Building a fence of PTWood and need to plane some 1x4s and 2x4s down to a smaller sizes. Any safety hazards in doing this at home? Thanks! Phil
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Pressure treated wood
- Thread starter pfduffy
- Start date
Stuff (So. Yel. Pine) is somewhat brittle and will tear out badly if you go against the grain. Cut with the grain with sharp knives and don't hog; no more that 1/8" at a time. If you're concerned about surface, a spay mist of water before the cut smooths things out well.
Obviously don't reccommend inhaling wood dust so mask / DC are in order. If your planer is portable, run the stuff outside.
Mark
Obviously don't reccommend inhaling wood dust so mask / DC are in order. If your planer is portable, run the stuff outside.
Mark
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
AS mark says I use my planer outside when I plane the stuff. I have problems with fuzz. Most of what I get here is very wet and wants to lift the grain and tear out. I take light cuts and then plan on hitting it with a little bit courser sandpaper when it's had time to dry a little.
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PT wood
If you must rip some PT wood I strongly recommend that you do not use a cabinetmakers blade, but use a rip blade instead. A good friend just had a terrible accident cutting a rip groove in a 2x4. The left thumb was almost severed. I am to help with a re-enactment/investigation tomorrow -- with the power off. Because PT wood is often very wet when you buy it, I am suspicious that it grabbed the board. If it had been a rip blade I suspect that the added clearance would have prevented this.
The warnings about dust concerns should have red lights flashing around them.
Please make every effort to minimize the dust. You might want to use a leaf blower to clear the shop afterwards. A mask is a minimum requirement.
If you must rip some PT wood I strongly recommend that you do not use a cabinetmakers blade, but use a rip blade instead. A good friend just had a terrible accident cutting a rip groove in a 2x4. The left thumb was almost severed. I am to help with a re-enactment/investigation tomorrow -- with the power off. Because PT wood is often very wet when you buy it, I am suspicious that it grabbed the board. If it had been a rip blade I suspect that the added clearance would have prevented this.
The warnings about dust concerns should have red lights flashing around them.
Please make every effort to minimize the dust. You might want to use a leaf blower to clear the shop afterwards. A mask is a minimum requirement.
Additionally, the dust/chips/scrap need to be disposed of in the trash. Do not burn them. Do not compost them. Wear a dust mask, eye protection, gloves and other protective clothing when machining PT. Do remember that due to the nature of the treatment process, there is more "treatment" on the outside of the boards than in the core. You are effectively reducing the protection when you mill this material.
Press. Treated wood
Thank you, all, for the wisdom of your advise. It is appreciated, that is for sure. Philip
Thank you, all, for the wisdom of your advise. It is appreciated, that is for sure. Philip
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Ed
I'm not sure a rip blade would have helped unless it had a 1/2" kerf. I'm guessing at this but that wood often has a lot of stress and moves a lot when you rip it down. It probably either pinched the blade or pushed against the fence. Did he have a splitter in place? That wood moves so much I don't trust a splitter. I have a wedge of wood I stick in after it passes the splitter. Sometimes I will also shorten my fence by putting a 2x4 spacer in to use as a fence. this spacer ends at the back of the blade so the wood can move to the right if the kerf opens up rather than closing. My fence is on the right on my table saw.
I'm not sure a rip blade would have helped unless it had a 1/2" kerf. I'm guessing at this but that wood often has a lot of stress and moves a lot when you rip it down. It probably either pinched the blade or pushed against the fence. Did he have a splitter in place? That wood moves so much I don't trust a splitter. I have a wedge of wood I stick in after it passes the splitter. Sometimes I will also shorten my fence by putting a 2x4 spacer in to use as a fence. this spacer ends at the back of the blade so the wood can move to the right if the kerf opens up rather than closing. My fence is on the right on my table saw.
H
Herman
Guest
Phil-
Consider this: in the last couple of years I've noted that the P.T. wood sold in California has a Prop. 65 warning on it. It contains carcinogenic substances. Be careful about exposure to yourself and those downwind of you.
Consider this: in the last couple of years I've noted that the P.T. wood sold in California has a Prop. 65 warning on it. It contains carcinogenic substances. Be careful about exposure to yourself and those downwind of you.
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accident
Let me begin by saying "Thank You!" to each who has shared a thought about the accident and PT lumber. Tomorrow morning I may learn more about what happened, I certainly hope so, but at this point I am flying blind. We do not plan on turning the saw on, just examine and try to make intelligent analyses. I am taking three new push-sticks that I made today. If we think we have it figured out, I will share our conclusions with this thread.
While we are talking tablesaw safety, I will share the details of an accident I had a few years ago. I was crosscutting some pieces that were leaving small cut-offs. I took a push-stick to move them away from the blade and allowed the stick to touch the back of the blade. It pushed the stick up into my right palm and hurled it back at me. My left hand was on the miter gauge at the front of the saw and the stick struck my index finger and broke it.
In the case of my friend who just got hurt, the blade was extended 3/4" and he was ripping a groove in the 2x4. I am wondering if he was completing the cut and the push stick caught the blade and was hurled back at him because something struck him in the chest. Possibly he reacted and pulled back on the right, spinning the left hand out into the blade.
Let me begin by saying "Thank You!" to each who has shared a thought about the accident and PT lumber. Tomorrow morning I may learn more about what happened, I certainly hope so, but at this point I am flying blind. We do not plan on turning the saw on, just examine and try to make intelligent analyses. I am taking three new push-sticks that I made today. If we think we have it figured out, I will share our conclusions with this thread.
While we are talking tablesaw safety, I will share the details of an accident I had a few years ago. I was crosscutting some pieces that were leaving small cut-offs. I took a push-stick to move them away from the blade and allowed the stick to touch the back of the blade. It pushed the stick up into my right palm and hurled it back at me. My left hand was on the miter gauge at the front of the saw and the stick struck my index finger and broke it.
In the case of my friend who just got hurt, the blade was extended 3/4" and he was ripping a groove in the 2x4. I am wondering if he was completing the cut and the push stick caught the blade and was hurled back at him because something struck him in the chest. Possibly he reacted and pulled back on the right, spinning the left hand out into the blade.
Steve Worcester
Admin Emeritus
So, for the record, PT wood is treated with chromated copper arsenate.
Ain't good. Personally, I only use it in areas that will have constant soil contact. Even then, I think about alternatives. Above ground, I will pay the extra for cedar, or redwood.
Ain't good. Personally, I only use it in areas that will have constant soil contact. Even then, I think about alternatives. Above ground, I will pay the extra for cedar, or redwood.
new chemicals in PT wood
The new chemical formula is supposed to be safer. At least that's what the EPA would have us believe.
My experience today was; never mind trying to plane the stuff since the smallest cut loads the thickness planer and drives the circuit breaker crazy. Cross cuts, and ripping are easy but anything else is weird -- - too much liquid in the wood. If it dried for 6 months you might have a better chance. I agree with the suggested white cedar but it is not easy to find and redwood is over my buget by severy quantums. Phil
The new chemical formula is supposed to be safer. At least that's what the EPA would have us believe.
My experience today was; never mind trying to plane the stuff since the smallest cut loads the thickness planer and drives the circuit breaker crazy. Cross cuts, and ripping are easy but anything else is weird -- - too much liquid in the wood. If it dried for 6 months you might have a better chance. I agree with the suggested white cedar but it is not easy to find and redwood is over my buget by severy quantums. Phil