Question for newbie

Hey--welcome to the world of wood.

First off--you'd be better off sending this to the rec.woodworking group. This woodturning group deals mostly with fun things like lathes and wood turning and bowls and the like.

But since you're here...

I can't tell the wood type from the pictures, but the grain is all over the place. Its going to be really hard to get smooth nice surfaces either with hand tools or power planers.

IMO, a cheap planer is worse than no planer at all. It isn't hard to spin a knife fast, the devil is in the rigidity of the frame, the control of the feed and the ease of replacing knives. You may end up with a new planer, and still have a lousy surface.

For now, you might buy your wood already surfaced. Costs more, but less than a planer. And look around, there are better hardwood sources than Home Depot.

I think your cabinets are oak. You can control the color by the stain you apply, but that's another chapter.

You might get a good book on table saws too. You can do amazing things with a good saw and a good blade.

Have fun, make lots of sawdust, and don't be too critical of your first efforts.

Walt C

Hi Stryped, Welcome. Walt gave you some good advice. In my opinion you picked the right news group, but the wrong way to begin working with wood. That is if you are a total newbie with perhaps some limit as to how much time and money you can spend with the wood.

Unless you are firmly committed to flat work and have considerable workspace and talent, the projects that you plan to accomplish are likely to be more ambitious, expensive, time consuming, fraught with risk for disappointment and chances for your giving them up than woodturning.

It's not too late. You can use your table saw in a modestly equipped turning shop and soon you will have the fun and the satisfactions of turning things that will impress your friends and relatives. The best woods for beginners are usually free. When you apply any turning tool to any piece of wood spinning on any lathe, an object that pleases somebody is made. There is much fun, satisfaction. camaraderie, good advice, options and ways to go and room to grow in turning wood. One of my satisfactions has been to observe the growth and maturity of accomplishd turners who started out on the same path I encourage you to consider.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but I hope you don't think me an off topic over enthusiastic woodturner. Regardless of the path you take, have fun and be safe. If it's the flatwork path, whatever you do, don't buy a lathe; it will divert you and lead to a happy, but incurable habit.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

For starters your cabinets are ash, red oak and ash are close in appearance. Because of the thick grain lines I'm fairly certain the cabinets are ash. Without a jointer to flatten one side you will have to use a sled with the planer. The sled is a carrying board with features to keep the board from rocking. When one side is flattened the sled is not needed for the otherside. You can true an edge with a router, You need a straightedge and straight bit.While this will work it is tedious. You are better off buying a decent handplane, a jointer or jack plane. You will have to learn how to sharpen the iron before learning how to use the plane. Gather the wood, practice with a handplane to true up the edges. Get a couple of good books, The Complete Guide To Sharpening by Leonard Lee is the first book I'd reccomend.Also , try these forums on the web. Finewoodworking "knots", handtool knowledge base, ilovewood,woodnet forums,etc.You can do a google search for more info. mike