Oak or Doug fir ?

Postby **jfc** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:22 pm

I have a 6"x6" piller to turn and have been offered doug fir or oak . Its an external piller holding up a victorian porch canopy so gets weathered .
Any preferance ? Or any other timber to consider ?

jonnyd · Postby **jonnyd** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:49 pm

Are you talking about soild lumps of wood or are you laminating? I would have thought there would be a good chance of splitting in both types in that size section unless your very careful with your timber selection.

cheers

Jon

modernist · Postby **modernist** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:51 pm

On the assumption that it is not for the cat and actually 6' high I would go against the probable majority and go for DF.
It turns nicely and, if you select a dark bit, will be full of resin which will preserve it better than oak. After that it depends how you construct the column and the finish. If paint then deffo DF.

Postby **jfc** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:01 pm

Paint finish and yes a solid post . I did think about laminating it but then got quotes for no pith solid and it wasnt that bad .
Over £100 for 2m though .
Im guessing for the section i want im going to get part quater sawn and part crown .

modernist · Postby **modernist** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:13 pm

I've never used DF bigger than 6 x 4" section. I would have thought 150 x 150 would be prone to split, pith or not. Sometimes what Brooks Bros optimistically call "surface checking" I call splits and you will also likely have resin pockets to deal with. Nevertheless the preserving effect of the resin is excellent. I'm not an expert on laminating but maybe 3 off 6 x 2 might be easier to manage.

jonnyd · Postby **jonnyd** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:41 pm

Im with brian i think youll be lucky to get that section which is dry enough in the middle to not split as it drys out. I would laminate out of 3 ex 2 1/2 inch pieces if you need a full 150mm section

cheers

Jon

Postby **jfc** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:51 pm

Im not against laminating it but every job i have seen thats had this done it shows .

modernist · Postby **modernist** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:23 pm

jfc wrote:Im not against laminating it but every job i have seen thats had this done it shows .

It might show less than splits. I don't see why it should show unless the boards were different grades.

Postby **jfc** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:04 am

I dont know either because i didnt make them but it shows . I'm wondering if its just a cheaper way to do the job or a better method ?

modernist · Postby **modernist** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:17 am

If you want to be really fancy you could cooper it, like a mast.

Postby **jfc** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:31 am

More joints to fail

nickw · Postby **nickw** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:19 am

Presumably this is a replacement. If so what's the current one made of?

Ooh err, I feel a little wave of Grimsdaleism coming over me. The old guys knew best. Copy what they did. etc etc etc

Stop sniggering at the back.

tusses · Postby **tusses** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:22 am

but they don't make wood like they used to !

Postby **jfc** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:32 am

The old one is solid , probably doug fir .

woodsmith · Postby **woodsmith** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:39 pm

I'd laminate it out of 2 pieces of 6x3 or 4 pieces of 3x3, that way the joints are at 90 degrees to the outside face and should turn better and not show the joint compared to using 3 pieces where the joint is running at a shallow angle to the face.

mattty · Postby **mattty** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:46 pm

I'd deffo use Fir if its painted.

Edit- I would even consider Redwood, and i would also laminate it.

modernist · Postby **modernist** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:28 pm

If you use 4 segments coopered the machining is straight forward, uses less timber and shows even grain all round.
4 bits of 5 x 2 will do it, just, or make the hollow a little bigger. I think this is more accomodating to timber movement than laminating and is also the trad way of doing it. Why bother with the lathe (have you got one that will turn 6'?) you could plane it.

You could even make it in two halves and biscuit it.

Postby **jfc** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:48 pm

It has to be turned because its got wiggly bits on it and shapes and stuff .

mattty · Postby **mattty** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:11 pm

jfc wrote:It has to be turned because its got wiggly bits on it and shapes and stuff .

Lol

tusses · Postby **tusses** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:03 pm

I know nothing...
but with my lack of knowledge, I'd have gone for oak. cuz oak trees are cool 8-)

and, I'd have gone for one chunk of solid 'middle of tree' bit - heart wood/center ring , right through the center.

If it 'checks' then fill and paint as part of the yearly maintenance

All old (any) 'real' wood splits or twists , or shows joins , or laminations , or whatever , after a while. That's what's nice about it

.... I know nothing

Postby **Andys Woodshed** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:49 pm

tusses wrote:I know nothing...
I'd have gone for one chunk of solid 'middle of tree' bit - heart wood/center ring , right through the center.

Its called a boxed heart and it will split

tusses · Postby **tusses** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:28 pm

I guessed it would split a bit, but like using a small trunk / thick branch whole for building or telegraph poles etc, I thought it would be structurally sound ?

so is it a no-no then ? ... just for future reference

Postby **Andys Woodshed** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:42 pm

structurally sound yes just like a telegraph pole

but splits and is unstable

tusses · Postby **tusses** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:07 pm

Postby **jfc** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:21 pm

I removed the old post today and it was quater sawn doug fir ...

I then nipped over to a mates place who is doing a loft conversion and in the garden was the old doug fir 1920's purlins

7x3 m/c between 10 - 16%

modernist · Postby **modernist** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:54 pm

Are you sure that is DF and not just DFish?
Looks a bit pale to me.

Postby **jfc** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:40 pm

Yup DF . I could lose the pith and still have 2" stock or just chuck it on the fire :lol:

Postby **jfc** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:08 pm

I got two bits of 9x4 unsorted redwood in the end and glued them together .

nickw · Postby **nickw** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:04 pm

Did you turn it yourself?

modernist · Postby **modernist** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:13 pm

It's definitely an improvement

Postby **jfc** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 11:41 pm

Turned on the legacy baby yeah

If you take the cogs off the wood spins itself as you move the router along :shock:

I did a bit of wee as the 6x6 got up to 3000 rpm :lol:

Postby **jfc** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 3:18 pm

Some more

Postby **jfc** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:49 pm

Fitted today

Postby **promhandicam** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:52 pm

That looks the business Jase. Do all the houses in the road have the same detail? If so I'd take some pics and make up a flyer to drop in to the neighbours.

tusses · Postby **tusses** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:34 am

promhandicam wrote:That looks the business Jase. Do all the houses in the road have the same detail? If so I'd take some pics and make up a flyer to drop in to the neighbours.

what he said ^^^

looks good

Postby **jfc** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:36 pm

The whole estate has them . I could deliver the flyers while i do my paper round :lol:

tusses · Postby **tusses** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:46 pm

jfc wrote:The whole estate has them . I could deliver the flyers while i do my paper round

or sllip the paper boy a fiver

thatsnotafestool · Postby **thatsnotafestool** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:09 pm

Really smart, Jas.

The work, I mean, not slipping the paper boy one for a fiver.

karl · Postby **karl** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:14 pm

Top work Jase - looks great.

sainty · Postby **sainty** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:26 pm

Nice, Jas. How did you join old to new?

Who is online