1/4" boards

**boneyabba** · 01-30-2012, 06:35 PM

Hi, totally new and don't have a mentor- found this site and am throwing myself to the wolves! Or the mercy of the court maybe...

Anyway, where do you get 1/4" boards? I don't see anything like that at my local Lowes. I am currently planning on buying the 3/4 pine boards and splitting them lengthwise on the table saw- I figure that ought to leave me with about 1/4 pieces... But I feel like I must be missing something.

Thanks,
B

**Dal300** · 01-30-2012, 06:46 PM

That's called resawing and I always hated doing it on a table saw. Using the table saw that way is difficult for the small universal motors and not the most safety oriented use of a table saw.
You might be much better off to find someone who does wood working near you to run the boards through a band saw. you'll not only get your two 1/4" boards but you should have a third piece a bit thinner to put away for another project.
Then once you get them cut you will still probably need to make them flat and smooth, depending on your project.

**boneyabba** · 01-30-2012, 08:02 PM

So I am not crazy and you can't just go buy that stuff?

**Finishing Touch Carpentry** · 01-30-2012, 08:07 PM

You can also check with your local lumberyard (not the big box stores) they may provide resaw services there on site or pehaps they would order the wood at the dimensions you need.
You could try crackin 1 x 4 down the middle if its pine or fir perhaps.
Get into oak, maple or alder your gonna need a good table saw to back you up
plus additional machining. Jointer planer sander etc.

Good luck
Alex G
Finishing Touch Carpentry

**FrankC** · 01-31-2012, 01:22 PM

Rockler sells 1/4" thick hardwood, cherry here for example:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18591&sid=AF078

**desperry** · 02-01-2012, 04:57 PM

My local Home Depot has some thin lumber -- it's in horizontal racks underneath some of the other lumber. I think it's mostly stuff at most 6 inches wide, and maybe 24 inches long.

**boneyabba** · 02-05-2012, 09:51 PM

So, I called the fancy lumber store by my house (they have a big millers room so I figured they would be the place), but they said they don't have a "resaw machine" and offered to plane the boards down- that seems liked a silly waste. I wonder if I was being teased?

Anyway, I decided to try it on my table saw today and was fairly happy with the results. For the 3.5" wide boards I had to make 2 passes. I did several 2" ones as well.

**Keystone** · 02-05-2012, 10:40 PM

What part of the world you live in boneyabba? Might be able to find a local from the sight to help you with that next time.

**boneyabba** · 02-08-2012, 06:38 PM

I am in San Jose, CA. South side of town if that matters. The fancy place I called was Southern Lumber.

Thanks guys! This forum is great!

**Chris Curl** · 02-13-2012, 06:04 PM

Please be VERY VERY careful ripping thin stuff like that. I dinged my thumb doing it; I was EXTREMELY lucky that it was not very bad.

If it is for general purpose, and you don't care about the appearance, the Home Depot yardsticks are 1/4" and just a tad under 1 1/2" wide wide. 61 cents a piece. I use them for drawers for my screws and stuff, and for the spacing and hangers for the cleat system I use for organization.

Home Depot also has 1/4" poplar in 4 foot sections, 1 1/2" wide. Those are about $2.60 each.

Also, back in the moulding section, they have some 1/4" pine, but that stuff is expensive because they sell it by the foot.

Can you tell I have a home Depot right near my workplace and go over there at lunchtime?

Or, you always can get 1/4" plywood and cut it to size.