Opinions about Western Hemlock wanted

[Mike Kelsey]

We're going to have some thinning done & sell a little timber this spring. There will be a number of Western Hemlocks coming down. Some will go to the saw mill but most will be left for my use, some 12 to 20" in diameter, since I don't think selling loads for pulp will amount to much. Some of it I will use for firewood even though I'll need to let it dry out a few years even for that use.

Even though around these parts a lot of people seem to "mock" hemlock's usefulness I wanted to know if it has been used in cabinetry or furniture making as "knotty" as it can be.

I'm in line to buy a 19" grizzly band saw & have been thinking of re sawing some of the hemlock if others have has success with it.

[Steve Griffin]

I built a timber frame in Alaska which was about half Sitka Spruce, and half Hemlock.

These were big trees, which I milled myself. Hemlock was wonderful to work with, and ages to a rich amber patina and has a pleasant smell.

Dry it properly and you may have yourself a nice supply of furniture grade wood.

-Steve

[Josiah Bartlett]

If it is clear (no knots), it is used fairly interchangeably with cvg fir around here. I have some nice old 5 panel doors in my house from c. 1900 that have fir rails and stiles with hand planed hemlock panels, they look nice.

You need to mill it to boards or planks before it dries, though. Hemlock tends to shrink a fair amount and checks very badly when dried in the log.

[Jon McElwain]

After you mill it, get yourself a molder and make custom molding with it. It is sold widely as baseboard, door trim, panel doors, crown molding, window trim etc. etc.

[Larry Edgerton]

I don't use it for millwork, but I do all my framing with it because it is stable. Get no drywall pops, walls are flat.

[Carl Civitella]

We used north central PA hemlock for framing our cabin in the mountains. I built a board and batten shed where we used totally rough cut hemlock, accept the ply roof and PT 6x6 skids.

[David Helm]

Mostly used for framing and interior trim around here. It is the "poor man's" Doug Fir. If you've ever seen CVG Fir (especially old growth) you would probably not like W. Hemlock for trim. Having said that, because of cost I have done quite a bit of trim in hemlock. My own house is trimmed in fir.

[Dave Gaul]

I've made a couple book cases out of Hemlock, I loved working with it. There are some knots to deal though of course. It did take stain very well.