Thread: Green Jarrah season or not?

Hello Mate
I can't see a problem using green timber for that application. Typically, house frames and pergolas are made from green timber as is it easier to bang nails into etc. Also, now would be a good time to do it before it gets hot and dries out too quick
Sincerely
Willy

Are you going to pre-surface these green jarah treads or not?

Quarter sawn will not distort as much as back sawn planks but both will need to be end sealed to slow down loss of moisture which will help reduce cracking.

Have you contacted any demolition/ deconstruction companies as they may have or can source dry jarrah planks for you.

Ideally some kind of surface sealing is reqd also but if you use linseed oil make sure that the rags used to apply the oil are burnt or sealed in an airtight container as linseed oil will generate some heat as it dries that may cause the rags to ignite. See Spontaneous combustion of drying oils

Thank you all.

I was going to pre-surface them, either with my hand plane or thicknesser and a sled (too wide for my 6" jointer the face anyway). I think I'll have to do both sides if I go smooth so it dries evenly (at least that is what I would do for my other projects but not sure if it matters as much for this application?

I certainly was going to put a finish on and was thinking of an oil finish as I think a varnish on stairs will just get destroyed and then I'll end up sanding the whole thing again in a year rather than just reapply oil every 6 months, I'm a novice but that is my understanding? From my reading the Cutek finishes have a good name (i've moved here from Canada so not 100% sure of all the brands and how they work in the scorching Perth climate)? Or is boiled linseed oil just as good (maybe I'm guilty of succumbing to good advertising)?

As for sealing the ends, absolutely great point I was definitely going to do that. I've generally just painted the ends or used a specific end grain sealer but given it is on show (floating stair treads) any other thoughts?

I'll see about the plain vs quarter sawn but it may come down to price...not really sure how much Jarrah generally costs especially wide boards such as these? I certainly have collected a lot of jarrah from old houses being torn down, and while I could joint a few boards together my better half really wants the look of the solid boards and I am a bit worried that after a couple years they may split along the glue line, plus can be hard to come by 300mm wide boards.

Thank you all so much, really appreciate you taking the time to give me advice.

Originally Posted by noahm

I was going to pre-surface them, either with my hand plane or thicknesser and a sled (too wide for my 6" jointer the face anyway). I think I'll have to do both sides if I go smooth so it dries evenly (at least that is what I would do for my other projects but not sure if it matters as much for this application?

Pre-surfacing would help the timber to dry more evenly and there will be less checks and splits and so its definitely a good idea. Varnish is never a good idea on green timber. As green jarah dries, it will shrink and sometimes it will go out of shape. It might be a good idea to order a few extra to replace those that will be badly warped or twisted. Some people will leave it for a year or two before oiling it. But if the treads are in full sun, drying may be faster on one side and cause it to warp. I'd probably coat them with some sort of non water based decking oil on both sides of the thread and hope they will dry evenly.

Honestly if you have old jarrah, I would use them instead. If you worry about glue splitting. You could use polyurethane glue which would be water proof. Just make sure that the edges to be glued together are properly jointed and use lot of clamps.