I'm of the rip to fit camp where possible, unless for a small project where I would normally buy premium grade lumber or plan to spend a lot of time in picking the lumber for the projet. This if not hit up the scrap/pre-cut $0.49 bin where on a good day I can often find shorter but decent enough lumber to cut down in what I need.
As with the above about warpage
etc. being more common for smaller #2 lumber you also have to have a trained eye and pick it really well for any common construction grade lumber you buy. Not something you can just order up and have delivered unless you over buy by like 50% and than also have to work also around much of it in having to cut or not use in places the pre-cut lumber. What a big structual destroying knot on the board you get or a warped board in general with a 1x4? Hocky anyone? Pre-cut lumber in getting it to the size you need will have a lot of scrap to work around if even non-useful boards. I would rather a big straight board than a hocky stick that's mostly useless. Especially if not picking the lumber yourself, wider lumber for common grade just seems to be less cupped, warped
etc. thus cutting what size you need if. This even if some parts of the larger boards might have to be cut around say for large knots Graned, larger lumber does take if not a lot of room, at least really efficient storage of it. Lumber quality has gone down a
bit over the years. Also good storage or it's going to warp worse. Like 12" of unsupported board if you want it to stay straight in sorage & lumber or weighting of it is a good thing in training the boards.
As for scrap or not useful concepts in ripping lumber, who says you have to have a 1x4 for a
toggle? Wouldn't a 1x3 sufficie in using off size?
On the other
hand, do pay attention to your
keystone and corner blocks in grain direction perpendicular to the seam for the
keystone and at least for the
corner block if not the
corner block as better run diagional to the seam. Can never have enough 1/4" scrap plywood in
stock - save all your scrap and cut it into them for pre-cut when at all possible. Something hard board or foam won't do properly in keeping
luan or 1/4" plywood in use on other things perhaps still in concept to use for it's scrap or salvaged materials use such as on soft flats.
Had colleted up about 24" worth of 1/4" plywood scraps as pre-cut corner blocks at one
point. This ranged from oak to
luan in grade and even some 1/2" stuff that was even
MDO.
This following a practice of mine when running a zero budget store front theater, I constantly made all scrap 1/4" ish. plywood into pre-cuts if at least 8" in size. Anyway, this tour needed me to fabricate than cut for shipping container size some aluminum 6" I-Beams with dual
fluorescent lamps running the length of each. It's a concept, so I needed to be able to work on each in groups of say ten at a time. First to un-wire and remove for cutting, next to re-wire. Needed to
knock out ten soft
flat style saw horses in a weekend so as to support such things. Later the saw horses would be useful for the paint shop in also needing them. Fold up
flat saw horse made out of five hinges, 1x4 and twelve corner blocks each. That stack of corner blocks I went
thru really quickly and had to make more. As opposed to the last genertion of
corner block with 12" ones that got in the way of stepping between the legs and got damaged, this time I stuck with 8" corner blocks but also double reinforced on each side at the bottom. Also found I didn't need as many Tee nuts. Anyway, one can never have enough scrap lumber
keystone and corner blocks pre-cut and in storage for use. This especially if you can afford a
bit more wasted matrial in making good diaginal to the seam corner blocks. Corner blocks are really really useful to pre-make. A down time type of thing perhaps and always useful.
I think most shops that would rip their lumber are buying entire bunks of it at a time and of a decent grade if not even poplar. It's cheaper in bulk so perhaps if you can't use or store an entire load of lumber, you can get together with other theaters in your area and buy it for all of you at once in saving money. A real lumber yard will often also have better lumber in bulk for a good price. Worked at the service
desk for both Builder's Square and later Hines Lumber while in college, Hines had better lumber in general and more ability to make a deal if not in a smaller corporate structure approve tax deductable doations or donations in exchange for placement of add in the program. At very least mis-matched paint and other say discontinued or returned items at times - though either store might be on the manager
level approval for such things.
Used to work At Chicago Scenic Studios, they were using poplar mostly back than as I remember. Later worked at Scenic View Chicago - they used poplar also but poplar plywood for just about everything. Talk about having to rip stuff down, we ripped down 3/4" poplar sheets for almost everything we built. Made me while working there wish for real lumber rather than having to spend hours ripping down heavy 3/4" sheets of plywood to board sizes. Their opinion of course was that to the extent needed in strength, the plywood was sufficiet and all of the sheet was good to use for what ever size was needed in neither having warps
etc. or knots to work around. Valid
point but pain in the rear to have to rip than splice as needed if one needs a longer section.
Final thought, avoid "Super Strips." Used to have rounded edges, don't think they do any more but I'm sure they are still out there as per a ferring strip. Used to go up to a 1x4 in size and were much cheaper than construction grade #2 common lumber. Problem was they often were not kilm dried as extensively and what might on buying seem straight and not have any sap bleeding out of them, but once the lumber did so, it warped like crazy especially in the smaller sizes. This even after installed on the scenery. Moisture sensors are not common but rather a really dry board than one that's too fresh in warping later. You pay for what you get - cheap in lumber ain't always better.
Side note, I love Menards Random Length/size Oak lumber bin. Just wish it were better organized and in other than a dark
cove of the hardwood lumber racks. Really have to dig
thru to find a deal but you can find say a roughly - really roughly 1x6x8 for the price of a pre-cut and packaged 1x4x4 oak. Just have to dig around in the vertical rack that has 8' and longer boards normally of wide sizes in it to find what you are looking for. Takes time to find a good deal or board looking for. A
bit less finished in size and cut, wish I had a planer, but a good sanding and table saw in cutting to size is normally sufficient for use of it at a discount even if it means more scrap and time. Also love their White Aspin. Fairly cheap and stains well as per good quality fir or poplar. Made
hall tree with it as the center a few years ago, can't tell which is the fir or pine and which is the white aspin. Routered and cut well in the making.