Bochi Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 I thought I'd start a thread for examples of really bad wood and other materials. This picture shows the curvature on the end of a piece of 68mm x 18mm softwood. You expect some of these planks to be bowed across the length, but across the grain?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 I thought the Borg was a big cube of hive minders from Star Trek. You will be assimilated! 1 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted April 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2020 To me, that's not even worthy of the name softwood, it looks about one step up from balsa wood, presumably it's a sheds version of softwood? I'm afraid "wood" of that quality to me is in bargepole territory, unless you're burning it. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K14 Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, Bochi said: across the grain?! Yup. it's called "Cupping" & is common in kiln-dried (i.e. underseasoned) timber. https://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Warp_in_Drying.html https://wunderwoods.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/flatsawn-lumber-is-not-so-flat-how-to-fix-cupped-wood/ Edited April 14, 2020 by K14 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bochi Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said: I thought the Borg was a big cube of hive minders from Star Trek. You will be assimilated! It's also a nickname here in the UK for the big chain DIY stores. Which assimilate small independent stores until you can't find good quality tools and materials... 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kingzance Posted April 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2020 A couple of years back, I ordered some CLS treated timber to make a wood store from the store that goes under the name of the string element of a candle. CLS is supposed to be structural grade so it should be reasonably straight and true. What I received was warped and almost beyond useful. My suspicion is that this outlet, owned by T&P, is where anything T&P know would be rejected by their trade customers is sent to be dumped on the less wary retail buyers. I refuse to use the candle string lot again and the boys at our local T&P, nice though their staff are, make Ronnie Corbett in 4-Candles look like Usain Bolt on benzydrine. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 9 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said: I thought the Borg was a big cube of hive minders from Star Trek. You will be assimilated! And there was me thinking this thread was about returning the spin on a tennis ball to beat McEnroe. [ Space for obvious response] 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bochi Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 3 hours ago, Kingzance said: I refuse to use the candle string lot again... I too obtained that piece of wood from a movie franchise starring Keanu Reeves. I don't drive so companies that deliver promptly without charging an arm and a leg have a head start. But this stuff is poor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Bear Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) 12 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said: I thought the Borg was a big cube of hive minders from Star Trek. You will be assimilated! Curves + Borg. My mind leapt to Seven of Nine... Edited April 14, 2020 by The Great Bear 2 7 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 10 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: I'm afraid "wood" of that quality to me is in bargepole territory, unless you're burning it. I don't think it would be any good for making a bargepole either. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastglosmog Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 The amount of warping is not uncommon and not restricted to softwood. If you have a timber house frame made of green Oak, there is always a considerable amount of warping, twisting (and splitting). Competent builders take this into account and it then becomes a feature of the building. To use seasoned Oak would greatly increase the cost (and blunten all the saws used on it). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 1 hour ago, The Great Bear said: Curves + Borg. My mind leapt to Seven of Nine... Wood? 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold scottystitch Posted April 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2020 4 hours ago, EddieB said: And there was me thinking this thread was about returning the spin on a tennis ball to beat McEnroe. [ Space for obvious response] You cannot be serious...! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 We’ve been expecting you, Mr Scottystitch... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold scottystitch Posted April 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2020 The name's Obvious, Captain Obvious. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 2 hours ago, The Great Bear said: Curves + Borg. My mind leapt to Seven of Nine... And we've been very disappointed... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 We are dyslexia of Borg. Prepare to be asslaminated. Hockey stick curved crappy softwood is why I’ve only used birch ply cut into strips as baseboard frame material for the past several years. Far straighter and far more stable. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted April 14, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 14, 2020 Spend hours in a DIY shed finding the few straight bits you need. By the time you get it home it looks like a f**king propeller 1 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium rab Posted April 14, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 14, 2020 Off topic from wood but with regard to the candle middle DIY, I bought a uPVC window from them for a garage conversion I'm doing ( I saw them as a step up from the lot with two alphabet letters). I actually needed a pair, left and right hand opening but didn't want the second one hanging around in the way. When I came to order the second one, it wasn't in stock in the local store. The nearest store that had one was Swansea. They wouldn't transfer one from there for me and wouldn't order one for me. The only option I had was to have one made specially, which will cost an extra £40. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 59 minutes ago, rab said: Off topic from wood but with regard to the candle middle DIY, I bought a uPVC window from them for a garage conversion I'm doing ( I saw them as a step up from the lot with two alphabet letters). I actually needed a pair, left and right hand opening but didn't want the second one hanging around in the way. When I came to order the second one, it wasn't in stock in the local store. The nearest store that had one was Swansea. They wouldn't transfer one from there for me and wouldn't order one for me. The only option I had was to have one made specially, which will cost an extra £40. Slightly related. We bought a kitchen from the candles. All well and good. Wanted extra racks for the pantry and larder pull outs. They said contact supplier. Supplier said contact manufacturer, manufacturer said contact retailer. Asshats. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenceb Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 18 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: To me, that's not even worthy of the name softwood, it looks about one step up from balsa wood, presumably it's a sheds version of softwood? I'm afraid "wood" of that quality to me is in bargepole territory, unless you're burning it. Mike. Point of order Balsa Wood is a Hard Wood 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) Come to sunny Western Australia, where the wood choices are, basically, crappy to mediocre radiata pine or expensive and environmentally dubious jarrah (which is, admittedly, fantastically strong and durable). There are specialist suppliers who offer something better, but they're all a bit of a trek from me. For stuff that really matters, I tend to buy old jarrah house framing 4x2s from demolition salvage firms, and resaw them myself as needed, accepting the rather short life of cutting edges. Price works out about the same as curly pine, but it's time consuming and carries the usual risks of circular saw use. We do have access to a good range of plywood though, from cruddy pine stuff I wouldn't even light fires with, to some absolutely beautiful hoop pine marine stuff, from which I'd be happy to build aircraft (and some do). Edited April 15, 2020 by PatB 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guius Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Jarrah was a wood used for sleepers for many years, thousands of tons of it were brought to this country. Probably many are still at work on preserved railways and the national network. Guy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 On 14/04/2020 at 13:22, The Great Bear said: Curves + Borg. My mind leapt to Seven of Nine... Seven of Nine or Four by Two? 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted April 15, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2020 23 hours ago, laurenceb said: Point of order Balsa Wood is a Hard Wood Given a choice between a whack round the head with a length of 2x2 Balsa Hardwood, and a 2x2 length of Pine Softwood, I know which I'd choose..... 1 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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