Comments on: The Cheap, Good Wood

By: JC

JC — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:09:22 +0000

Any suggestions for tons of leftover yellow pine and plywood cuts?

We have an export crating company (in Houston) and I hate to just throw it away.

Of course, I would love to be creative enough to make money at getting rid of it… but would be satisfied simply to have it put to eco-friendly way! I wish I knew anything about woodworking… then I would just need the time to work it! Thanks y’all.

By: Ray Niedbalski Jr

Ray Niedbalski Jr — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:08:32 +0000

I would guess that well over 95% of the hundreds of wood furniture pieces I have made in the past 50+ years have been made from lumberyard-purchased, S4S pine. It is true that pine sometimes stubbornly resists a proper stain with blotches here and there. But, I have also found that sanding with extra-fine grit can many times reduce the blotching. I’ve also learned that color has a lot to do with how well the end product looks. Very light colors, such as Golden Oak, will stain pine well and so will dark colors like Jacobean. Intermediate colors like Ipswitch Pine or Maple may require a little more effort such as spot sanding between multiple coats. I’m not a fan of pre-stain sealers, since I would rather have the character of the wood shine through. Many times I will select a piece of wood based on a grain pattern that will enhance the overall appearance of the project. I can probably remember each and every piece that I built and had to paint for a customer.

I have made furniture out of oak skids, Cherry that was destined to become skids, and from SPF dimensional lumber planed to 5/4 when 5/4 was not readily available. I’ve also built linen cabinets and blanket chests from Cedar sawn from a tree removed from my property. I think it is important to be creative, use what is available and in the case of pine quite affordable. Perhaps since I primarily build Colonial and Shaker designs, pine works well for me and although pine will dent and scratch more easily than ‘hardwoods’, to me, that is part of the ‘character building’ process my creations go through as they age. Ray

By: Don Woodward

Don Woodward — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:58:19 +0000

Ditto to the above comments, but I might add….I have made many vases, bowls, plates and urns using Pine. Turns nice, takes most finishes well. Recently made a very nice cremation urn for a gentleman. I also have some Lodgepole pine that I grew on my property, and use on an ongoing basis. In short…thumbs up!!

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:56:02 +0000

I’ve been using the pines for decades. like anything it has its learning curve. And it doesn’t have to be painted. sealed and done right it can stain up fine. I prefer it clear though. it works well with cherry,elm,alder as an accent wood. I have gone through several thousand feet of beetle killed pine. Some beautiful blues and grays to add to the colors. Unless you are just into plain old clear boring wood.

By: Roger

Roger — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:46:27 +0000

Good pine is an oxymoron.