Lumber cutting question

[KettermanHillCoop]

I have 8 pieces of 6" x 6" x 12' ground-contact lumber. Is it feasible to have those cut into 2" x 6" x variable length pieces? If so...how does one do that? Or must I take it to a mill?

Thank you in advance for any input.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

I use to cut custom lumber orders on a sawmill. We charged more per board foot for re-sawing than if we had just milled the lumber from a log.
For new treated 2x6x12's:
Home Depot $10.67/ea
Lowes $10.06/ea
Menards $10.17/ea

By the time you loaded up the 6x6's and hauled them to the mill, got them re-sawed (you'll lose some to the kerf of the saw), and hauled the lumber back, you would probably be money ahead to just pick up some new 2x6's from the store.

 

[aart]

A friend has a bandsaw thingy...will that work?

Ask them.....they may be able and willing to resaw them....or not.
Doesn't cost ya nothing to ask.
Tho if the have any nails or screws in them...
...do not even ask, unless you want to pay for their ruined saw blade(s).

 

[HamsterStyle]

If they are brand new, you can probably return them to where you bought them and get what you want. It's very common to order extra and return unused portion on decks and what not

 

[HamsterStyle]

Can it be done? Sure it would most definitely be cheaper to buy new 2x6 pieces to the lengths you need

 

[bjmoose]

So far, nobody has mentioned the fact that you're talking about "ground contact" lumber aka "pressure treated" lumber. It's pressure treated to inject chemical protectant into the outside edge of the wood. If you do succeed in ripping it down to smaller nominal pieces of wood, it won't be "ground contact" lumber anymore. It'll just be rough cut lumber that has one or two weird edges.

Also, your dimensions will end up weird.

Nominal "6x6" lumber is actually 5.5" x 5.5"

Nominal "2x6" lumber is actually 1.5" x 5.5"

So if you try to rip the 6x6 into 3 pieces of 2x6, you'll end up with weird dimensions. I can't guess exactly what they'll be, because the blade takes a variable amount. Probably somewhere between 1/8" and 1/4"

The weird dimensions don't seem so important until you try and integrate the pieces with other cut lengths to end up with a square and plumb structure.

 

[bjmoose]

I get where you're coming from. That's gotta be well over $300 of lumber. It's a shame not to use it. If you can't return it, perhaps you can sell it on craigslist. Folks are building fences all the time and you've got some high-grade fenceposts there.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

Can it be done? Sure it would most definitely be cheaper to buy new 2x6 pieces to the lengths you need

It would be cheaper to buy more lumber????

 

[imnukensc]

Take it to a mill. No idea how much it would cost you, but I bet it won't be cheap.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

A friend has a bandsaw thingy...will that work?