Milling Cyprus?

[Larry Edgerton]

I have a job coming up making 19,000 feet of Cyprus T&G, I have never worked with the species in the shop, some on site but no milling. I did not like it.

Best practices to avoid blowout, etc, etc. You guys that have milled it fill me in please.

Thanks, Larry

[Jim Becker]

Larry, no large scale experience, but I did use cypress for some Adirondack chairs a number of years ago. It was very similar to working with pine. I did find that the flat-sawn portions were a bit splintery, but the rift/quarter grain was great.

[Mel Fulks]

It's TWO things . The old heart stuff is brittle ,splintery, and tends to have cracks.

[Bob Falk]

My experience is that it tends to have a fair amount of ringshake (growth ring separation), which can be frustrating.

[lowell holmes]

When I saw the title to this thread I immediately thought Miley Cyrus. Oh well . . . . .

[Russell Smallwood]

Hey Larry,

I've worked a lot with Cypress and find it somewhat hit or miss. Modern Cypress is usually pretty young and has the same tendencies as fast grown white pine but a bit more brittle. I would plan for more waste than normal and be sure to try using techniques like taking small bites and climb-cutting for any routing operations. Other than that, it's can be a pleasure to work.

Old growth cypress is much easier to deal with but not readily available in my experience.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I would SERIOUSLY look for a vendor in the south who could furnish finished product.

[Larry Edgerton]

Why would i do that? Are the laws of physics different south of the Mason Dixon line?

[Malcolm McLeod]

Why would i do that? Are the laws of physics different south of the Mason Dixon line?

The laws of physics are indeed quite different down here, but that's a whole 'nother thread.:D

I used a couple of different T&G cypress products in my house. Also, bought 10x10 beams for timber framing, and 4/4 planks for misc. trim - all cypress. Nothing about it made me regret the decision.

I've used the remnants for a number of small projects - from shutters to a chisel cabinet (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?201953-Chisel-Rack-and-Chamfers) (post #18). I found no ring shake, or brittleness in any of it. It is about the same density as most pine I've worked with (but that is mostly Ponderosa, from out west - not white). It feels a little oily - which I assume is the cyprocene (sp?) that make it rot resistant - but it finishes like any wood of similar density.

Mine was sourced from Specialty Products (Now Cypress Wood & Lumber) at (www dot cypresswood dot net) in Maringouin LA. ....No relation, just satisfied customer.

[Larry Edgerton]

Thanks Malcolm. I already got a quote form one of those suppliers for finished product. It is for a house I built 25 years ago and has to match. My best quote was double the material cost. I can buy select & better KD and spend a few days in the shop, so as that is why I have the machines it just makes sense. They were charging me a premium for it being an odd size? If it was 1000 foot I could understand, but with the amount I am buying not so much.

Its nice to just turn a product over to make a quick profit, but hard to do with the two quotes I got.

[Jim Becker]

No harm in milling it yourself, Larry...just buy extra material in case you have some ornery pieces that require, um...rejection.

[Wayne Lomman]

What machinery is at your disposal? Cheers

[Malcolm McLeod]

Sorry about the lack of clarity. It seemed clear you wanted to mill your own, so wasn't advocating purchase of the T&G - - rather that they (did) provide rough lumber.