This is a intructable on funneling the wood into a way you would like it to go in order to make anything out of it but at the same time letting it take over and choose its own route. It's a beautiful thing once the saw dust clears...

Step 1: Are You a Hunter or a Gatherer??

In this case I was hired to tare down an old boat dock in order to rebuild it. Due to a steep embankment i couldnt get a trailer down to it so I put ALL usable wood (Red Oak) in the back of my truck.

This is how I stack it neatly in my shop

Step 2: The Ripping Process

I chose to go with 3" rips because I'm building a frame for a piece of art work that a friend bought. And since I'm already working with mostly 2x8's I can atleast get two good ones out of an original board.

Step 3: Choose Your Thickness

Then I moved the fence to 5/8 of an inch and turned my rip long ways ( weathered side up). Now I didn't move the height of the blade because it was set to cut the thickness at 1 7/8" that means ill be into 1 7/8" of a 3" rip. Which is perfect for the width of natural trim I'm trying to achieve. The less I have to adjust the table saw the better.

Step 4: Hope You Have Extra!

Set pipe clamps on opposite side of the plunge cut and apply force to both in opposite directions. Due to the fact that your letting the wood make its own path, your not always going to get the right piece you need. I've found that it helps to (guide) the split in the general way you need it to go. I used a thick 7in1 painters tool. Once you start it you just pull on the pipe clamps opposite eachother and hope that'll be a piece you can use.

Step 5: Viola!!!! an Original Piece Every Time

So now you got a smooth run and what appears to be split wood all in the same rip. which is perfect for the look I'm trying to achieve in wrapping this artwork in a custom frame.

Step 6: A Split Effect for a Split Effect

This is the piece going in the frame and this is what the red oak looks like in its final stage. I think it's going to be a perfect match for the piece

Step 7: Time to Accentuate

Sometimes you just see things in the wood that you wanna capitalize on and help bring it out. So I take my same painting tool. Which I have sharpened very well. And I carve out what is only necessary to facilitate the God given beauty in each individual board

Step 8: 50 Shades of Grey

I'm a big fan of up-cycling so when I saw these grey washed fence panels on the side of the road I had to scoop them up and incorporate that color into this piece.

Step 9: Putting the Corners Together

Now because all the corners or not the same. To give it a good return you have have to start 6" back on on each side and carve in as needed to make them all line up. Little tedious but the end result is well worth it. ...