In the beginning there was a Beech Plank....

Forgot to take a photo of the plank before it was ripped into 1.75 in wide strips. This was my first time working with beechwood, and the experience proved... educational.  The plank wanted to bind the saw during the rip, sometimes before more than 4-5 inches into the cut. (less than the diameter of the saw blade!) This would necessitate stopping the saw, backing the plank out, and restarting the cut. The end result is shown in the pictures.

This is rough-sawed wood, which will need to be cut into rough lengths, jointed on two sides, which establishes two straight, square sides, and  finally, ran through the table saw. This will result in straight, and true square stock, which will measure 1.5" on a side...