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I have available about 1500 bd. ft. of 4/4X12X14 old pine that was used for interior walls in an old structure. I need advice in using it. I have lightly planned a couple of pieces and it is beautiful — about 50% heart — some worm holes in the sap wood — the sap wood is not doted. There is a small amount of cup in some of the boards — maybe 1/8″.
I would like to use it for flooring in a new house and / or furniture building.
I need wise counsel on the problems and opportunities I might encounter with the above uses. How to deal with the cup, how to install it for flooring, other? Thanks for your help.
Bill Shivers
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Bill, there are many here who know a heck of a lot more than I do, but I will tell you that I was lucky enough to get some old sinker cypress boards! I used a 12" wide one for a breakfast counter, off the regular kitchen counter (put it up with heavy duty shelf brackets), and the rest we made a table with. Cupping wasn't a problem. I wonder if you could use the old trick of putting the board(s), cupped side down, on damp grass, in the sun, so that it straightens out?
Good luck!
Patty
*The problems are few and the opportunities many! When planing watch out for nails & such.(something you probably already know) A cheap metal detector will pay for itself in planer blades and saw blades. I would love to get a lead on a booty like that! Just curious(nosy) how did you hear about such a stash, and what did you pay for it? The projects and uses are endless.Furniture, antique reproductions,home restaurant and office remodels. Check with local architects and interior design firms if your looking to sell some. And if you're a professional carpenter this might give you a foot in the door to bid work for these people. Flooring sounds OK but some pines are quite soft and dent easy. Good luck and let us know sometime what you used it for!-John
*So, how old is the lumber? What species is it--it's not Longleaf, is it? Are you going to resaw? What is the MC?
*Hey, Bill, would you like to trade some of that there pine for some bee-yoo-ti-full hand-dyed silk? ; )John, come check out New Orleans; we're still not completely into renovation and salvaging, so there are lots of places to get lumber and original fixtures. I got my sinker cypress when a neighbor tore down an old barge-board fence!Patty
*That stuff is worthless, but to be a nice guy, ship it to me, I'll even pay for the shipping and discard it for you. okay, really I'd call up one of the many companies that turn old wood into flooring and ask them what to do. I believe they kiln dry it.
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Jealous ..... is it wp or syp? Either would make a beautiful floor. White pine dents and dings easier (some call it character). As noted earlier, watch out for old nails etc. when you plane.I'd be inclined to screw and plug it, running the floor perpendicular to the joists.Old syp I've worked with (especially longleaf) seems to turn into iron, making it no fun to drive nails. Moisture content is important, too.Check it with a moisture meter.Let it sit in area where it is to be installed for two weeks so it can adjust to the interior climate. Check the board width to see that it is consistent ...makes laying the floor much easier.
*Was wonderin' if lumberyards around N.O. sell cypress clapboards and shingles? Hows the quality and price?Thanks
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Bill,
Welcome aboard, but you need to sign in and quit being a guest user. Be sure to give your exact location when signing in and the hours during the day that you typically aren't at home.
*I was restoring an old Victorian last year. Our best lumber supplier was a buddy that tore down old sawmills for a living. Beams that were up to 5x12x20. Much of it vertical grain. He also had VG doug fir 2x6s and flooring galore. He let us use his planer on the condition that he could use the yard for storage and plane wood when he needed to.We built new double hung windows to match the diamond pane sashes that we restored. We also used a lot for door frames. Run it through a shaper and you've got beautiful trim. Pine flooring is a bit soft, but makes for a wonderful floor. Who cares about a few dings? It gives that distressed look.It would also make a nice counter top or tables or it would probably look real nice in my shop all stacked up!Gary (my buddy) would go through it twice pulling nails then run over it with a metal detector. Planing it takes a little of the cup out, but be careful not to take off too much...To use for flooring you should be able to use a shaper to cut tounge and groove into the edges. You can also buy a shaper blade for a table saw if you don't have a shaper.As I see it, your biggest problem is what you're going to do when it's gone.Dreamily,Dan
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I have available about 1500 bd. ft. of 4/4X12X14 old pine that was used for interior walls in an old structure. I need advice in using it. I have lightly planned a couple of pieces and it is beautiful -- about 50% heart -- some worm holes in the sap wood -- the sap wood is not doted. There is a small amount of cup in some of the boards -- maybe 1/8".
I would like to use it for flooring in a new house and / or furniture building.
I need wise counsel on the problems and opportunities I might encounter with the above uses. How to deal with the cup, how to install it for flooring, other? Thanks for your help.
Bill Shivers