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Preparing timber

with

Tom O'Shea

In this video Tom discusses how to prepare recycled timber and demonstrates different ways to dress and thickness the timber so it's ready to use. You will learn about different results and issues that can arise when using recycled timbers. 


Step-by-step instruction PDF


Materials

  • Ear protection

  • Eye protection

  • Dust mask

  • Covered shoes

  • Table saw

  • Screw driver

  • Pliers or other tool for nail removal

  • Hand plane

  • [Optional] T square

  • [Optional] Thicknesser plane (can use hand plane)

Instructions

Preparing timber

Remove nails and all metal

  • Have a good firm grip on the timber and move slowly

  • Tap along length with a screwdriver or use a metal detector to find any remaining metal

  • Missed metal can be expensive and dangerous

Remove weathered timber with table saw

  • Cut one side

  • The second cut should be perpendicular to the first

  • Cut the last two sides 

Finishing

  1. Finish the timber with a thicknesser or hand planer

  2. Make sure all four sides are square with a T square

Cutting to size

  1. Cut timber to chosen length. You will need four legs and four braces.

  2. Timber is ready to dress and notch!