How to Finish Hemlock Lumber

Plane one flat side of your rough lumber to a flat surface. If it is a thin plank, this can be done by running the plank though a jointer to smooth one face of the plank by removing a slight amount of wood from the surface. Be sure to adjust the height of the rotating blade in the jointer to remove only a very slight amount, about 1/32 of an inch or less. If the plank is too big to be planed with the jointer, use a hand plane.

Run the hemlock plank though a thickness planer with the planed side facing down, and the rough side fed through the blades in the thickness planer. Set the blade height above the height of the wood before feeding it into the planer, then lower the blade one increment each pass until you create an entirely flat side. Turn the plank over to finish the other side perfectly smooth.

Pass the plank through the jointer, with the flat finished side pressed against the fence of the jointer to create a square and flat edge along your plank. You may need to pass the plank though more than once to create a square and flat edge.

Cut the other edge square to the plank by passing it through a table saw. Adjust the fence of the table saw to remove the least amount of wood possible, with the finished edge held tightly against the fence.

Cut the rough ends off your plank with a miter saw with a blade set at 90 degrees. You will now have a finished piece of hemlock lumber that can be stained or otherwise shaped to your liking.