Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

Hi:

Does the age of the wood have any significant influence on wood
strength or flexibility?

I recently salvaged a bunch of 1950-60s 2x4 and 2x6 Doug fir. All near
clear VG. Of course they had been used for studs?!?!?

I am assuming that they were air dried due to a local mill operations
back then.
Bob

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

Wouldn't be surprised if the vintage material had closer ring spacing, which
is preferable.
"Bob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi:

Does the age of the wood have any significant influence on wood
strength or flexibility?

I recently salvaged a bunch of 1950-60s 2x4 and 2x6 Doug fir. All near
clear VG. Of course they had been used for studs?!?!?

I am assuming that they were air dried due to a local mill operations
back then.
Bob

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

I don't think that those doug fir studs are worth anything so I will be
happy to take them off your hands.

you lucky dog

Brian

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

I'm not sure about other woods, but Douglas Fir gets harder over time. I've
run across old Douglas Fir, stuff from the mid-seventies, that you couldn't
even nail ...they just bent.

Brian


"Bob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi:

Does the age of the wood have any significant influence on wood
strength or flexibility?

I recently salvaged a bunch of 1950-60s 2x4 and 2x6 Doug fir. All near
clear VG. Of course they had been used for studs?!?!?

I am assuming that they were air dried due to a local mill operations
back then.
Bob

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

Brian D wrote:
I'm not sure about other woods, but Douglas Fir gets harder over time. I've
run across old Douglas Fir, stuff from the mid-seventies, that you couldn't
even nail ...they just bent.

Brian


Hi Brian:

In all honesty......... I'm not that knowldgable when it comes to
woodworking. So is there any problem with the older wood? I heard
somthing about it being brittle? Or was that comment from another
helpful person willing to just take it off my hands?

Ever see a house made out of 2x4 that were laid flat on top of each
other much like a log cabin? People did strange things in OR and WA
durring the 50s and 60s.
Bob

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

Jim Conlin wrote:
Wouldn't be surprised if the vintage material had closer ring spacing, which
is preferable.

Yes, kinda looks like the side of a stack of ten dollar bills. I kid
you not. Very tight. I counted about 1-3 knots per 8" stud. Each knot
was smaller than a dime.

I bought a three 2x4 for a house project last year. Made the mistake
leaving them outside for 24 hours. one went corkscrew, another bowed,
the third just split...............

Bob

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

Well, I've been here for 46 years now and I've yet to see a 2x4-stacked
house. I've seen several lodgepole type cabins in the woods though, mostly
dating back to the '20s when a few people were wishing they could find gold
here. They've all rotted and disappeared now.

But as far as using the old wood goes, it does NOT get brittle unless it's
got a fungus problem. If there's no whitish or blackish 'look' to it (cut
and look at the interior as well), and there are no soft spots, then the
wood's fine. It's gets stronger as it dries ...not brittle. Obviously,
green wood is more limber and breaks by splintering while dried wood is
stiffer, harder, and breaks in more of a 'snap', but that's true for all
woods and you can't build with green, so where's the problem? I'd love to
have some 50 year old wood to build with. If you bend your boat far enough
to break it, then you've got other problems.

Brian D



"Bob" wrote in message
ups.com...

Brian D wrote:
I'm not sure about other woods, but Douglas Fir gets harder over time.
I've
run across old Douglas Fir, stuff from the mid-seventies, that you
couldn't
even nail ...they just bent.

Brian


Hi Brian:

In all honesty......... I'm not that knowldgable when it comes to
woodworking. So is there any problem with the older wood? I heard
somthing about it being brittle? Or was that comment from another
helpful person willing to just take it off my hands?

Ever see a house made out of 2x4 that were laid flat on top of each
other much like a log cabin? People did strange things in OR and WA
durring the 50s and 60s.
Bob

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

That's old-growth. You've got yourself a real special find. I built a boat
that used old-growth Douglas Fir for the frames ...you couldn't fit a needle
between the grain lines. Excellent stuff and rock hard. Pretty too. Don't
let that good wood go to waste! If you build with it, be sure to pre-drill
(slightly undersized) for screws or ring nails. You'll have a tough time if
you don't.

Brian D



"Bob" wrote in message
oups.com...

Jim Conlin wrote:
Wouldn't be surprised if the vintage material had closer ring spacing,
which
is preferable.

Yes, kinda looks like the side of a stack of ten dollar bills. I kid
you not. Very tight. I counted about 1-3 knots per 8" stud. Each knot
was smaller than a dime.

I bought a three 2x4 for a house project last year. Made the mistake
leaving them outside for 24 hours. one went corkscrew, another bowed,
the third just split...............

Bob

I have found old fir to get a bit brittle to work, but don't let that stop you from using it it will be fine.
I have seen that construction at old farms, I have always assumed those structures were used for grain storage.
---Joel---

Kiln dry v. Air Dry v. 50+ year old Lumber
 

boatbuilder.org wrote:


I have found old fir to get a bit brittle to work, but don't let that
stop you from using it it will be fine.
I have seen that construction at old farms, I have always assumed those
structures were used for grain storage.
---Joel---
boatbuilder.org


Hello Everyone:

Thank you for the wood advice. I am not, by any streach, a boat
builder. But usually am adding or modifying somthing on my fibergflass
boat.

As far as the old growth doug fir studs... In OR and WA most the homes
built before the mid 1960s were framed with reasonably clear old
growth. I knew some hippies in the early 80s who were minning the stuff
durring building demos.

And whats with a home built with 2x4s layed flat!? I have seen one home
and one duplex in Oregon built that way. The duplex looked like a
standard 50s ranch home. No framming. Just 2x4s stacked. The floor, get
this... was 2x4 sistered togeteher like slices in a loaf of bread. That
incredible home was in Newport, OR. My friend Marvin Hamstreet lived
there for a while in the 1970s. I have a picture of it someplace. I
have also seen two other simular structures but they were "blasting
shacks." A place to store explosives. Not to be confused with a "skid
shack."

But enough of the goofy logging culture in the PNW.

Thank you again for the wood advice everyone. I shall continue using my
old 2x4s for those odd projects on my plastic boat.

Bob