Ripping planks

"Jim Willemin" <jim***willemin@hot***mail.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So I have this nice ten-foot 2x6 that I want to rip into a couple of
> sticks
> 2 1/5 wide, then glue them up to give me a blank 2 1/2 by 3. (I'm trying
> different ways of making oars). The original plank is a nice, straight
> specimen of construction-grade spruce from the local lumberyard (NOT a
> borg). As I rip, the kerf begins to close, so I wedge it open and
> continue. After the cut is complete, I have one more or less straight
> chunk, and one that curves a good four inches over its ten foot length.
> This is not uncommon, but my question is: how come does it do that? Is
> the
> stress release due to drying, or is it locked into the tree as it grows?
> Are there clues to look for in the planks in the lumberyard pile that
> would
> reduce the chances of this? (I'm thinking of grain orientation, or where
> in
> the log the plank came from). Any good references? Thanks.

Drying stress, more often than not. They can curl after jointing and
thickness planing also. Try to plane both sides equally. Pick a QS or rift
sawn board if you can find one.

Jim Willemin <jim***willemin@hot***mail.com> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Are there clues to look for in
> the planks in the lumberyard pile that would reduce the chances of
> this? (I'm thinking of grain orientation, or where in the log the
> plank came from). Any good references? Thanks.
>

Bruce Hoadley is your man, and this book should be in every serious
woodworker's shop:

http://www.amazon.com/UNDERSTANDING-WOOD-2nd-Bruce-
Hoadley/dp/B000UQH160/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1228223788&sr=8-3

Scott

"Jim Willemin" wrote:


> The original plank is a nice, straight
> specimen of construction-grade spruce from the local lumberyard (NOT
> a
> borg).

The operative word is "Spruce".

It will be kiln dried which make it squirrelly when ripped.

Bottom line............................

You can't get there from here with spruce.

Lew

"Jim Willemin" <jim***willemin@hot***mail.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So I have this nice ten-foot 2x6 that I want to rip into a couple of
> sticks
> 2 1/5 wide, then glue them up to give me a blank 2 1/2 by 3. (I'm trying
> different ways of making oars). The original plank is a nice, straight
> specimen of construction-grade spruce from the local lumberyard (NOT a
> borg). As I rip, the kerf begins to close, so I wedge it open and
> continue. After the cut is complete, I have one more or less straight
> chunk, and one that curves a good four inches over its ten foot length.
> This is not uncommon, but my question is: how come does it do that? Is
> the
> stress release due to drying, or is it locked into the tree as it grows?
> Are there clues to look for in the planks in the lumberyard pile that
> would
> reduce the chances of this? (I'm thinking of grain orientation, or where
> in
> the log the plank came from). Any good references? Thanks.

This is due to drying stress, but is related to the properties of the
piece also. Look for pieces that seem softer, using your finger nail to test
hardness, and for pieces that are uniform hardness on all four sides,
the uniform, softer pieces will be less likely to have case hardened during
drying.

Case hardening is drying stress from an uneven drying condition,
case hardening is relieved in the better hardwood grades when it is kiln
dried by
the application of wet steam conditioning of the lumber while it is still
hot. Softwoods are rarely conditioned at the end of the drying cycle.

Another defect to look for is compression wood, this will show up as a wider
than normal growth ring that is slightly discoloured. Compression wood will
only be on one side of the lumber or tree, causing uneven stress in the
piece.
It is caused by a tree that was leaning and tried to straighten as it grow.
there is a lot of it here in hurricane and tornado country.

Look for straight grained pieces, the grain of the wood is the line it would
have spit down if chopped with an ax, this is independant of the growth
rings.
The straighter the grain the less stresses built up during kiln drying the
piece.

Basilisk

On Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:50:55 -0600, Jim Willemin
<jim***willemin@hot***mail.com> wrote:

>So I have this nice ten-foot 2x6 that I want to rip into a couple of sticks
>2 1/5 wide, then glue them up to give me a blank 2 1/2 by 3. (I'm trying
>different ways of making oars). The original plank is a nice, straight
>specimen of construction-grade spruce from the local lumberyard (NOT a
>borg). As I rip, the kerf begins to close, so I wedge it open and
>continue. After the cut is complete, I have one more or less straight
>chunk, and one that curves a good four inches over its ten foot length.
>This is not uncommon, but my question is: how come does it do that? Is the
>stress release due to drying, or is it locked into the tree as it grows?
>Are there clues to look for in the planks in the lumberyard pile that would
>reduce the chances of this? (I'm thinking of grain orientation, or where in
>the log the plank came from). Any good references? Thanks.

Internal wood stress is very common and may be a cause for kickback.
The internal stress could be from the tree, how the wood is dried, and
the uniformity of the stock. Your best bet would be to look for
quarter-sawn wood, costs more but more stable. Or, you can use
narrower pieces, laminate, and glue to a straight edge.