Timber from tiny trees

Mooncat · Post by **Mooncat** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:40 pm

Just lately, I've noticed that most of the softwood timber I buy includes the centre of the tree, or very near to the centre. Is this the modern situation, and should I be concerned?

Geewizz · Post by **Geewizz** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:08 pm

It's more prevalant on cheap timber. Almost all the stuff in B&Q is like that and you have to go to a good timber merchant to get better stuff. The heartwood is soft an decays rapidly so it's not desirable. I wouldn't use it in anything that will be exposed but it's fine in a 4x2 for carcasses.

Steve. F · Post by **Steve. F** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:37 pm

This is too common even in decent timber merchants these days.
As the most cost effective way of cutting itrees is by using a through and through method this always leads to having sapwood in the middle of a board and also the associated problems of cupping of boards.

If on the other hand you were to get quarter sawn timber then no problem
although quarter sawn timber is not easy to get , not where i live anyhow.