# Do YOU buy rough or surfaced lumber?



## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

I'm trying to figure out the pros and cons to buying rough lumber vs. surfaced lumber. I'm still kinda new at buying lumber from mills but I have only bought rough lumber. But I'm considering having them surface it for me. They charge .08 bf for surfacing both sides to 24 grit, .12 bf for surfacing to 60 grit, .06 bf to straight line rip one edge. So for .18 a board foot I can have wood ready to throw on the table saw and rip to finish size, or am I missing something? Seems like for that price it is worth it to have them surface it, saves me a lot of time and wear on machines. I have a 15" planer but only have a 6" jointer so I can't flatten the boards wider than 6" on my own.

So is there a down side to having the mill surface my wood so it's ready to use? I'm going to be placing another order for 200 BF of oak pretty soon and thinking about having them surface and edge rip it so I can just grab a peice and use it instead of having to run it threw the jointer and planer first. They run it threw a sander to surface it, can the wood still be cupped or twisted since it doesn't sound like they are running it threw a jointer first?

Just trying to see if there is any pros or cons between rough vs. surfaced lumber.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

It doesn't sound like they insure flatness, just cleaned up. Do they insure flatness? If so, I go for it. If not, you can always build a sled like this: http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=5245

Edging can be done with a straight edge guide and router if the work is too long for the jointer. Or, use out feed roller stands.
I usually wait for a project and cut the lumber to gross size before using the jointer.


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## Jim Tank (Apr 28, 2009)

I've had a planer for years and still buy our lumber S2S so the grain is obvious. I buy it surfaced to 7/8 so I can plane it to whatever exact thickness we need whether it's 5/8 for moldings or 3/4 for frames. Having it at 7/8 also let's us have stock around for thicker wood tops or special mouldings. The straight line rip is nice if you don't have the ability to do long straight rips, but can waste wood if you are cutting long lengths to short stock, a couple times ordering and you will get the feel for what works best for you. But some rough and some surfaced and you will figure it out, and feel good about your decision.


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## Ed'sGarage (Aug 16, 2007)

*rough sawn vs surfaced lumber*

I have just purchased and am in the process of assembling my new G 0490 Grizzly 8 inch jointer to compliment my planer. For my short career in my woodworking hobby, I have always gone to the lumber yard for my wood. I am looking forward to buying "rough sawn" from a sawmill starting soon. Even "premium price" lumber yard's inventories require careful "going thru" to get good lumber. Maybe I'm a bit lazy, but I'm tired of standing in front of a lumber pile inventory going thru countless pieces of lumber to find a good one. I can't wait to purchase my first load of "rough sawn". I'm in the process of building cabinets for my study and the face frames and door rails and stiles will all be made from rough sawn oak that I will be purchasing in the next couple of weeks.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Instead of having them abrasive sand the board have them run it through their double sided planer and have it skip planed. That means they will usually take the board down 1/16" over the stated rough thickness. So a 4/4 board will be milled at 15/16". Most rough boards are usually plump, so you will usually get a board that is mostly cleaned up. It will flatten the board and true it to a point. It can't take a very twisted board and make it true. But it can take a mildly twisted board and make it true.

The advantage of that is you get a flat board that you can see the grain on. A lot of the wood removed will have the chips thrown in their hopper not yours. I almost always get mine straight line ripped too. This helps quite a bit when you are roughing boards out. No need to go to the jointer to get a straight edge. The disadvantage is if you get a board with a good size curve on it you can loose a lot of useful wood, and they will of course still charge you for the original board (and the SLR charge) A board like this is good for shorter lengths and can be used much more efficiently. If you are a hobbyist doing woodworking then skip the SLR and spend your time straightening it yourself ans saving the money. If you are making money doing this, get the SLR as labor is almost always more then materials.


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

Thanks for the advice guys. 

Leo, all they have listed on their website is abrasive surfacing so I don't think they offer double sided planing.

I think I'm going to just get it rough. I spent the money on a nice 15" planer and have a decent 6" jointer so I might as well use them. I'm just a hobbyest so I can take the time, plus I enjoy it. Just was thinking it might be worth it for the small fee they charge but I will do it myself. Think I'm going to build a sled for the planer and see how that works for the boards I can't surface on my 6" jointer.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

You give up quite a bit of flexibility by having the supplier surface the board as opposed to doing it yourself. There are a lot of times when I want thinner or thicker than whatever I originally planned on. 

The suppliers also tend to do entire long boards. If you have a long board with a bow in it, it won't flatten nearly as well as cutting it into shorter pieces before flattening.


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## Burt Waddell (Jan 6, 2010)

A lot of this boils down to speed of working. In my shop I find that it is a lot cheaper to let someone else do the surfacing and straightline rip. In a hobby situation, buy rough if you enjoy straightlining, joining, and planing.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I generally purchase that which is most readily available. Here that is usually surfaced 4 sides or at least surfaced 2 sides. Not much available in the rough unless I travel a fair distance to a mill or mail order.

George


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## joesdad (Nov 1, 2007)

I usually buy wood rough sawn when it's not available finished. For example not long ago I needed a bunch of 12/4 black walnut as well as cherry. The rough sawn price made my kness buckle enough, I couldn't imagine what a lumberyard would charge for the same S4S and it would be a special order. A buddy of mine almost always buys rough sawn and tells me I'm crazy for paying X number of dollars for my finished boards, I tell him I don't care for all the extra work and the trade off is better for my bottom line in most cases. This friend also borrows another guys portable mill for a couple months and has tree guys drop off logs in his parking lot to replenish his stock. I'm not that ambitious.


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## Total 2% (Jan 27, 2010)

I go with rough, as I find greater satisfaction planing it myself.


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## woodman42 (Aug 6, 2007)

I always purchase my lumber rough, half the joy is working the wood from as close to the tree as possible.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I have bought rough, S2S, and S4S, the S4S from Rockler, the S2S from Woodcraft. I prefer rough due to cost, but the vendors in my area selling rough milled stock have 50 bd ft minimum purchase requirements, which drives to me places like, well Woodcraft and Rockler when I am building something like a Mantle Clock, or a cutting board... Or worse... Having to use BORG lumber.. Ick...

I have done some minor milling of my own, mostly overglorified resawing with my band saw. Before hurricane season starts this year, I am planning on picking up a 20" bar chain saw, either a Husqvarna, or an Echo... Have had excellent results with Echo products over the years, but then again, have had Husqvarna in the family with great results too... I digress though... A combination of the 20" bar saw, a ripping chain, and an alaskan mill can get me access to a LOT of lumber that would have otherwise been firewood, or worse, gone to the landfill...


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

After thinking about it I agree with you guys about getting lumber rough and surfacing it yourself. It would only cost me 36 dollars to have it 2 side surfaced and straightline ripped but I think I will get better quality and more return if I do this myself. I have the tools for the most part, would be nice for a bigger jointer but I can do everything with the jointer and planer I have. 

The lumber yard I use will sell any quantity. You get a significant discount for buying 200 BF or more of any combination of woods. So I think I'm going to get 100 BF of oak, some pine, and maybe some other so I have a descent assortment for projects.

Thanks for all the advice.


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

For most projects it's silly to buy s4s. You have to rip it to size then joint and plane it anyway.


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