"Tom Watson" wrote in message

S4S is used as a designation in softwood rendering and produces
dimension lumber, such as 2x4 and 2x6 etc.

Just to add to that ... some hardwood dealers sell hardwoods S4S to those
willing to pay the generally high price so as not to have to mill it
themselves, as well as S4S hardwoods is all the BORG's sell in their
generally meager hardwood inventory.

When I was ordering a lot of hardwood lumber for my shop I would buy
it skip planed to 13/16" with one face flat and an edge done SLR1E.

A valuable practice for a man who has learned the art of buying hardwoods.

This gave me a reference edge for the table saw and a reference for
the planing. I didn't want the rough planers that the yard used to
bring my sticks any closer to final thickness because my little
lunchbox planer, with me paying close attention to grain direction and
depth of cut, could produce a far nicer face.

Again, just to add to that: Skip planing, or "hit n' miss" as we call it
down here, can also give the hardwood lumber buyer a reasonable idea of the
figure and suitability when choosing wood for a project before he leaves the
lumber yard.

I recommended S2S1E to the OP, because if learns how to pick his lumber,
learning that art with both sides surfaced until he gets the hang of it, he
has much better chance of satisfaction than he had previously received when
ordering his lumber "jointed", including the convenience being able to rip
to width and planing to thickness with the tools he already owned.

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Last update: 10/29/06