Source for Yellow Pine - To be shipped to OR

[Lyndon Graham]

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the type of wood I want to build those shelves of.

See here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=99660

Yes, Western Pine and D. Fir are plentyful here in the Northwest. I went down to the local fine wood store and looked at the grain patterns of many types of woods including those.

I also got a book from the library "Wood: Application and Use" which has pictures many types of wood. To me, other than a few exotics such as Mesquite, Longleaf or Slash (Southern) Yellow Pine seems to be the most attractive for what I want in the end.

The trick is getting it here from the Southeast. Questions:

(1) Do you know anyone who might ship it? I can contact them directly if you can birddog me to them.
(2) Since I am buying this blind, what grade should I request?
(3) Can you get it thicker than 1.5"? I would like to start with 8/4 or even 10/4.

Thanks

[John Keeton]

Lyndon, let me offer some thoughts - and some help if needed. SYP has a very distinctive grain which you have probably realized. If stained dark, it can get very distracting. It may be possible to lightly seal it first, possibly use a dye, and use more of a glaze as a final color to more mimic your pic of the shelves. I have never tried this, so get more info and do some testing.

In this area, it is used as framing lumber in nominal 2x sizes (1.5" thick.) It also is not very dry. Although "kiln dried", I have found that common moisture levels are typically 12-14%, although they would like you to think it is drier. Others may have better luck with drier wood in their area. It is also not typically very clear, with tight knots being very common. A very loose #2 is probably a good guess on grade, although it is not graded like hardwood.

It is, of course, available in 3/4" as well, but honestly the grading is worse.

You could get it rough sawn (green) for about $.40-50/ft in whatever dimension you want, but shipping would be outrageous for any quantity.

Having said all of that, I stand ready to try and assist on this end if you want to go further with this. If you want me to ship you some small pieces to play with on appearance I will be glad to do that for whatever shipping on a box may be - I would guess $12-15.

[chris yount]

I use alot of syp Mainly because I get it free from work.You really need to match the grain carefully with it.There will be straight grain and swirls very close together.The wood is also prone to warping.Due to both of these there is a fair amount of waste to get what you need.I would be a little leary to get it shipped sight unseen unless it is from a really trusted source.I have worked with ponderosa pine some it is similar to syp in appearance can you source this locally?
I can give you some larger mills in my area if you want to contact them about shipping.

[Tony Joyce]

(1) Do you know anyone who might ship it? I can contact them directly if you can birddog me to them.

Yes, Steve Wall Lumber - 1-800-633-4062 or wood@walllumber.com or walllumber.com

(2) Since I am buying this blind, what grade should I request?

C & Btr, basically clear no knots, you may occasionally find a small pitch pocket when dressed.

(3) Can you get it thicker than 1.5"? I would like to start with 8/4 or even 10/4.

Steve has 8/4 rough that he can surface to 1-3/4" or possibly thicker. Ask him to leave it as thick as possible, but clean. If you need it edged he can do that also, all stock is in the rough. I don't recall widths, but it should be 6" or 8". He also has 4/4 and 5/4.

I am referring to Southern Yellow Pine, Kiln-dried. This is furniture/millwork quality lumber. NOT framing lumber.

Tony Joyce

[David Keller NC]

Lyndon - I tend to agree with what was said above. SYP is not the nicest lumber to work with, though not the hardest to work, either. It's just that in the Southeast, it's cheap and readily available.

You might choose a western pine species with strong earlywood/latewood contrast as a substitute. It should be far more available in your area, and you should be able to go pick it out yourself.

The very strong grain contrast you're seeing in those darkly finished shelves in the thread a week ago was due to something most of us consider strongly undesirable - the high adsorption of a dark pigment stain (like Minwax stain found in big box stores) in soft earlywood versus very little adsorption in the hard latewood.

If, however, you like that look, it should be readily replicable with the proper wood choice. But that wood choice is very broad. Some examples that would give you that strong contrast when stained include red oak, white oak, ash, southern yellow pine, chestnut, and (I think - I've not tried it) Douglas Fir. Some woods that come to mind that won't give you that wide contrast in grain stain adsorption are maple, cherry, walnut, basswood, eastern white pine, hemlock, and to some extent, hickory.

The key to doing this is to go introduce yourself to the local woodworking club. I assure you that there will be plenty of members that will be GLAD to give you some of their off-cuts from various species (ask them to pencil the species on the piece of wood when they give it to you). Then go to the local big-box home improvement center, buy a few small cans of dark pigment stain (minwax wood stain would be a good, and inexpensive and readily available choice), and stain away, keeping records of how you applied it, how long you left it on, whether you wiped it off, how many coats, etc..

You should then be prepared to buy the species and stain that best suit your tastes, and you'll have a really good idea how the project will look ahead of time.

[Lyndon Graham]

Thanks guys.

I am going to heed your advice and try some local woods 1st.

If that does not work, I will take John up on his generous offer to send a sample at cost.

and finding a local woodworking club has cross my mind

[John Keeton]

Lyndon, to be clear, I have some cutoffs which I will send to you. The only "cost" would just be for whatever shipping may be. Good luck in the decision process.

[Jason Perrott]

Lyndon,
I am a woodworker who lives in portland...
You should go to crosscut lumber up in NE.
you can find them through their parent company,
emersonhardwood dot com.

Best selection, best prices, best wood store in town, imo

Ask for Nate, or JP

pm me if you need further info,

Jason

[Alan DuBoff]

SYP is not the nicest lumber to work with, though not the hardest to work, either. It's just that in the Southeast, it's cheap and readily available.
I agree, in fact, young growth SYP is probably one of the worst woods to work with. If you could get old growth SYP, it's probably not too bad to work with, but what you will find is young growth that is harvested quickly and brought to market.

This young growth SYP is known to twist to the extreme, and has been known to lift an entire wall of SYP logs in a home as it does that. It is strong, but has a mind of it's own. It is hard to control it's mind for it...:o

The only reason to use it, IMO, is that it is cheap. That is exactly why people use it for workbenches, it is cheap.

Shipping SYP to the west coast???? I wouldn't want to work with it even if it was available locally. If your going to paint, err...I mean stain it, you could use any wood. I would pick wood with nice looking grain and go for the natural color myself, but some folks like that painted/stained look.

There is no right wood, use what appeals to you, and if SYP is that wood...go for it! :)

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Lyndon.

Go to woodfinder (woodfinder.com), it lists several sources in Oregon for SYP.

[Lyndon Graham]

Lyndon,
I am a woodworker who lives in portland...
You should go to crosscut lumber up in NE.
you can find them through their parent company,
emersonhardwood dot com.

Best selection, best prices, best wood store in town, imo

Ask for Nate, or JP

pm me if you need further info,

Jason

Been there (probably once a week for the last few months). Just bought saome maple from them yesterday. They are willing to call back east to look for it, but as of now they want $4.50 per board foot of Class D.

[Andrew Joiner]

Hi Lyndon,
I live in the Gorge. I have some SYP you are welcome to come see. Honestly most people would not be able to tell it from construction grade Doug Fir unfinished. With that heavy stain even Herbert L. Edlin couldn't tell the difference!

[Lyndon Graham]

Hi Lyndon,
I live in the Gorge. I have some SYP you are welcome to come see. Honestly most people would not be able to tell it from construction grade Doug Fir unfinished. With that heavy stain even Herbert L. Edlin couldn't tell the difference!

I am on the way! Just kidding, maybe next weekend? I will PM you.