For DW’s Birthday, we spent an overnight at a nearby Oregon Caves Nat’l Monument.
The caves themselves are a unique marble cave system that was first discovered by a hunter in 1874 and eventually (1909) came under Federal oversight.
In 1934, a Civilian Conservation Corps crew constructed a six story lodge in a ravine near the entrance to the caves. The facility has been a National Park Monument since that time.
Local timber was used in construction, mostly Port-Orford Cedar, of the structural beams and the handsplit shakes.
And the buildings throughout the site are sides with the bark from the Old-growth Port-Orford Cedar logs that were cut for the building.
Oddly enough, the siding and subsiding are still in terrific condition after all these years.
There is no tarpaper and the bark is nailed directly to what appears to be painted plywood sheathing.
I’ve included a photo of a beam splice that is used thought the building where 16″ X 24″ POC beams are joined over 20″ dia log posts.
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Awesome; thanks for sharing.
POC is a really cool wood. Easy to carve (think Totem Poles) and holds up very well to weather. It is quite oily. I did a deck here on the east cost with it many years ago. It is still in fine shape. It weathers to a velvety silver color and feel.
A local yard carried it for a year or so and I have never seen it again. I've poked around looking for it from time to time and most folks around the east have never heard of it.
Eric
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It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
I have quite a bit of it on my property and, when I had my sawmill, cut some of it for my house along with including some of the logs in my house.
I've done a lot of work on a local vacation home and used a lot of POC for interior paneling and trim.
The aroma of POC is very unique and that vacation home is always pleasant to walk into, even after months of vacancy.
There are also a lot of local commercial fishing boats constructed of POC, from the keel up. It is very rot resistent and, unlike most of the other cedars, is quite strong; it's strength characteristics are not too far under that of Doug fir.
If you ever have a call for it, email me....there is a very well-run, family owned local mill that cuts POC exclusively and ships all over the world.
There is also a local shingle mill that, while mostly cutting Western Red Cedar, does cut a fair amount of POC shingles.
And there is also a local operation that cuts POC arrow blanks for the traditional archers out there.
Thanks for the offer and reminding me about the boat and arrow thing.
Lovely wood. I'm sure you know much more than I!
Eric[email protected]
It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
I get it, but not the nicce clear stuff. Heard that the best always goes to Japan.I have developed sensitivity to it. So I can't imagine using it indoors. Have it on my porch deks though
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Heard that the best always goes to Japan.
I was told that the harvest was limited or such. Not being a mainstream product, perhaps most suppliers just don't want to deal it, let alone stock it.
I think it is wonderful stuff if not a bit soft though. How has it held up as decking for you and what have you done to maintain it?
Eric
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It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
Exports of POC to Japan pretty much came to a halt when their economy tanked in the 90's.
Besides, there's not that much of the old growth left that's not in parks or preserves.
But, during the era of very high export prices for POC, the volume of logs going out of our local port here to Japan were mind-boggling.
Not to hijack your Q. to Pif, but, as a deck material, it's quite a bit harder than W. Red Cedar and Redwood. POC is similar, as a building material, to Alaskan Yellow Cedar. As a deck material, I would recommend it, but it's important that you use only heartwood. POC sapwood has absolutely no rot resistance.
But there is still enough of a supply trickle of the older stuff to source at least one local mill.
And there is a lot of second-growth available....I have about 100K bd ft of it standing scattered through the Doug Firs and Red Cedars on my place alone....but I'm inclined to leave it alone.
Edited 9/24/2006 8:32 pm by Notchman
I have about 100K bd ft of it standing scattered through the Doug Firs and Red Cedars on my place alone....but I'm inclined to leave it alone.
I think I'd like it better there anyway than on a deck or something.[email protected]
It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
ten years now.
About every 2-3 years I solid stain it. So far, it is like new as far as wear or fungii, rot, etc.At a show - JLC, I sw samples at a lumber brokers display of nice clear stuff, and I asked how I could get that as all I had ever gotten was with tight knots every ouple feet. They said thatr since the Japanese revere cedar, they pay a premium for the clear wood from lower down in the larger trees, but all we can get in NE is tree tops
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!