Thread: Stable cheap radiata

Interesting concept - but isn't most (if not all) pine being sold for framing/studs/construction all treated material?

If so, is it actually "safe" to use in this way?

I ask, because I'd love to lay my hands on some good pine to work with for some projects, but am struggling to find non-treated, rough sawn, dried pine near almost anywhere

No, framing pine is not treated. Treated pine is for outdoor exposed to weather type use and is always listed as “treated”

Apart from the blue stuff that is termite treated for framing in QLD. I'd look at what is printed on the wood or any stickers stuck on.

Interesting, and I"m glad someone mentioned the H2 blue (red above Tropic of Capricorn) stuff - it's all that places around here seem to stock.

The Green Machine has what look to be 90x45 scraps that are untreated - I visited the local store, and what I found in the way of this stuff looked so poor I wouldn't be sure of getting more than a 500mm usable length out of any piece.

I have places in Sydney that do pine, but it's DAR and for the price, I can buy rough sawn hardwood from nicer people to deal with, and dress it down myself.

Any time I ask local merchants, the standard answer I'm getting is "All pine nowadays is treated mate". And building suppliers I deal with are flagging a shortage of pine and pending increases in prices (the shortage is nation wide, apparently).

I must be unlucky, or I'm not digging far/hard enough

A mate of mine in the ACT is buying 6m lengths of Baltic pine from bunnies.
He picks out the knot free lengths.
Its what is used in Europe for a lot of building laminated work.
Its cheaper than Radiata also.
Hes laminated up a roof for his outdoor workshop which is 6m square.
H.

None of that nice close grained Northern Hemisphere pine at my local big green shed only the crappy local stuff. I think most store locations have a pretty good stock of untreated structural pine though, look for MGP10 as I'm pretty sure all of the MGP12 is termite treated.

I used to get my pine from an appliance distributor for free.

The dimensional profiles were not great, but well and truly usable with few knots.

The pine was used for the bases of dishwashers/dryers etc and came from Sweden/Slovenia and was heat treated only.

The distributors were only too happy to give it away , otherwise they had to pay to dump it.

Bunnings Fyshwick in 5.4 and 6M are Baltic.

I just gave a sample to another forum member yesterday. Within an 80mm section I counted 87 rings.

The shorter lengths are junk. To transport them, just cut them on your trailer first.

Those are not on their website. What section are they and how much ? I need some long lengths of timber, does not matter what it is but resawing so don't want chemicals...

Originally Posted by Midnight Man

Any time I ask local merchants, the standard answer I'm getting is "All pine nowadays is treated mate"

Apparently your local merchants haven't got a flipping clue

Who are you asking? Proper timber merchants or building/hardware stores?

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Bunnings Fyshwick in 5.4 and 6M are Baltic.

I just gave a sample to another forum member yesterday. Within an 80mm section I counted 87 rings.

The shorter lengths are junk. To transport them, just cut them on your trailer first.

under 1mm per ring is good yeah

Not sure what sizes you are talking about, i.e. width and length, but considering the amount of work you are suggesting wouldn't it be better just buying something like this https://www.bunnings.com.au/porta-pi...210mm_p0097106. ? BTW there are also cheaper sources of a similar product but you get the idea

The middle one is 53 rings. It is 80mmx20mm and machined from a MGP10.

This is nothing special. As I mentioned, I just gave another member a bit on Friday and it was twice as many rings.

I buy them there all the time... but then again I have the ability to rip, sand, etc.

The Porta stuff DaiSensei suggests is very good. I have clients who like it and ask for me to make things with it.

pine rings.jpg

edit: here we are. I just grabbed a completely random scrap off my pile. No trick photography! Let's count them (76?)... it's just under 90mm

rings.jpg rings 2.jpg

BTW, Im not being a proponent of Bunnings. I despise the place with a passion. I wish its gruesome bankruptcy as soon as possible.... but the MGP10 in 6M is nice....