# Cutting down 5/4 stock



## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

My shop is pretty basic, nothing fancy except for the tablesaw. I'm staring down a few planks of 5/4 black walnut and wondering how I could get them cut in half to (eventually) 1/2" thick size. Running them through the planar a few dozen times to shave them down seems horrifically wasteful - yet I don't have a bandsaw that can handle wood of this width, 10" wide planks.

What options are there for me if I wanted to turn these 5/4ths planks into usable 1/2" finished boards for a project I'm looking at? I'll entertain taking them to a mill if need be.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Find a shop in your area with a bandsaw that will cut them for you.

G


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Agreed*

You will have to be resourceful. Check with industrial arts programs in high school or colleges. look for a commercial cabinet or woodworking mill, popssibly a Woodcraft store with a shop inside or ask them for a recommendation and finally look for a portable saw mill operator. An advertisement in the local paper classified " bandsaw work needed" 
The table saw using a thin kerf rip blade, Diablo 24 TPI from Home Depot at $30.00, will make 3" cuts from both edges leaving a 3" slab in the middle to saw through by hand. Depending on the length and number of boards this might work for you.  bill


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## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks for the pointers all.

Using the tablesaw and then finishing by hand isn't going to be my first choice. So I'll start scouring the ads for bandsaw operators and since the economy is in the toilet the cabinetry guys are pretty hard up for business - maybe I can negotiate something?

Thanks again.


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