# Wood thickness??



## abetrman (Mar 18, 2011)

Hope this isn't a silly question, but I am wondering if you can purchase solid wood at 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness? Or do you just have to plane it to the thickness you want?

Thanks in advance.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Buy it or plane it yourself*

http://www.woodcraft.com/Search2/Search.aspx?query=thin wood

Depending on which species you want it may be cheaper to go to a local mill and have it milled. Oak, maple, native American hardwoods will be available. Some mills have more exotic woods Zebrawood, lacewood, etc. 
If you have a resaw bandsaw and a planer you can make your own thin stock probably up to 10" wide depending on your saw's capacity. For projects like small boxes and chests a thinner wood, like 1/2" or 3/8" or so keep the material in scale with the project. Too many boxes I've seen use wood that's too thick for the size of the box. Here's an example in Flame Box Elder:


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Probably not locally. I have seen it for sale in catalogs. Locally, a lumber company might plane it for you but will charge you the same as the 4/4 price. Some of the larger harwood companies will resaw it for you for a fee. 
I was thinking of buying Harbor Freights cheap sawmill just for that very reason - to re-saw.


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## abetrman (Mar 18, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> http://www.woodcraft.com/Search2/Search.aspx?query=thin%20wood
> 
> Depending on which species you want it may be cheaper to go to a local mill and have it milled. Oak, maple, native American hardwoods will be available. Some mills have more exotic woods Zebrawood, lacewood, etc.
> If you have a resaw bandsaw and a planer you can make your own thin stock probably up to 10" wide depending on your saw's capacity. For projects like small boxes and chests a thinner wood, like 1/2" or 3/8" or so keep the material in scale with the project. Too many boxes I've seen use wood that's too thick for the size of the box. Here's an example in Flame Box Elder:


This type of project is exactly why I asked. What thickness did you use? I want to do a jewelry box for my lady but don't want to use plywood. The thickness of the wood off the shelf at the local lumber yard is at least 1X which is too thick for all the parts I want to make. Thanks for the link. I will check it out.


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## DannyT (Apr 26, 2011)

home depot carries 1/4 inch poplar. not an exotic wood but something to experiment with.largest is 1/4x6"/4'
i think lowes has some also.


http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...oplar&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*See I knew it!*



abetrman said:


> This type of project is exactly why I asked. What thickness did you use? I want to do a jewelry box for my lady but don't want to use plywood. The thickness of the wood off the shelf at the local lumber yard is at least 1X which is too thick for all the parts I want to make. Thanks for the link. I will check it out.


Any way, that thickness is a touch just under 3/8" if I recall. Fortunately it worked with the hinges. Side pieces were glue ups. The top was of course also. 
Do you have a planer or bandsaw?

http://www.armstrongmillworks.com/ Tom or Dennis
My local mill here in Michigan does not do internet orders but maybe a phone order. Real nice folks. 248 887 1037


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## abetrman (Mar 18, 2011)

DannyT said:


> home depot carries 1/4 inch poplar. not an exotic wood but something to experiment with.largest is 1/4x6"/4'
> i think lowes has some also.
> 
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=1%2F4+poplar&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


Thanks for the link DannyT. I might give that a try to do some trial runs as this will be my first one. I would like to use something with a little more natural color to it so I can do a clear finish on it as opposed to color-staining it. I may grab a piece just for S&G though.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

My HD carries poplar, oak and maple in 1/2 and 1/4". Width up to about 4" and length up to about 3 ft. :smile:


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

abetrman said:


> Hope this isn't a silly question, but I am wondering if you can purchase solid wood at 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness? Or do you just have to plane it to the thickness you want?
> 
> Thanks in advance.


I make 100's of box's jewelry and trinket . I use 3/8" for the box part and maybe 1/2" or 3/4" fot the top and bottom. I put a profile on the top and bottom. I make it in 3 piece's and finish them that way. I dovetale the box part and put the box part to the bottom with dry wall screw's. A trick to that is mark the inside of the box so that it is even space all around. Than mark the inside of the corner's . Than drill so that the screw goes in the center all around. Sound like a luck of the draw. But i been doing this for yr's . A little learning curve but can be done. Now if you put a profile all around the top and bottom than the hinge will have to go on a different way. I do them both way's. I use a 3/4" by 2" hinge which works fine. I buy all my stuff from Craft-inc. I buy them in 100's at i belive 18 cent's each and use a # 2 screw i buy them in 1000 at maybe 2 cent's or less. The box's store's are out of line for me. Now the screw if the wood is of a hard you may have to cut off the end of the screw about 1/16" so that it will bottom out and not breake off. If it does just drill in the same hole the same i belive 1/16" drill bit. I have done this a hundred time also. I probly made 500 or so box's. I also resaw my wood to what ever i want it to be . I have a complete shop which i call it with all the tool's that i need and don't need . Like 5 router's and 4 tables and all the other good stuff not bragging on the too's but i guess you can't have to many of them..I sell at a craft show so i make them every week. good luck if you want any more info let me know del


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*This may be of interest*

For those looking for wood sources:
http://www.woodfinder.com/  bill


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

When I am wanting a thinner hardwood I will generally order it from walllumber.com.

George


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> For those looking for wood sources:
> http://www.woodfinder.com/  bill



Thanks, Bill. That's one of the best WW sites I've ever seen.:thumbsup:


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## abetrman (Mar 18, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> Any way, that thickness is a touch just under 3/8" if I recall. Fortunately it worked with the hinges. Side pieces were glue ups. The top was of course also.
> Do you have a planer or bandsaw?
> 
> http://www.armstrongmillworks.com/ Tom or Dennis
> My local mill here in Michigan does not do internet orders but maybe a phone order. Real nice folks. 248 887 1037


No planer or bandsaw. Just starting up my tool collection. Got a router, circ saw, couple of hand saws (grizzly and shark) and going to look at an older model craftsman ts in the morning. don't have a lot of room in the garage and since I am renting I don't want to get so much in here and then have to move it.


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## abetrman (Mar 18, 2011)

Thanks for all the reply gents. I appreciate you all taking a moment to help me out.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

woodnthings said:


> For those looking for wood sources:
> http://www.woodfinder.com/  bill


The usefullness of that site depends upon where you live.

In my part of the country it does not identify ANY sites with any setting less than 200 miles. When I put in 200 miles it then gives me to locations that are just under 200 miles away. 

George


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Woodnthings, thanks for the Woodfinder.com link. I found a supplier just a couple of miles away. Who knew.


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