unisaw extension table build, also what species is this wood

[cody michael]

in a previous post I asked for advice about extension table for unisaw. well I am almost done, I just need some more bolts. I ended up using a piece of granite counter top for the able, it looks great. I was also missing the rear rail So I bought a 3/16 3x4 angle for 11$ and made one, it took probably 2-3 hours but saved a ton of money. the black one is the one I made.

I built the frame out of the wood in the last few pics, I am not sure what it is, assuming some kind of pine, it came froma 2x6, but it is old. I found in my barn. I think it is from my other barn I tore down that was 50-60 years old. it is very hard. the unisaw with a sharp blade didnt cut through it very quick, and when jointing it it seemed brittle. but it is super pretty. any ideas on what exactly it is? is it just hard from being old? the reddish color in the snow pictures is close to real color, in purpose it looks redder, the indoor picture is washed out



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[Jesse Busenitz]

Most likely longleaf pine also known by a host of other names.

[cody michael]

I live in michigan if that matters? is longleaf pine hard?

[Bill White]

You can bet that it is HARD.
Bill

[Jesse Busenitz]

Cool extension btw.I have a slab of granite I want to incorporate into a workbench someday.....

[cody michael]

thanks, I really like it so far.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Most likely longleaf pine also known by a host of other names.

Yep - Sure looks like SYP grain.

FWIW - "SYP" is a label that covers 4 different species: Longleaf, shortleaf, slash, and loblolly. Different species tend to be centered in different parts of the "SYP belt", but I don't think there is any real exclusion based on geography - some do better in certain areas than the others.

All the experts I have talked with over a couple decades+ say that once those four come out the back end of a sawmill, they are impossible to distinguish from one another - even detailed exams at the cell-structure level.

A bit of a stretch guess here, but looks to me - growth rings of approx 1/4" - like it is from the plantation-grown managed forests. "Modern" SYP, not the old-growth that is nearly gone. Many of those managed forests are on their third generation after the old-growth went away. They have gotten really, really good at reducing the plant-to-harvest cycle, and growing straight trees. Feeds the huge market for pressure treated.

[John Sanford]

The wood looks like Douglas Fir, salmon color. It also hardens up pretty good with the years, BUT. There remains a substantial difference in hardness between the early growth and late growth wood. If the wider, lighter sections are much softer, you've got DF. How much softer? You can get divots in the soft stuff when sanding, while the hard stuff stands proud.

btw, how do you keep everything from falling off that saw? Really strong magnets? :p

[Kevin McCluney]

Very nice looking.