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re: Can you get good straight, equal length lumber anymore...anywheres?
Posted on 2/20/19 at 9:59 am to gumbo2176
Posted on 2/20/19 at 9:59 am to gumbo2176
You might be surprised at the amount of people who don't notice/don't care about out of square framing. And honestly if they don't care they why should they pay for it? For someone like me who is a bit of a perfectionist this is hard for me to stomach but it is reality.
As far as OP, you never could find boards cut to an exact length and that aspect was even worse back in the day. Not that it matters because that's what a saw and speed square is for. Being wonky is a result of most of our mature timberlands being harvested and only 28yo pine being what's left. Just have to deal with it unless you want to shell out the big bucks for special order.
Picking through lumber is fine if you aren't unreasonable and put your stack back neat. If you're building a deck then having a 1/4" crown over 8ft is no reason to toss that board aside. But you don't need to buy the board that could be used as a rocking chair runner unless it will be cut into short blocks or something.
As far as OP, you never could find boards cut to an exact length and that aspect was even worse back in the day. Not that it matters because that's what a saw and speed square is for. Being wonky is a result of most of our mature timberlands being harvested and only 28yo pine being what's left. Just have to deal with it unless you want to shell out the big bucks for special order.
Picking through lumber is fine if you aren't unreasonable and put your stack back neat. If you're building a deck then having a 1/4" crown over 8ft is no reason to toss that board aside. But you don't need to buy the board that could be used as a rocking chair runner unless it will be cut into short blocks or something.
2
Posted on 2/20/19 at 10:09 am to Chuker
If you are a carpenter worth your salt, you take pride in your work and framing square and plumb is part of the job.
It really doesn't take a lot of time to make sure things are true (as in square, level, etc.), especially with todays tools like lasers that many are using----or the old tried and true 4 ft. level, tape measure to measure diagonals and the old surveyors equipment for shooting grades and such.
It really doesn't take a lot of time to make sure things are true (as in square, level, etc.), especially with todays tools like lasers that many are using----or the old tried and true 4 ft. level, tape measure to measure diagonals and the old surveyors equipment for shooting grades and such.
Posted on 2/20/19 at 10:16 am to Chuker
quote:
As far as OP, you never could find boards cut to an exact length and that aspect was even worse back in the day. Not that it matters because that's what a saw and speed square is for.
Yeah, I realized that pretty quick! I just made sure the deck boards were straight across the front and then I came back with a chalk line and circular saw and cut all the way across the overhangs on the rear portion to make them even. So it wasn't a big deal.
quote:
Picking through lumber is fine if you aren't unreasonable and put your stack back neat.
As I mentioned before, I always stack them neatly out of the way and majority of the time I actually stack them back when I'm done sorting through them.
quote:
If you're building a deck then having a 1/4" crown over 8ft is no reason to toss that board aside.
Correct, I wasn't really even concerned with bows in the boards (front to back) because I was screwing them down anyways. It's just a large majority of the boards I went through were REALLY jacked up. I'm guessing now, that somebody may have already went through those and Lowe's just threw them back on top.
This post was edited on 2/20/19 at 10:22 am
Posted on 2/20/19 at 10:19 am to gumbo2176
quote:
If you are a carpenter worth your salt, you take pride in your work and framing square and plumb is part of the job.
It really doesn't take a lot of time to make sure things are true (as in square, level, etc.), especially with todays tools like lasers that many are using----or the old tried and true 4 ft. level, tape measure to measure diagonals and the old surveyors equipment for shooting grades and such.
So true! A square, 4 foot level, and tape measure is really all you need for a project like this. Might as well take the few extra minutes to do it right the first time.
Posted on 2/20/19 at 10:32 am to LSUperior
Lol I just put an edit in my last post. I meant 95 7/8 so 1/8 to 1/4 each way.
I was trying to say if there is a 1/4 to 1/2 difference off of 8ft no one would notice.
I was trying to say if there is a 1/4 to 1/2 difference off of 8ft no one would notice.
Posted on 2/20/19 at 10:36 am to baldona
quote:
Lol I just put an edit in my last post. I meant 95 7/8 so 1/8 to 1/4 each way.
I was trying to say if there is a 1/4 to 1/2 difference off of 8ft no one would notice.
I thought you were crazy, when you wrote that! I was like...damn, this dude is over 6 INCHES off and he doesn't think anyway would notice that...haha!
All good man!
Posted on 2/20/19 at 11:06 am to baldona
quote:
buy 10 ft sections and custom cut to 8 ft
I normally do this if I need better wood. Since 10' boards seem to be slower moving in the stores, there seems to be better quality boards on the shelf.
Posted on 2/20/19 at 11:12 am to LSUperior
quote:
The only other place near me (Lafayette) is Stine's.
Grew up ALWAYS going to Doug Ashy when you needed quality stuff.
Posted on 2/20/19 at 11:25 am to LSUperior
you still bitching about people on your lawn?
Posted on 2/20/19 at 1:07 pm to CarRamrod
quote:
you still bitching about people on your lawn?
A 4 page rant about lumber - and I read it all.
Posted on 2/20/19 at 1:09 pm to Junky
quote:
A 4 page rant about lumber - and I read it all.
Posted on 2/22/19 at 6:10 pm to gumbo2176
Jimmy is a good dude! 
Posted on 2/22/19 at 8:33 pm to LSUperior
A 2x4 isn't two inches by four inches. Everything is short
Posted on 2/22/19 at 8:40 pm to Yewkindewit
My dad goes through every board. Takes two hours to go to home Depot. I run in and grab whichever ones aren't badly bowed or twisted.
I'm not laying each one in the ground.
Posted on 2/22/19 at 8:46 pm to LSUperior
Unless it says PET then lumber has variation. This has nothing to do with “anymore”. That being said, quality has gone down even in the last 10 years.
Posted on 2/23/19 at 7:56 am to Napoleon
quote:
A 2x4 isn't two inches by four inches. Everything is short
Unless you saw up your own.
Got to saw up some 12"x12" oak beams to cut up for cribbing. Will be used to block up my backhoe. I have to drop the transaxle. Dam pinion gear is going out.
Posted on 2/23/19 at 9:45 am to fishfighter
Just to add to the get off my lawn rant. I just finished putting some built in shelves in a closet. I bought the good plywood, not quite stain grade stuff at home depot, $45/sheet. I was hecho in Ecuador. I live in piney woods West Louisiana, there are no less than 1 million pine trees within 2 miles of me, and the plywood for sale comes from Ecuador. Weird times.
Going along with the OP's story, I am in the process of learning how to deal with the inconsistencies of construction rather than being frustrated by them. The closet I'm working in has somewhat vertical walls, but the left wall has a 5/8" outward bow in it, and the width of the room is 1.5" smaller at the end of the room than where the shelves start.
eta: And the plywood smells like manure for some reason.
Going along with the OP's story, I am in the process of learning how to deal with the inconsistencies of construction rather than being frustrated by them. The closet I'm working in has somewhat vertical walls, but the left wall has a 5/8" outward bow in it, and the width of the room is 1.5" smaller at the end of the room than where the shelves start.
eta: And the plywood smells like manure for some reason.
This post was edited on 2/23/19 at 9:49 am
Posted on 2/23/19 at 9:52 am to Kingpenm3
quote:
Going along with the OP's story, I am in the process of learning how to deal with the inconsistencies of construction rather than being frustrated by them. The closet I'm working in has somewhat vertical walls, but the left wall has a 5/8" outward bow in it, and the width of the room is 1.5" smaller at the end of the room than where the shelves start.
How old is the house? I have bought 3 houses over the years and one was over 100 years old, the other was about 30 years old and the one I'm currently in is at least 80 years old.
My experience is the older the house, the better chance it has settled in spots and this causes issues with level, plumb, out of square, etc.
Sometimes you just have to deal with what it is unless you want to get into major work to go all anal on it.
Posted on 2/23/19 at 10:05 am to gumbo2176
quote:
How old is the house?
New construction. Lol
Posted on 2/23/19 at 11:42 am to LSUperior
quote:Next time find a place that sells KDAT. It's kiln dried after treating and yes it does cost more. But it's not going to shrink in all manner of ways like that deck you just build, it's a lot closer to FAS in quality (minimal knots), and it's a joy to work with in weight.
Well the deck is done lol! Came out great.
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