Big Southern Yellow Pine

[Paul Maxwell]

I picked up up some old growth SYP beams from an old ship building warehouse demolition. 6" thick, 10" wide cut to 10' lengths. I intended to use it for the base of a workbench. This stuff is very heavy. After getting it home I am beginning to wonder if this was a good decision. It has very tight growth rings and seems very dense, however, it seems that it was originally air dried, not kiln dried. It has air dried for about a year after being removed from the old building. I don't have a moisture meter so I am just going off of "feel".

My question is what can I expect when I go to milling this stock to size? Will I have a big mess on my power tools from possible unset sap? Will the smell disipate after some time after opening up the wood again? Will this stuff work well for my intended purpose of a heavy stable base for a workbench? I really like the look and feel of it so far.

[Mark Roderick]

The smell is going to be fabulous, you're not going to have problems with sap, and your workbench is going to be beautiful. The old southern yellow pine is a very attractive wood.

[Wilbur Pan]

Don't listen to Mark. You have a right to be concerned. Send all the wood to me, and I'll dispose of it for you. No, no, you don't have to thank me. ;)

Seriously, assuming that it's relatively clear stuff, I would actually consider using it for the top of the bench. Just think: two of the beams placed side to side would give you a 20" deep bench top 6" thick. I would kill for that.

By the way, this is one of the best stealth gloats I've seen in a long time.

[Mark Roderick]

Sort of "Gee, I really wanted some new neckties for Christmas and all I got was this darned Lie-Neilsen #4 1/2."

Or "Darned, I really wanted to spend some quality time with my inlaws this weekend but it snowed and they can't come - now I have to go down to my shop instead."

[Sam Yerardi]

Paul,

The rule of thumb for air drying is about a year for each inch of thickness. I've never tested that but I've read it so many times from reputable sources it must be true, right? ;). Anyway, I would still use it for the bench top. Marvelous material you have there. How the wood dries, reacts, etc. will depend some on the stability of the environment where it will rest. IMHO, even if it is not as dry as some would say it has to be, you might not see much movement at all in the drying process. I would think at the thickness you're describing, cracking, etc. would be the major problems if they ever occur at all. Build the bench to allow the wood to expand/contract across its width to help lessen the results of the inevitable movement.

If none of this works, and you discover you hate SYP, I live in southern Ohio. I will quickly move things around in my shop to make room and allow you to store it here :D.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Paul, that wood has had many years to dry and reach equalibrium with its environment. I would not worry about its moisture content unless it was stored outside and uncovered. Even then it is likely to have only suface moisture in the outer 1/4 inch or so. It would not hurt however to take into the environment you intend to have it live in and give it 2-4 weeks to acclimatize before starting to machine it. As others have said, that is one heck of a stealth gloat. SYP will make a very stable bench and using some of the wood for a top would give you a great bench. Remember, old growth with lots of growth rings per inch is going to be very hard, almost as hard as maple.

[Paul Maxwell]

Thanks for the feedback, as I haven't work with this wood before. The smell does remind me of my younger days in my Grandfather's workshop. I hadn't thought of actually using it for the bench top. That would really be a massive workbench when completed. I do like the classic/European style workbench. Can anyone suggest some plans that would work well for this application? Any tips on working with this type wood and tips for milling this large/heavy stock? I have a Uni tablesaw, 14" bandsaw,13" planer, and only a 6" jointer. I took a hand plane to one surface last night and found a glassy surface after a few minutes work!

[Paul Maxwell]

Any other thoughts?