Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970608222001.0071a4cc@skypoint.com>
Date: Sun, 08 Jun 1997 22:20:01 -0600
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
From: wayne steffens <wsteffen@skypoint.com>
Subject: Re: getting started
In-Reply-To: <l03010d04afc0dbeb47b3@[205.216.99.29]>
At 07:01 PM 6/8/97 -0300, you wrote:
>
>This is a great story.
And true, sadly.
>
>So - what's the clue in telling spruce from the other members of the SPF clan?
I'm not the person to be telling that. I have exactly 1 day experience in telling the difference. But I'll give it a go and I hope more experienced woodpickers will correct me where I'm wrong. I also imagine that it will vary in different parts of the country depending on what kinds of pine/spruce you get.
The easy part is eliminating the fir, at least around here. About all we get is Doug fir (rarely in the SPF piles though) and hemlock. Doug fir is a very distinct color, almost orangeish, and kind of almost raised, heavy grain. Hem-fir is also usuually a distinctive color, kinda rosy-peachy. At any rate, neither are whitish or anything close to whitish from what Ive seen.
Most spruce is pretty white looking in comparison. Lighter then fir (by far) and lighter than the pine we have here, but the difference from pine is more subtle. The grain is sometimes finer and less noticeable. Our pine is a tad yellowish with usually heavier grain, and is noticably softer. I picked up a 14 foot spruce 2x4 today and the grain was almost invisible and the board very white colored. Usually the grain is not THAT fine though. Spruce is harder and stiffer than pine-flex the board. The knots look a little different too but thats hard to describe (smaller tighter, without the large orangeish halo seen around some pine knots) and Im not sure how reliable it is (hell I'm not sure how reliable most of this is but it worked for me). It might help to look at a lot of pine 1-bys and then look through the 2-bys for whiter, finer grained, stronger boards.
I think Sitka spruce can be slightly yellowish but your chances of finding it in a spf pile are virtually nil.
At least in my area, spruce NEVER comes in 1-bys. You have to look at the 2-bys or you'll never find any.
Hope that isnt too incorrect and is somewhat helpful. And I hope someone who knows more about it than me will clarify it further.
Wayne
PS. You error folks need to get Eudora or Eudora-lite. Works like a charm. :)
PSS. Thanks for the info Dusty. Maybe I'll make it to the symposium, we'll see.