cant deny a good dough ball.   But yea. Im guessing that theres methods to wide board madness. 

[Dave Shepard]

One of a client's nicer dilemma's: a cant with clear, 20" wide walnut boards... and a 12" planer.  :-\

Sell some of the wide board and buy a bigger planer. 

[5quarter]

Wide boards are my stock in trade. nice thing about cutting wide; if you get a few misbehavers, you can rip some narrower stock and clean them up easy enough. One thing I do that I think helps in drying wide boards flat is keeping the heart centered in the board and taking my wide wide boards from deeper in the log, as opposed to pulling them from the outside. Also, I like my doughballs fried with catfish and a side of slaw.  ;)

[WDH]

In my experience, the worst boards for cupping at the first ones off the log.  Some species are worse than others.  Cherry is particularly prone to cup, especially at the sapwood/heartwood interface.