This is a very utilised softwood which is readily available. It has a distinctive strong fragrance, which can be used as an excellent selling feature in fine cabinet work, it is ideal for use in exterior applications due to its natural durability

Thuja plicata

Production: S/E, DIM.

Distribution: A tree of the northern Rocky Mountains and Pacific North-west; its full range extends from Alaska southwards to California, and eastwards along many of the interior ranges of British Columbia, northern Washington, Idaho and Montana to the western slope of the continental divide.

General description: The sapwood is narrow and white in colour, and the heartwood is reddish-brown. When freshly felled, he heartwood often displays a marked variation in colour; that from the centre of the log may be a dark chocolate-brown changing to salmon pink nearer the sapwood, or the wood may be variegated with alternate dark and light zones. After drying, the wood assumes a uniform reddish-brown tone, but after long exposure to weather the colour is lost, and the wood becomes silver-grey. This weathered appearance is sometimes purposely sought by architects, but a further peculiarity of the wood is its ability to take and hold stain of the finest tint without discolouration.The wood is non-resinous, straight-grained, somewhat coarse- textured and exhibits a fairly prominent growth-ring figure It is soft, rather brittle, aromatic, especially when wet and light in weight, about 390 kg/m3 when dried.

Mechanical properties: Its light weight and soft timber contributes to low strength properties and compared with European redwood (Pinus sylvestris) it is some 20 to 30 per cent inferior in bending strength, and about 1 5 per cent less stiff. It is also much less resistant to splitting and indentation on side grain than redwood.

Seasoning: Thin sizes dry readily with little degrade, but the timber generally tends to hold its moisture at the centre and care is needed with thick stock to avoid internal honey-combing and collapse. The timber holds its position well after drying with practically no tendency to warp and check. while movement due to shrinking and swelling in changing atmospheres is small.

Working properties: Excellent finish can be achieved.

Durability: Durable

Uses: Suitable for Joinery, Cladding, Garden furniture, gates, fences and exterior work.

Grade: #2 Clear & Better (Highest Grade) Machined A Clear

Specification: Square edge; 6ft and longer. 4ins and wider. Dimension stock also.

Mechanical properties: Douglas fir has identical strength properties to Honduras Pitch Pine. Not suitable for steam bending due to its resin content.

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We purchase a very high grade of unsorted redwood from Scandinavia which is kiln dried to 10% to 12% moisture content.

Production: S/E, DIM.

Pinus sylvestris

Family: Pinaceae

Commercial Names: Red deal or ‘red’ if imported from Europe (northern UK); yellow deal or ‘yellow’ (southern UK). Timber grown in the UK is called Scots pine. Baltic, Finnish, Swedish, Polish etc., redwood or yellow deal according to country of origin.

Other names: Norway fir, Scots fir (UK); Red pine (Scotland).

Distribution: Europe, UK, Scandinavia and Russia.

General description: The wide geographical range of this species provides varying strength, texture, densities, number and size of knots etc. When dry, the heartwood colour is pale reddish brown, and resinous. The annual rings clearly marked by contrasting light early wood and darker latewood zones. The weight is an average 510 kg/m3 (32lb/ft3); specific gravity 0.51.

Mechanical properties: The species has low stiffness and resistance to shock loads, and medium crushing strength. UK timber has medium bending strength; European material has low bending strength. The UK material is 20% harder on the side grain and tougher, and from 15–30% more difficult to split. It has a very poor steam bending classification.

Seasoning: Seasons very rapidly and well, but with a tendency to blue sap stain. It should be anti-stain dipped or kilned immediately after conversion. There is medium movement in service.

Working properties: The timber works easily and well with both hand and machine tools; can be stained, painted, varnished or polished satisfactorily. Gluing can be troublesome in very resinous material.

Durability: Non-durable, susceptible to insect attack. The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservative treatment, but the sapwood is permeable.

Uses: The best grades are used for furniture, joinery and turnery, vehicle bodies, and generally for building construction, carcassing, railway sleepers etc.

Comments: Our Pine/Redwood originates mainly from Finland & Sweden

Certification: We have established a supply of Scandinavian/Russian Pine/Redwood which is produced from well managed forests, independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council A.C. and/or The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes. All our Certified Timber is processed through our Chains of Custody which are audited by BM TRADA Certification. Grade: We purchase only unsorted grade. This is then supplied to our customers in three different ways.

Unsorted: Supplied as rising. Each board will include some knots on both faces. The thicker the stock the more knots will be included. Where possible we try to purchase stock with live knots but a few dead knots may be included.

 Specification: Square edge; 8ft and longer up to 16ft averaging 10ft. Width 5ins, 6ins, 7ins and 8ins.                                          

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An ideal softwood for both interior and exterior applications which is available in good specifications. Douglas fir from Canada and the USA may be graded and shipped for structural purposes in the species mix 'Douglas fir- larch' which comprises Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)and western larch (Larix occidentalis). The mechanical properties quoted for material from Canada and USA are for this species mix.

Production: S/E
Family: Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pseudotsuga taxifolia, Pseudotsuga douglasii

Other names: British Columbian pine (UK), Columbian pine (UK), Oregon pine (USA) British Columbian pine (UK), Columbian pine (UK), Oregon pine
 

Distribution: Although a native of North America, the tree has been extensively planted in Europe and the UK.

General Description: The heartwood is light reddish-brown in colour, usually quite distinct from the lighter coloured sapwood. The abrupt change and contrast in colour between early-wood and late-wood bands, produce a prominent growth ring figure which is a feature of plain-sawn surfaces and of rotary-cut veneer. The wood from trees grown in the UK appears to have less resin than the North American wood, and to some extent is of more rapid growth. The average weight of dried timber from either source is about 530 kg/m3.

 

Mechanical properties: Douglas fir has identical strength properties to Honduras Pitch Pine. Not suitable for steam bending due to its resin content.

Seasoning: Imported 'Douglas fir' is not a difficult timber to dry on arrival in this country or in Europe, because the moisture content has already been reduced prior to shipment with some selecting out of degraded boards. Drying degrade is generally confined to surface checking, splitting and loosening of knots, and splitting in the vicinity of knots. Accordingly, stock from trees grown in the UK and in Europe when dried from the green state, needs care, particularly because of the generally higher preponderance of knots which are hard, often loose, and whichencourage more wavy grain than in imported stock

 Working properties: The timber has a moderate resistance to cutting edges with machine and hand tools and finishes cleanly. Compared with European redwood, it is some 60 per cent stiffer, 40 per cent harder and more resistant to suddenly applied loads, and 30 per cent stronger in bending and in compression along the grain.

Durability: The timber is moderately durable.

Uses: Suitable for Joinery, Cladding, Garden furniture, gates, fences and exterior work.

Grade: 85/15 Clear

A much clearer production compared to Larch grown in the UK. However it is only available in limited specifications.

 Production: S/E, Larix decidua  Family: Pinaceae

 Distribution: Europe, particularly the mountain areas of Alps, U.K., W. Russia. General description: This is a softwood, the resinous heartwood is pale red-brown to brick red in colour, with uniform texture, it is the only European deciduous conifer. Weight about 590 kg/m3 (37lb/ft3); specific gravity 0.59.

 Mechanical properties: Air dried timber is about 50% harder than LARCH, EUROPEAN cont. Baltic Redwood and slightly stronger in bending strength and toughness, with similar properties in crushing and impact strengths.

 Seasoning: Larch dries fairly rapidly with a tendency to distort and for knots to split and loosen. It may be kiln dried very satisfactorily. There is small movement in service. Working properties: Works well with most hand and machine tools but knotty material can cause severe blunting of cutting edges. It saws and machines cleanly in most operations although loosened knots may be troublesome. Nailing causes splitting and pre-boring is essential. It takes stain, paint or varnish well.

 Durability: The wood is moderately durable and subject to insect attack. The heartwood is resistant and the sapwood moderately resistant to preservative treatment.

Uses: Pit props, posts, transmission poles, piles, boat planking, exterior work in contact with the ground. Door and window frames, flooring, staircases and ship building. As Larch is harder and tougher than most conifers it is used in preference where durability and strength are prime requirements.

 Comments: Commonly thought of to be only suitable for fencing, gates and other exterior applications. Consideration should be given for selected stock to be used more readily in furniture and interior high class joinery work. The diminishing supply of re claimed Pitch Pine has increased the demand for a readily available substitute. Although not the same, Larch is the nearest species that is commercially available. Particularly Siberian Larch which we sell as a separate species. European Larch is a very attractive softwood available in long and wide specifications. Its only real problem is the occurrence in some boards of dead knots which sometimes have a tendency to fall out of the board. It is proving very popular for flooring.

 Grade: First Quality, also known as “Boatskin” quality, selected and produced to customers requirements. Lower grades are available to order.

 Specification: Through and through and/or one square edge; 8ft and longer, average 11ft or better. 6ins and wider, averaging 12ins or better.

A much under utilised softwood, available in long clear specifications.

 Production: S/E,

Pinus palustris/rigida

Family: Pinaceae

 Commercial Names: Carolina Pine. Must not be confused with Quebec Yellow/White Pine (Pinus strobus) which originates from Eastern Canada and North Eastern USA.

 Distribution: The species grows on an area of 78 million hectares of forest-land in Southern USA; Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

 General description: The heartwood is orange to reddish-brown in colour and may be resinous. The growth rings are clearly marked by the contrast between the earlywood and darker, more dense latewood giving a coarse texture, especially in rapidly grown timber. Southern Yellow Pine sheds its branches as it grows with the crown generally consisting of the upper one-third of the tree. As a result, knots are intergrown and sound with few holes or dead knots in the timber. Since, with increasing frequency the trees are grown and harvested on short rotation, saw-logs are comparatively small with sapwood predominating. The weight varies between 537 and 626 kg/m3 (34 - 39lb/ft3); specific gravity 0.54 to 0.63.

 Mechanical properties: It is one of the strongest structural timbers in the world. Unsuitable for steam bending.

Seasoning: Dries well with little degrade, and small movement in service.

 Working properties: The timber has a moderate resistance to cutting edges with machine and hand tools and finishes cleanly. It can be hard to nail but holds nails and screws firmly and can be glued without difficulty.

Durability: It is a preferred wood for pressure treatment because of the depth and uniformity of penetration achieved with chemical preservatives which assure immunity to insect attack and the elements. The timber is moderately durable.

 Uses: Used extensively both domestically in the USA for house building and when treated used externally for fencing, patios and boardwalks. Used for general joinery, particularly staircase strings. Although it paints well it is far more attractive when left in a natural finish.

 Comments: It is readily available in kiln dried, long, wide and clear cutting lengths. Most of all it is very cheap when compared to clear grade Scandinavian and Canadian Softwoods.

Grade and Specification: Different grading rules are used for American Softwoods to American Hardwoods. In general a Softwood board is graded as a whole piece, whereas a Hardwood board is graded on its useable content.

 SAPS GRADE

Square edge: 1in, 11/4ins and 11/2ins Sizes (Rough) 7/8 ins x 3ins and wider through 3ins x 3ins and wider. Moisture content 19% or less. (We try to purchase our timber under 15% moisture content). Lengths: 10ft and up: 5% 8ft and 9ft allowed. If lineal average required it must be specified.

 PRIME AND BETTER GRADE

Square Edge: 2ins, 21/2ins, 3ins and 4ins Waney Edge Billets: 2ins Sizes (Rough): 2ins x 4ins and wider through 4ins x 4ins and wider. Moisture Content: 19% or less. Lengths: 8ft and longer. If lineal average required, it must be specified.

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Other Names: Gulf Coast Pitch Pine, Longleaf Pitch Pine (UK).

General Description: The heartwood is orange to reddish-brown in colour and resinous. The growth rings are clearly marked by the contrast between the light earlywood and darker, more dense latewood, giving a coarse texture, especially in rapid grown timber.

The weight varies between 660 and 690 kg/m3 (41 - 43lb/ft3); specific gravity 0.67.

Mechanical properties: Honduras Pitch Pine has identical strength properties to Douglas fir. Not suitable for steam bending due to its resin content.

Working properties: The timber has a moderate resistance to cutting edges with machine and hand tools and finishes cleanly.

However, the resin can be troublesome in clogging cutters and saw teeth, the use of saws with a long pitch reduces this effect.

                                                             

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