I have a ton of QS beech for plane blanks

[Dave Diaman]

Hey guys, I just hit the mother load of QS beech. It isn’t a lumber I really use so I am thinking about processing it all into plane blanks and saw handles. My question to you guys is what would be the most common blank sizes that would be needed? Hopefully I can get some of this stuff milled and cut into blanks in the next few weeks and offer it down in the S&S.

[Scoony]

I would say that 8/4 in 4" widths and 24" lengths would allow at least 2 and up to 4 molding planes. I think finished sizes are around 10" long and 3.5" tall.  I just cut up some QS beech and that's what I did.

12/4 stock in 24"-30" lengths would probably be good for smoothers to jointers.

[RonB1957]

How thick is it now? How much of it do you have? Looking for saw handle material as well as mallet heads ( infused ). Cost? Also looking for 4x4s { actually 3.25" x 3.25" } in highly figured maple. 12", 24", or 36" lengths. Very hard to come by in this neck of the woods.

[Dave Diaman]

Right now I have about 500 BF of mixed thicknesses between 5/4 and 12/4. In addition to that there are 6 logs that are about 36" in diameter. The sawyer is waited to hear how to saw them. I just want to get them sawn before they start to develope any stain. He has been treating the beech as trash wood for a long time until I saw what he had. Perfect straight clear large diameter beech logs are a treasure to most wooden tool makers. I'm thinking about a beech workbench.

[Crane]

Dave,
I just sent you a PM about this beech wood.
Please have a look and get back to me.
Thanks,
Ken

[SteveVoigt]

All the bench plane stock I have ever bought is 16/4, that is the standard. It needs to be quartersawn as closely as possible. 12/4 won't allow you any slack at all for clean up or surface checking, and there will be surface checking. Anyway, 12/4 even if it's perfect isn't thick enough for a big plane.

Drying the thick stuff is pretty brutal, and if you haven't done it before there may be considerable loss. The 8/4 is easier.

[enjuneer]

I would be interested in 5/4 thickness for saw handles. I don't need a lot of it, but good beech is hard to get locally in Michigan.