Jeff wrote:
Two other observations:

I haven't seen anyone mention a jointer in this thread, and that tool
is every bit as important for dimensioning stock as the thickness
planer. I know it's easy to spend someone else's money, but you'll
never get cup or twist out of a board with a thickness planer alone.

While I did buy a jointer last december for myself, and it makes quick
work of making a board flat, I went 2 years without one, and many times
cup or twist can be elimated by running the board through the planer a
little bit on each side, flipping it back and forth.