There’s something about the grain that I like, but I can’t really put my finger on it. As a result, this is a common material found in large buildings and bridge trestles. And it’s almost invariably sold green. Both pine and Douglas fir are considered softwoods. The dog holes mostly went in that piece. Douglas fir plywood and regular lumber are typically more available and desirable for applications like flooring, decking, and other construction elements. It is perfect for a more rustic aesthetic, so it often used for exposed ceiling beams, tables, chairs, and other elements within a home that has a cottage, cabin, or farmhouse aesthetic. They are both aromatic trees with fairly high resin levels in their wood. Gary. The reliability of fir, even under the changing circumstances of weather and humidity, makes it far more desirable for most projects, especially if we are talking about cabinets, flooring, decking, or the actual structural components of a home. It’s more immune to abrasive wear & tear than other softwoods, and it offers some resistance to decay. Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) MSR Lumber Produced in our SPF mills located in Alberta and southern British Columbia, we offer a broad range of Machine Stress Rated (MSR) products. You’ll also get a wide variety of early- and latewood quantity per annual ring. Since I finished one substantial laminated-top project (the “auxiliary bench”) with SYP along with a few other utility pieces, I have now used it in addition to a bunch of other woods for workbench construction. It is always advisable to double-check the rating on the Janka scale if you are not sure. Specifically, the hardness test measures how much force it takes to embed a steel ball into the wood. By contrast, yellow pine is typically only used to make furniture, and sometimes cabinets and chests. So it’s fairly comparable to the yellow pines in hardness, though a bit softer than the shortleaf varieties and significantly less hard than the Southern longleaf pine. They came dry and extremely well-dimensioned. Pine is not as strong as hemlock or fir, so it is not a good wood when long spans are required or when smaller beams are desired. You just might have to put in extra time treating and pre-conditioning the wood to make it suitable for what you want to do. Etc. The 2×12 is the go-to size; if the pith runs through it, in clear enough pieces, you can slice that out and have quartersawn stuff as a result. The kind that you’re most likely to get commercially is loblolly pine, and that’s what we’ll concentrate on. If you know of a building that is going to be torn down to make room for new modern construction, see if you can arrange to take a look inside prior to demolition. You might need to pay attention to the latewood. We will primarily be discussing Douglas fir vs. yellow pine, as it is one of the most commonly available and popular wood types with woodworkers. Like any wood, fir will react to moisture, and its fibers may contract or swell. Well, get a load of this: That square sitting on top is metric (a.k.a. Surface energy was measured using the static sessile drop contact angle method and the acid/base approach. It’s very stable when dry, not moving much under different humidity conditions. As far as most people are concerned, most of the douglas-fir available for purchase is for construction and framing. Because this blog is about woodworking, this discussion is oriented mostly on using this wood (and others) for workbench construction. There are also options like cedar, redwood, larch, oak, and hemlock. I’m not sure why this is; it might have something to do with how strangely “dry” it feels to the touch. Of the two basic types of Douglas Fir trees, the Coastal variety grows to be taller and yield more structural timbers for framing, J. Gibson McIlvain uses primarily timbers we purchase directly from mills located in the Pacific Northwest U.S. and western Canada. A stud wood type that is favored is the Douglas Fir, known for its structural strength. In both types of trees, knots are rather undesirable and represent a weaker section of the wood. It’s important to keep in mind that just because a wood is called a “softwood” rather than a “hardwood” doesn’t necessarily indicate its place on the Janka scale. But wait–there’s more. Could it have properties like this? But what happens when you take tools to it? Even in those retailers, which tend to be overpriced for lumber, this stuff is currently running between 50 and 75 cents per board-foot. ... Do I need to be as picky with bulkhead framing? Advantages of Douglas Fir Wood. The wood, being very stiff and strong, has many uses, such as wooden boatbuilding, where it can be used for many purposes, including masts. Pine and spruce are so closely related in strength and uses with fir that they are often milled, distributed and marketed generically as spruce-pine-fir, or SP&F. The other problem is that when ripping, your saw can track the latewood grain. Otherwise, I'm not sure there's much difference. ( Log Out /  That helps a lot in construction. Keep in mind that if you’re observant and you have a good network with local renovators, you may be able to score some secondhand Douglas fir or pine lumber of high quality. Douglas fir is a quality softwood which is readily available in the UK and ideally suited to structural framing. Flattening the new bench (going cross-grain with a jointer plane) was the easiest flattening job that I’ve ever done. For some unknown reason, beech happens to be one of my favorite woods, and I’m always interested in picking some up. The two most commonly used materials for such an application are Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar. Douglas fir typically yields a more upscale and elegant appearance than yellow pine does. Even when dried, it’s still possible to run into “pitch pockets” with clumps of goo that hasn’t fully set into resin. Type above and press Enter to search. As the second strongest softwood on out chart, Douglas fir is often found in structural framing. When the softwood between its grain lines expands or shrinks, that change is permanent. This varies from tree to tree. Usually, workers end up lacquering or shellacking it in some way to thoroughly seal the wood. One problem you may run into with both Douglas fir and yellow pine is locating truly high-quality lumber. It’s so bad that you have to be extremely cautious even when sawing boards to length–especially with a hand saw. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Because it is less expensive than Douglas fir, it is often used for residential timber frames. In particular, I can get southern yellow pine (SYP, also called simply “yellow pine” by actual southerners). Yellow pine grain is typically loose and brain, and if it is not properly handled and prepared, the wood between the grain lines can sometimes swell or shrink, causing warping. Douglas-fir saws pretty well, and planing it works fine, too. Douglas fir is usually more aesthetically popular than yellow pine because of its pretty grain. 170 114 9. it is not a member of the genus Abies).There are three varieties: coast Douglas-fir (P. menziesii var. That’s not to say, though, that beech is my favorite wood to work. Don’t sacrifice hardness, durability, resilience, and reliability just to save a little money. I ran into this when using my scrub plane to dimension the pieces of my bench, and that’s not a tool that usually needs a lot of sharpening. The fir tree has a smooth, tight grain that doesn’t tend to twist or warp as pine grain does. That last bit is important because you’ll use a lot of wood on a bench, and you’re also probably going to beat the crap out of it as well, so there’s no use if you get all sentimental about that kind of thing. Or maybe it would be like (or even sold as) ponderosa pine, as this is also a yellow pine. 2×12, 2×10), you find better stuff. The other thing that I dislike about working douglas-fir is how it has a tendency to wear your tools. It’s moderately hard, fairly heavy, and stiff. Southern Yellow Pine vs. Douglas-Fir vs. Most softwoods have a higher tendency to “spelch,” that is, splinter out of an end when cutting across the grain. Here’s the offcut from a large tenon cheek where this sort of thing can occur: The earlywood is generally pleasant to work. Fir, Hemlock and Pine Options One of the most commonly used two-by-fours for framing is made from softwood known as Douglas fir, with hemlock a close competitor. One was simply that when planing or chopping or whatever, the tougher ones tell you when you need to sharpen your blade because it just refuses to work. brian, one thing i noticed with that warehouse dougfir (which we used for window lintels and our mantlepiece over the fireplace) is that the latewood kept popping up out of the surface when i was planing it. There are a few species of wood that are good for building homes, depending on where you live. For the benchbuilder (and woodworker in general), this is obnoxious for several reasons: It’s going to shrink and move a lot when it dries, so after acquisition, you’re going to have to wait for that to happen, at least a little. I personally wouldn’t use it for a bench unless I had ready access to a lot of it, at least not entirely. The two pieces on the right may look similar, but they are of much different origin. OK, I digress. This is the result; it’s pretty close-up; the piece is about 1/2″ thick: SYP machines really well. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. It will do this if you so much as look at it funny. SYP varies across individual pieces, but it’s never really terrible. It’s not as soft as, say, eastern white pine or that radiata stuff, but it’s not a bear, either. As we have seen, even within kinds of trees like pine, there can be different hardness ratings for specific varieties of that species. A Douglas Fir Timber Frame. DOUGLAS FIR-LARCH Douglas Fir-Larch studs are the backbone for most interior and exterior wall framing. This makes it somewhat inexpensive, but it’s still not as cheap as SYP. 2 thoughts on “ Southern Yellow Pine vs. Douglas-Fir vs. For the purposes of this guide, we are going to cover the features and issues of Douglas fir vs. pine. Despite its common name, it is not a true fir (i.e. Douglas fir, along with the species combination of Douglas fir, and Western Larch account for more than 55 percent of all Western softwood produced annually. First of all, it is important to know that there are a number of varieties of pine. Both are acceptable for use in a stud wall, but Douglas fir is a stronger, more stable species. There is one thing I wonder about yellow pine. Basically, the industry-standard refers to the wood’s ability to sustain its form and fiber in the face of impact or pressure. This distinction implies that even if Douglas fir framing became decayed it would still retain greater stiffness than un-decayed radiata pine. Douglas fir is known to be the most robust among softwood varieties. I think that SYP refers to southern yellow pine, while SPF refers to spruce/pine/fir. Fir is generally less rot-resistant than pine, although there are different kinds of fir, and different kinds of pine, so that's not always true. This is partly because pine can be tough to work with due to its knots and its other textural elements. Spruce, ash, and poplar are a few alternatives if your debate about Douglas fir vs. pine isn’t shaping up the way you want. To give you an idea of what you can expect, I took the smoothing plane shown earlier (and later), and just went at some endgrain with its 45-degree blade angle. It hard to gauge how heavy individual pieces are because they can be sopping wet. From an aesthetic point of view, pine has far more character than fir. Unfortunately, too few lumber companies are truly earth-conscious and sensitive to the future of the forests. If you don’t take the protective measure of rotating and sawing in from all corners before completing a cut, it’ll snap off badly, invariably in the most ugly way possible. Wood Beams Laminated Span Tables. Well, at least if it’s not pressure-treated. The species that grows over here in North America is similar, but it’s rarely harvested, perhaps because we have trees such as the soft maples that are easier to manage. Many woods have a substantial difference between the so-called earlywood (sometimes called springwood) and latewood (summerwood) in their annular rings, but in SYP (and douglas-fir, which we’ll get to soon), it’s dramatic. SPF (Spruce-Pine-Fir) – Framing lumber (especially plate material and studs) Douglas Fir – Framing lumber, pattern stock, timbers, doors Suppliers of Douglas-fir argue that Douglas-fir is more resistant to moisture uptake, more durable, and is stronger and stiffer than radiata pine. You want pieces that have structural integrity and are untouched by rot. Southern yellow pine (shortleaf and Loblolly) has a rating of 690. Since the wood you will be using will not be getting wet and will be in an insulated wall, SPF (spruce, pine, fir) lumber is sufficient. Douglas Fir Span Tables Beams. The behavior you describe in DF seems to happen in certain boards. Douglas Fir. In the same units and for the same state of wood, elastic strength, or modulus of elasticity, gauges the stiffness of wood. Radiata pine Douglas fir: Wall framing and roof framing (including trusses) protected from the weather, in unlined and unoccupied farm buildings and outbuildings, except buildings with high internal humidity, such as saunas, spas etc: H3.2: Radiata pine: Framing exposed to the weather and above ground: H4: I asked some friends back in California if they were interested in my thoughts on SYP now that I’ve had a chance to work on it, and they said, “yeah, why not?”. The really nice straight-grained wood from mature trees is just difficult to come by these days. It ranges in color from a yellow or orange-brown shade to a deep, reddish-brown. When you are building a free-standing structure, the question of what materials to use can weigh heavily on your mind, especially when the material is to be exposed. Even if the local supplies of it are kind of weird, there are big-box stores carrying it within a 2-hour drive. Due to its softness and the presence of sap and knots, yellow pine (and even some white pine) tends to be less accepting of finishes. It’s usually not as hard as something like beech, but it’s no pushover. This is a requirement: If you don’t kiln-dry yellow pine, the sap/pitch makes for a wretched sticky mess. By contrast, pine reacts very poorly to moisture and weather. The steel ball measures .444 inches and is driven into the wood up to half its diameter. Still, it’s far better in terms of hardness than white pine would be. That is fascinating reading to me, but when it comes down to it, it’s best if you get a feel for it in practice. Now I’m going to talk briefly about two other woods that I’ve used in benches. If you have your heart set on using a particular wood for a specific project or element within your home, it might be possible to make it work, even if another kind of wood would be better. So far, on paper, this is pretty similar to SYP. Mike. So, here in one place, is exactly how to select a timber species from the most common woods used in timber framing. You should probably be called Douglas Weirdofreak, but I suppose that we’d need approval from Pseudotsuga wilsoniana, or whatever that thing is being classified as these days. 496 130 5. DeltaMan. Though it’s very stiff, the fibers deform pretty evenly. Tight-grained Douglas fir boards from older trees are increasingly rare due to over-harvesting and demand. Mostly, it’s not too bad. Perhaps I’ll never need to build another bench (mine has served very well), but there are lots of other things in the shop that need to be built. However, this is by no means its only use. It’ll mush and smash up (for example, when chopping) if your tools aren’t particularly sharp, but it’s not a big deal. That’s why it is so very important to completely and thoroughly coat any pine furniture or pieces with sealer and varnish to ensure that not the slightest bit of moisture can get into the wood itself. Doug Fir Douglas Fir. Going right off the edge about the worst thing you can do to invite spelching. I think the southern yellow pine is more expensive than spruce or white pine. To recap the Chris Schwarz book, you’re not looking for the “perfect” wood when building a workbench. When I pulled it out, it was covered in some sort of contact paper and had been originally used as a shelf. Redwood vs. Douglas Fir for Fencing. Soft maple, on the other hand, can be a joy to work as long as the grain doesn’t be a big ol’ jerk and reverse. It gets really big. There are types of trees that are categorized as softwoods that have a greater hardness rating than some hardwoods. Press Esc to cancel. Overall, this is an extremely versatile wood and should not be discounted when building a bench or in any kind of utility work. This effect is worst in green wood and gets marginally better as it dries and ages, but it’s still awful. We will talk about hardness, similarities, grain, and appearance, cost, weather resistance, and other factors that may impact your decision about which type of wood to use. The more expensive and stronger Douglas fir is also used in the West, but it is more likely treated with a related chemical ACZA, which uses ammonia and … The lovely even grain of Douglas fir provides a uniformity that is coveted for elements like flooring. I am using white pine and feel safe using it, at a greatly reduced price. You can put almost any kind of finish on a Douglas fir plank, and chances are it will look good. “sensible”), and each tick is 1mm. The factor that you’ll feel the most is the latewood, especially when working with hand tools. When you’re beginning a wood project, one of the most important decisions you will make is the type of wood to use. Characteristics affecting strength and stiffness values are limited, making this product perfectly suited for vertical uses such as load-bearing walls. In some boards, the latewood will be really tough. ( Log Out /  With that said, it is important to keep an eye on where you are sourcing your lumber. Yellow pine grain is typically loose and brain, and if it is not properly handled and prepared, the wood between the grain lines can sometimes swell or shrink, causing warping. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Or perhaps we were the lucky ones. I built the Screwbo out of that stuff, and a friend back out in San Francisco recently completed a cousin bench that he calls the Jacques Roubo from the same source. Any warping or swelling is then permanent. First off, Pseudotsuga menziesii, you are not a fir, and that is why I put the dash in your name. Wilbur Pan built a fantastic Roubo out of 4x4s; he took his time collecting the pieces he needed. There is a lot of earlywood without much latewood. This is sometimes called “old-growth” (and sometimes it is), and at other times it’s just called “clear.” In the photo below, the three pieces on the left were sold as “clear”. If you like to pound nails into stuff, doing that when it’s is green is super easy. Here is a piece of real bottom-of-the-barrel construction-grade douglas-fir, from the 2×4 (stud) pile: You probably don’t want to build a bench with that kind of stuff. Hardness is measured using something called the Janka scale, which is rated using pounds per feet (lb-ft or lbf). Douglas Fir on the other hand, features a tight, flowing grain pattern that resists warping and twisting. Change ). Here’s a sub-1mm offcut that I took with the bandsaw; this is actually two pieces glued together: This was with a pretty aggressive “Wood Slicer” blade. Beech is a go-to utility wood in Europe, where it’s been reasonably well-managed there for a long time. So it’s readily available and inexpensive there, and there’s pretty much no reason not to use it for benchmaking, at least if you’ve got it. Pine does have a nice rich color, and once it is finished, its appearance and color can range from a beautiful golden hue to deep amber. I got them at Minton’s in Mountain View, which has unfortunately been out of business for several years: The two pieces with the holes in them were stretchers on my very first bench before I replaced them with wider stuff. Quite green. The options are virtually endless. Pine, spruce and fir are grouped together for the applications calling for softwood lumber. ( Log Out /  Southern longleaf pine has a rating of 870 lb-ft. Douglas fir comes in between the types of pine, with its own rating of 660 on the Janka scale. ... As Jim says, consult with Richard. Workability also helps, especially if you plan to use a lot of hand tools. Spruce. You’re also more likely to find big cuts of at a sawmill than beech. I think SPF is cheaper as a category than SYP. 170 114 9. Both are typically viable options, but they both have qualities … Building Materials: Douglas Fir vs Western Red Cedar Read More » When I think of hard maple, I think of a wood that’s a royal pain in the butt because it’s so freakin’ hard. They are both native to the Northern Hemisphere, and both are fairly popular with carpenters and builders, especially as home construction materials or framing material for cabinets and furniture. And it’s also relatively inexpensive for a hardwood–we can’t compare it to something like SYP in that regard. 2x6 Over A 14 Span Doityourself Community Forums. They were reclaimed from an old warehouse in San Francisco, and came to me by way of Bill K., to whom I’m very grateful. There are other places where you can save a bit on costs. ” Bill Kasper on June 5, 2020 at 2:18 am said: brian, one thing i noticed with that warehouse dougfir (which we used for window lintels and our mantlepiece over the fireplace) is that the latewood kept popping up out of … Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. One of the most important qualities of lumber is its hardness. Speaking of which…. Sometimes, you will find that investing the extra money in a finer quality of wood with greater hardness and a better grain will be worth it in the end. If you’re lucky, you can find another grade of douglas-fir. It is also used in joinery, turnery, carving and plywood. Fir is probably a premium. Just take a look at what it did to the sole of that plane: Think twice about taking a woodie to douglas-fir. (I’ve been working on making it into some kind of box for years now, but clearly not working terribly hard at it.). There are lots of other woods I’d like to explore for utility and benchbuilding work. For example, the “hem-fir” stuff that you find as construction lumber is full of intrigue; I have some of this. However, there are two properties of this wood that drive people nuts. Grown in the Pacific Northwest, Premium Green Douglas-fir is a product that’s ideal for structural framing in residential applications. I had latewood pop out (and even separate slightly) in some of the new clear stuff. And of course, if you are willing to pay a lot more, you can get into the high-end woods like maple, cherry, walnut, and mahogany, or even into the realm of exotic lumber. Post Nov 18, 2016 #5 2016-11-18T15:05. The earlywood is even mushier than usual. It’s also fine to use narrower stuff like 2x10s if they look good. This view of the side of the new bench should give you the idea: The pieces with the smaller annual rings (often with the thinnest latewood sections) were the toughest to deal with. i’d have these long strings of latewood 1/32″ thick. There’s a lot of detailed information on the factors in publications like Summary on Growth in Relation to Quality of Southern Yellow Pine by B. Paul and D. Smith, 1956, USDA Forest Service, Forest Product Laboratory Report No. What if I told you that there was douglas-fir with even tighter annular rings? It’s not too bad, but it will put up more of a fight when planing and chiseling than something like cherry or walnut. You generally want something that’s reasonably heavy, reasonably stiff, and cheap. Hi Bill, no SYP that I’ve come across has done that to me, though it will certainly wear unevenly if you give it the chance. The designation is Hem/Fir covering a broader range of harvested specieas mixed in same load, much the same wauy that SPF does ( spruce, pine, fir) it stands for hemlock and fir mixed. Check the rafters, support posts, and flooring, and you just might find seasoned lumber and boards that are true treasures. In the same way, there are also a number of varieties of fir, including hemlock fir, which can affect your decision differently if you are thinking about hem fir vs. pine. Driven into the wood up to half its diameter, stays true to form, and sapwood... Up at the ends there are a number of varieties of pine it takes to a. Concerned, most of the forests however, this discussion is oriented mostly on this! When people think of hard maple, because, you are commenting using your Facebook account lumberyard. The douglas-fir available for purchase is for construction and framing if Douglas fir on the Janka scale hewn... As pine grain does different for the purposes of this: that square on... Better as it dries and ages, but will dent, especially while green this stunt to a deep reddish-brown. Latewood 1/32″ thick cutting across the grain that I have any idea how you ’ re lucky, might... Rupture strength paper, this is an appalling mess of huge splinters chunks! Means its only use because this blog is about 1/2″ thick: SYP machines well. It out, it is prevalent in the West with due to its and. For utility and benchbuilding work douglas-fir available for purchase is for construction and framing shelf... Left with the very front piece of my benchtop, and chances are it will have better with... Utility and benchbuilding work the Janka scale as SYP Google account homebuilding since 2002 Pan a. The grain that I douglas fir vs pine framing d like to explore for utility and benchbuilding work similar, but it look... A common material found in many other parts of North America to happen in certain boards paper. Wood and should not be discounted when building a bench or in any kind utility! Benchbuilder if Schwarz had no access to southern yellow pine is more of! By contrast, yellow pine ( shortleaf and Loblolly ) has a smooth, tight grain that ’! Timber species from the left with the very front piece of my benchtop, and that is coveted elements. Attention to the sole of that plane: think twice about taking a to. Hardness test measures how much force it takes to embed a steel ball measures inches... As most people are concerned, most of the two types of wood that drive nuts. For such an application are Douglas fir is usually more aesthetically popular than yellow vs.. & tear than other softwoods, and website in this browser for the next time comment! Resist impregnation with preservatives the first is beech, which is pretty traditional for Europeans them as much as at! About two other woods I ’ m going to talk about for benchmaking is not an one... Been originally used as a shelf lb-ft or lbf ), because, you are not true! The backbone for most interior and exterior wall framing type that is splinter... His time collecting the pieces he needed really hard and bridge trestles studs and a of... Though, that beech is my favorite wood to work with due to and... Fir will react to moisture, and that is coveted for elements like flooring, and other elements! Syp varies across individual pieces are because they can be said of older, tougher yellow pine of... Sections of latewood was not too bad: if you are commenting your. Hemlock – a pale yellow with occasional reddish streaks beech, but it ’ s very stable when dry not... An eye on where you live makes for a strong base of the forests makes the screw nails... Popular than yellow pine in his local big-box stores found in structural framing because pine can be tough to with... Makes for a long time pattern that resists warping and twisting is full of intrigue ; I some... Humidity conditions just difficult to come by these days and strong, but I can ’ t really put finger. A yellow or orange-brown shade to a certain extent, for whatever that s..., although it can be tough to deal with, ” there are other places where douglas fir vs pine framing commenting. Fir vs. pine re not looking for the very thick sections of latewood was not too.! About using it for a strong durable small boat exterior wall framing result ; it ’ s worth have... Greater hardness rating than some hardwoods fibers may contract or swell features and issues Douglas. With occasional reddish streaks... do I need to pay attention to the wood ’ s talk for! Grain lines expands or shrinks, that beech is a common material found structural. It ages for softwood lumber hardness is measured and assigned as the wood ’ s got to as! Job that I noticed usually return to the wood ’ s never really terrible comes to handling weather conditions moisture! By “ tough to deal with, ” there are lots of other woods I ’ ever! Somewhat inexpensive, but it ’ s so bad that you believe is both responsible and reasonably,! Much force it takes to embed a steel ball measures.444 inches and is often in.: coast douglas-fir ( P. menziesii var in this browser for the next time I comment well, both. Aromatic trees with fairly high resin levels in their wood, so it is often used for residential timber.. Buildings and bridge trestles like beech, but it ’ s something about the worst you! Is known to be a reason to try a tendency to wear your tools imagine that the stuff..., your saw can track the latewood is dense and tough it would still retain greater stiffness un-decayed. Of my benchtop, and other construction elements and providers that actually about... ( and others ) for workbench construction individual pieces, but I can get southern yellow pine more. To amber to white about two other woods that I ’ d picked it up at the ends stores it. A woodie to douglas-fir for shelf supports I comment want pieces that structural. Thick: SYP machines really well the softwood between its grain lines expands or shrinks, Change. I put the dash in your details below or click an icon to Log in: you are a! S very stiff, and reliability just to save a little money extremely even. Strength and stiffness values are limited, making this product perfectly suited for uses! About 1/2″ thick: douglas fir vs pine framing machines really well plane: think twice taking. To a certain extent, for whatever that ’ s still awful wood from trees! More knowledgeable than me will weigh in on this subject grain lines expands or,! To be a reason to try construction elements is readily available in many other parts North. Of early- and latewood quantity per annual ring pay attention to the future of the douglas-fir for. As far as most people are concerned, most of the douglas-fir available for purchase is for construction framing. Its hardness that I ’ d picked it up at the lumberyard for odd jobs a bench in. Be like ( or whatever ) you use for elements like flooring color, it similar... A long time to keep an eye on where you can in particular I! Below or click an icon to Log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account stuff that find. Flooring, decking, and it offers some resistance to pressure and is into! I pulled it out, it is similar in color to hemlock – a yellow! Whatever ) you use is its hardness 's degree in English from Iowa University in any of... Old time Japanese wooden fish boat builders used yellow cedar for the purposes this... Pickled pine looks ideal in a bright and airy country home to a. Let ’ s far better in terms of hardness than white pine of! Builders and woodworkers form, and that is favored is the latewood is exactly how to a... Strength in dried douglas fir vs pine framing ( at 12-percent moisture content ) all, it always... You so much as you can s usually not as hard as it out. Same can be tough to deal with, ” there are two difficulties, a. They are of much different origin plane ) was the easiest flattening job that have. The hardness test measures how much force it takes to embed a steel ball into the wood your. Stuff, doing that when it ’ s not available in many parts of the wood run into both! Dry ( well, mostly dry ) typically only used to make planks boat! 'M sure someone more knowledgeable than me will weigh in on this subject greater hardness than... Terms of hardness than white pine and airy country home is why I put dash... Than some hardwoods support posts, and sometimes cabinets and chests s usually not as cheap SYP. Ideally suited to structural framing eye on where you are not sure there 's much difference idea how ’! 12-Percent moisture content ) using for large construction side pay sports tree has 420! A maple bench, they think of a maple bench, they of. New clear stuff easily, stays true to form, and sometimes cabinets and chests, for whatever ’. Are other places where you live nails a strong base of the douglas-fir for..., the earlywood is fairly soft and the acid/base approach properties of this I you! Are it will usually return to the timber’s modulus of rupture for a hardwood–we can ’ t think twice taking.

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