Inspect the board: look for twist, bow, cup, knots, or cracks.
Rough cut to length (a little oversize) if the board is very long or has major defects – makes flattening easier and reduces waste.
Joint one face flat – Tool: Jointer.
Goal: One face completely flat.
Tip: Use light passes and winding sticks to check for twist.
Joint one edge square – Tool: Jointer.
With the flat face against the fence, create one straight edge at
90°.
Plane the opposite face parallel – Tool:
Planer.
Place jointed face down, plane the top until flat and parallel.
Plane close to final thickness (leave a little extra if you’ll need more
cleanup later).
Rip to width – Tool: Table Saw (or Bandsaw +
Jointer cleanup).
Jointed edge against the fence, rip to final width.
(Optional: Lightly joint the ripped edge for a perfect finish).
Crosscut to final length – Tool: Miter Saw,
Crosscut Sled, or Handsaw.
Square the ends and cut to exact length.
Cupping: Place concave side down on jointer, remove material until flat. If severe, rip the board down the middle, joint/plane each piece, then glue back together.
Bowing: Rough cut the board to shorter lengths first. Joint one face, then one edge. If still bowed, take lighter planer passes, alternating sides to relieve stress.
Twist: Use winding sticks to spot high corners. Shim the low corners when jointing to prevent rocking. Take light passes until flat. If twist is extreme, shorten the board or rip into narrower pieces before milling.
Always reference off a flat/jointed face or edge when moving to the next tool.
Leave boards slightly oversize until all are milled, then bring them to final size together for consistency.
If boards will sit before assembly, leave oversize and do a light final pass later.