I've recently started making small boxes for mounting original prints (on
the top). Unfortunately my joinery skills are currently inadequate; I
see a lot small flaws in every box I make, and I want to achieve a
higher standard of workmanship before I start selling the boxes. Each box
gets a little better, as I work out techniques and proportions, so
there's progress. I've been making boxes out of poplar, but since I'm
now resigned to doing a number of practice boxes, I'd like to use
something a little less expensive. (Yeah, I know poplar isn't that much.)
Anyhow, to finally get to the point, what do you all think of the working
properties of radiata pine? It looks pretty good-- I've used it for shop
jigs-- and it has a rather pretty, if simple, grain. In my small
experiments, it seems to take stain fairly evenly. Thanks much for any
advice and guidance.
"ray" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've recently started making small boxes for mounting original prints (on
> the top). Unfortunately my joinery skills are currently inadequate; I
> see a lot small flaws in every box I make, and I want to achieve a
> higher standard of workmanship before I start selling the boxes. Each box
> gets a little better, as I work out techniques and proportions, so
> there's progress. I've been making boxes out of poplar, but since I'm
> now resigned to doing a number of practice boxes, I'd like to use
> something a little less expensive. (Yeah, I know poplar isn't that much.)
>
> Anyhow, to finally get to the point, what do you all think of the working
> properties of radiata pine? It looks pretty good-- I've used it for shop
> jigs-- and it has a rather pretty, if simple, grain. In my small
> experiments, it seems to take stain fairly evenly. Thanks much for any
> advice and guidance.
Radiata pine is widely available as a 'furniture' timber in Australia.
It is pale, soft, knotty, weak, glues ok, sands ok, cross-cuts poorly, nails
ok, drills poorly, screws poorly.
When plantation-grown and kiln-dried it twists, warps, bends, bows, and
checks, and when it dries further the knots fall out.
Radiata pine is to woodworking as a Big Mac is to fine cuisine. It is an
abomination.
It takes a stain ok though.
--
conehead
What is radiata pine? :-)
"ray" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've recently started making small boxes for mounting original prints (on
> the top). Unfortunately my joinery skills are currently inadequate; I
> see a lot small flaws in every box I make, and I want to achieve a
> higher standard of workmanship before I start selling the boxes. Each box
> gets a little better, as I work out techniques and proportions, so
> there's progress. I've been making boxes out of poplar, but since I'm
> now resigned to doing a number of practice boxes, I'd like to use
> something a little less expensive. (Yeah, I know poplar isn't that much.)
>
> Anyhow, to finally get to the point, what do you all think of the working
> properties of radiata pine? It looks pretty good-- I've used it for shop
> jigs-- and it has a rather pretty, if simple, grain. In my small
> experiments, it seems to take stain fairly evenly. Thanks much for any
> advice and guidance.
Well, I do a lot of things backwards, I Googled after I posted the question.
The OP seemed interested because of price. I'm not sure any imported wood
will be low priced. Consider the cost of Ponderosa pine at the borg. You can
buy hardwoods cheaper. (I know, wood from New Mexico is not imported -
except in Texas it is. :-)
In the Houston area, you can buy rough ash about as cheap as any thing, IIRC
it's less expensive than red oak.
"ray" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 21:31:36 +0000, Charlie Self wrote:
>
> > Lowell Holmes asks:
> >>What is radiata pine? :-)
> >
> > Pinus radiata. Monterey pine. US and Australia, with NZ and South
Africa also
> > as introduced ranges. Not much different from other pines.
> >
>
> I googled it before asking the newsgroup, but there seemed to be a lot
> more stuff on radiata as a quickly renewable wood resource than on its
> working qualities. It looks different from a lot of other pine, at least
> to my eye. I can't think of a really good way to describe it, but there's
> a degree of chatoyance (lapidary term, kind of a sheen) to the wood that
> ought to be very attractive if properly exploited.
>
> I guess no one's used it.
At Houston Hardwoods, Ash is 1.95/bd.ft, Red Oak #1 common is 1.75/bd.ft,
Poplar $1.80/bd.ft, and #1 common poplar is 1.13/bd.ft. All these prices is
for 4/4 stock. For 50 cents/bd.ft. they will mill it S2S1E.
IIRC, the borg prices for oak and poplar is about 4.00/bd. ft.
I normally buy the wood S2S1E.
I can't imagine buying wood from the borg. :-)
I guess I'll go look for radiata pine.
OBTW, Clark Hardwood Company prices are a little more than HH, but still
much cheaper than the borg.
"ray" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:44:12 -0500, Lowell Holmes wrote:
>
> > Well, I do a lot of things backwards, I Googled after I posted the
question.
> > The OP seemed interested because of price. I'm not sure any imported
wood
> > will be low priced. Consider the cost of Ponderosa pine at the borg. You
can
> > buy hardwoods cheaper. (I know, wood from New Mexico is not imported -
> > except in Texas it is. :-)
> >
> > In the Houston area, you can buy rough ash about as cheap as any thing,
IIRC
> > it's less expensive than red oak.
> >
>
> At HD, radiata pine is substantially cheaper than poplar, which is cheaper
> than oak.
>
ray <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:44:12 -0500, Lowell Holmes wrote:
>
>> Well, I do a lot of things backwards, I Googled after I posted the
>> question. The OP seemed interested because of price. I'm not sure any
>> imported wood will be low priced. Consider the cost of Ponderosa pine
>> at the borg. You can buy hardwoods cheaper. (I know, wood from New
>> Mexico is not imported - except in Texas it is. :-)
>>
>> In the Houston area, you can buy rough ash about as cheap as any
>> thing, IIRC it's less expensive than red oak.
>>
>
> At HD, radiata pine is substantially cheaper than poplar, which is
> cheaper than oak.
>
>
On the back of one of the better woodworking magazines was a feature on a
turner who used this wood, in particular because of the way the influence
of the branches extended all the way into the center of the tree. This
made for some spectacular turned bowls, with incredible grain patterns.
That is, if I remember this correctly, and it wasn't one of the old ones a
friend gave me.
Pine can be beautiful, done right. And the power company piles up the tree
trimmings to be taken away, no questions asked, so the price for green is
right....
Patriarch
On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 21:31:36 +0000, Charlie Self wrote:
> Lowell Holmes asks:
>>What is radiata pine? :-)
>
> Pinus radiata. Monterey pine. US and Australia, with NZ and South Africa also
> as introduced ranges. Not much different from other pines.
>
I googled it before asking the newsgroup, but there seemed to be a lot
more stuff on radiata as a quickly renewable wood resource than on its
working qualities. It looks different from a lot of other pine, at least
to my eye. I can't think of a really good way to describe it, but there's
a degree of chatoyance (lapidary term, kind of a sheen) to the wood that
ought to be very attractive if properly exploited.
I guess no one's used it.
On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:44:12 -0500, Lowell Holmes wrote:
> Well, I do a lot of things backwards, I Googled after I posted the question.
> The OP seemed interested because of price. I'm not sure any imported wood
> will be low priced. Consider the cost of Ponderosa pine at the borg. You can
> buy hardwoods cheaper. (I know, wood from New Mexico is not imported -
> except in Texas it is. :-)
>
> In the Houston area, you can buy rough ash about as cheap as any thing, IIRC
> it's less expensive than red oak.
>
At HD, radiata pine is substantially cheaper than poplar, which is cheaper
than oak.
Well, I'm deeply envious. There's nothing but HD and Lowes here (NW
Florida) and a couple of small suppliers who serve the local hobby market
and charge fairly high prices. Mail order seems pretty expensive when you
add in the freight.
I'm bereft.
On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 07:04:13 -0500, Lowell Holmes wrote:
> At Houston Hardwoods, Ash is 1.95/bd.ft, Red Oak #1 common is 1.75/bd.ft,
> Poplar $1.80/bd.ft, and #1 common poplar is 1.13/bd.ft. All these prices is
> for 4/4 stock. For 50 cents/bd.ft. they will mill it S2S1E.
> IIRC, the borg prices for oak and poplar is about 4.00/bd. ft.
> I normally buy the wood S2S1E.
>
> I can't imagine buying wood from the borg. :-)
>
> I guess I'll go look for radiata pine.
> OBTW, Clark Hardwood Company prices are a little more than HH, but still
> much cheaper than the borg.
>
http://www.google.com/search?q=radiata+pine&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
"Lowell Holmes" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What is radiata pine? :-)
>
> "ray" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I've recently started making small boxes for mounting original prints
(on
> > the top). Unfortunately my joinery skills are currently inadequate; I
> > see a lot small flaws in every box I make, and I want to achieve a
> > higher standard of workmanship before I start selling the boxes. Each
box
> > gets a little better, as I work out techniques and proportions, so
> > there's progress. I've been making boxes out of poplar, but since I'm
> > now resigned to doing a number of practice boxes, I'd like to use
> > something a little less expensive. (Yeah, I know poplar isn't that
much.)
> >
> > Anyhow, to finally get to the point, what do you all think of the
working
> > properties of radiata pine? It looks pretty good-- I've used it for
shop
> > jigs-- and it has a rather pretty, if simple, grain. In my small
> > experiments, it seems to take stain fairly evenly. Thanks much for any
> > advice and guidance.
>
>
On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 14:54:20 -0500, ray <[email protected]>
wrote:
snip--
>Anyhow, to finally get to the point, what do you all think of the working
>properties of radiata pine? It looks pretty good-- I've used it for shop
>jigs-- and it has a rather pretty, if simple, grain. In my small
>experiments, it seems to take stain fairly evenly. Thanks much for any
>advice and guidance.
Pinus radiata. aka Monterey pine. Grows like a weed here in NZ. It's
rather variable like many pines, but if you select good lengths, it's
a nice enough timber. Stay away from knotty bits, as they tend to drop
out as it dries. It is very cheap.
Easy to work, sands nicely and takes stains well. With care I have
seen it made into some very nice furniture.
Barry Lennox