# Dressing

## **What is Dressing?**

Dressing is the first step you take when working with timber. It involves transforming your ‘rough sawn timber’ (i.e. rough finish) to ‘dressed timber/surfaced’ (i.e. smooth finish), revealing the timber’s real colours, textures, and grain direction.

![](https://1044287416-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M3JlcKYAsodrf6BU0RY%2F-MDvwyEXtwnOgmgvQptJ%2F-MDvxr-Tw_MFRHQLQYZo%2FScreen%20Shot%202020-08-05%20at%2010.13.06%20am.png?alt=media\&token=810dc859-6e66-4c27-be99-bc8c6ffaa593)

## **Why Do I Need to Dress Timber?**

There are 4 main reasons why you need to dress timber:

* To get a clean and smooth finish
* To remove any ‘bowing’, ‘cupping’ or twisting’, ensuring that all faces are flat
* To achieve parallel faces and square edges, ensuring that all edges are 90 degrees
* To cut your timber to the required and exact dimensions (i.e. width and thickness)

{% hint style="warning" %}
If your timber is not accurately made parallel and square during the dressing stage, your final outcome will also not be parallel nor square.
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## **How Do I Dress Timber?**

### **Consider the timber’s condition, length, bow, and grain direction**

**Condition -** Check the condition of the timber before dressing and ensure that it is dry, clean and free from metal (e.g. screws, nails and staples). 

**Length -** Ensure that the timber is not too short or too long. If you’re unable to handle the piece on your own, the timber may be too long and may need to be cut down into more manageable lengths, no shorter than 350mm.

**Bow -** Bowing, cupping and twisting are common in timber and need to be removed to ensure that all faces are flat. Anticipate to lose thickness in your timber when removing a bow, cup or twist. *(show image of bowing, cupping and twisting and timber to be lost)*

**Grain direction** - The grain direction will determine the way you feed your timber in the machines to ensure a cleaner and smoother dressed surface. *(show image of grain direction for planer + thicknesser)*

{% hint style="danger" %}
If timber is wet, covered in dirt or contains traces of metal, it will damage the machines.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
If the grain direction is not taken into consideration, the dressed surface may result in torn timber fibres, with a rough finish.
{% endhint %}

### **Cut Down Length**

Using the [Radial Arm Saw](https://ms-kb.msd.unimelb.edu.au/machine-workshop/machinery-materials/equipment/untitled/radial-arm-saw) or [Mitre Saw](https://ms-kb.msd.unimelb.edu.au/machine-workshop/machinery-materials/equipment/untitled/mitre-saw), cut down your piece into manageable lengths, **no smaller than 350mm**. Consider cutting down pieces that are bowed to save dressing time and material. *(Show image of material lost from a bowed piece vs material lost from a bowed piece cut in half)*

### **Plane 1 Face + 1 Edge**

Dress 2 perpendicular face/ edge on the [Planer](https://ms-kb.msd.unimelb.edu.au/machine-workshop/machinery-materials/equipment/untitled/planer). Follow the steps below:

#### Dress 1 Wide Face

1. Set up the machine
2. Orient the timber so that any bowing/ cupping/ twisting is the right way down
3. Orient the timber so that grain direction is correct
4. Use 2 push blocks to feed the timber
5. Mark the dressed side with a chalk or a pencil

![Figure 1. Family Handyman. 2020. Photograph](https://1044287416-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M3JlcKYAsodrf6BU0RY%2F-MDvwyEXtwnOgmgvQptJ%2F-MDw9eu1j3Fe4amCHztg%2FScreen%20Shot%202020-08-05%20at%2011.07.42%20am.png?alt=media\&token=a45fc807-a47b-455a-8129-3614c83c9a71)

#### Dress 1 Edge

1. Set up the machine
2. Orient the timber so that planed face (reference) is against the fence
3. Orient the timber so that grain direction is correct
4. Use 1 push block and 1 push stick to feed the timber
5. Ensure that the angle between the face and the edge face is 90degrees using a square
6. Mark the dressed side with chalk or a pencil

![Figure 2. Family Handyman. 2020. Photograph](https://1044287416-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M3JlcKYAsodrf6BU0RY%2F-MDvwyEXtwnOgmgvQptJ%2F-MDw9jR8SXym9CRLVL1H%2FScreen%20Shot%202020-08-05%20at%2010.58.37%20am.png?alt=media\&token=6ef629f7-ad2a-4799-b0bf-c3ec68266014)

### **Thickness 1 Face + 1 Edge**

Dress the 2 remaining face /edge on the [Thickness](https://ms-kb.msd.unimelb.edu.au/machine-workshop/machinery-materials/equipment/untitled/thicknesser) and [Table Saw](https://ms-kb.msd.unimelb.edu.au/machine-workshop/machinery-materials/equipment/untitled/table-saw) (if required). Follow the steps below:

#### Dress the **remaining** wide face on the Thicknesser

1. Measure the thickness of timber and set up the machine
2. Orient the timber so that planed face (reference) is on the bed of thicknesser
3. Orient timber so that grain direction is correct

#### Dress the remaining edge on the Thicknesser OR Table Saw

1. Measure the width of the timber (and ensure the width : thickness is 5 : 1) and set up the machine
2. Orient the timber so that planed edge (reference) is on the bed of the thicknesser
3. Orient the timber so that the grain direction is correct

{% hint style="warning" %}
If the measurement of the width : thickness of the timber is more than 5 : 1 (i.e.  6 : 1) cut the remaining edge on the Table saw instead, with the planed edge (reference) against the fence.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Level 3 Machine Inductions are required for access to the Planer and the Thicknesser.
{% endhint %}

## **Next Steps?**

Double check that the timber is perfectly square and parallel. If it is, then it is time to start making!