Wood Slab Flattening, Thicknessing & Surfacing

Here's a few things to consider as you plan your project:

• Slabs must be totally dry before attempting to flatten them. It usually takes about 2 years of air drying for lumber to fully dry (equalize moisture content through the material, in equilibrium with the seasonal humidity for the area). If you don't have a moisture meter, stop by and we can help you gauge where your material is at.

• Any moisture imbalance in the material (i.e. if it's not fully or evenly dried) may cause your slab to warp after it's flattened.

• The material must be clean and free of debris including dirt, rocks, staples, nails, screws, etc. These foreign materials can quickly destroy cutting tools (If that happens, we may need to charge a tooling replacement fee). Reclaimed wood is particularly risky, so extra caution is well worth it.

• Capacity:

  • We can process slabs with rough dimensions of 3" thick x 120" long x 60" wide.

  • If a slab is narrower (about 34" or less), we can process thicker rough slabs - about 5" max.

  • In some cases we can also process slabs longer than 120" by milling them in sections (the bottoms just have to be flat to maintain a thickness reference from section to section). In such cases we can process slabs up to 240" in length.

• If you'd like us to sand, cut, carve, stain, or finish your slab, we can discuss that as well.

• Because every slab is different and requires customized attention, we charge a flat hourly rate of $100 ($200 minimum fee) to cover programming and machine time. For more complex projects, we can provide an estimate.