Sway friend from borg lumber,...or let him use it?

[Randy Rose]

That's what mine is made of, once you glue it together its very stable.



I ran it through a lunch box planer in sections then used a number 6 Stanley one it was glued into one piece..

Same here, then through bolted the sections together with all thread.
Consider topping with a sheet of melamine coated Masonite, smooth, flat, glue & paint drips scrape off with a razor blade.
You can write or draw on it and then erase. When it finally gets beat up, replace it !

[Jim Matthews]

I'm almost as far North as the OP.

The construction lumber at my local HD and Lowe's tests at over 12% moisture content
with my pin meter. There's easy to get, and then there's easy to use.

If you're banging the nails, put your foot down or take a pass on this.
It's never going to be right, using wet lumber.

[Jeff Duncan]

Construction lumber is "wet" compared to furniture grade lumber regardless of where you buy it….it's supposed to be. And 12% sounds a little low, may have been sitting there in the heated store for a while? It's usually closer to 16 - 18% I think. There are several reason for this, but that's another thread.

What's available in terms of quality is going to vary by location. In my area, I can buy construction lumber at the Borg and spend 1/2 hour looking through the stack of culls trying to see if a straight board or 2 were accidentally included……or I can go to the local lumberyard and grab a few boards right off the top that will be much better quality for not much more…..maybe a few cents per stick. If you have a local lumber yard you may want to encourage your friend to try them first.

good luck,
JeffD

[Jim Matthews]

Construction lumber is "wet" compared to furniture grade lumber regardless of where you buy it….it's supposed to be. And 12% sounds a little low, may have been sitting there in the heated store for a while? It's usually closer to 16 - 18% I think. There are several reason for this, but that's another thread. JeffD

I won't buy lumber higher than 12% moisture content for interior cabs.
If it tests higher, I don't bother. That's what I meant to say.

Dealing with shrinkage, racking and twisting from lumber that was assembled "wet" induces headaches.

I've got enough headaches, already.

[Frederick Skelly]

Alan,

You made your workbench top from Southern Yellow Pine from the borg? Never considered Southern Yellow Pine for a workbench top.

I used BORG 2x4s for mine. Prepared them just like Alan describes. Been good for 8 years now. Pick through the stack carefully (took me an hour). Its cheap and it works very well.
Fred

[Kent A Bathurst]

he wants to use borg lumber, 2x8's of southern yellow pine or doug fir (not sure if pressure treated).

in the past i've glued up borg boards with mixed success (warping, joint separation). should i very strongly recommend that he reconsider using the borg wood, or should I let him use it and try my best to help him work around the issues.

if he stays with using borg wood, i would recommend he let's it dry out for 1-2 weeks in his garage and i would recommend he does extensive doweling of the joints. I was thinking of using titebond III for the glue up. Any other major things I could do to help his project if he sticks with borg wood?

Be sure you DO NOT use pressure treated.

SYP or DF are fine. They are in the store at max 19% MC. Letting them dry some more won't hurt, but at this time of year, I doubt they are at 19% anyway.

But - if you let them sit for a couple weeks, you will be prone to warp/twist. Me - I'd drop down to maybe 2 x 6. If you just joint the edges like any glue-up, the T-III will do fine.

[Rian de Bruyn]

What is "Borg lumber"

[Kent A Bathurst]

What is "Borg lumber"

Big Orange Retail Giant.

Colloquially, The Home Depot, or Lowe's.

May refer to independent lumber yards also, but usually not - just the Big Two.

In some cases - but not all - carries a certain hint of derision with respect to the marketing strategies, market muscle, results of a "race to the bottom" product pricing structure, etc.

Us legit woodworkers don't shop there, except when we do.............

[Art Mann]

I buy 2X4 and 2X6 SYP lumber at Home Depot just every once in a while when I see they have a good batch that is straight, flat and not too knotty. Then I bring it home and dry it in my shop loft for several months. When I get ready to use it, I consider it rough lumber. I will joint, rip and plane it down to 1-3/8 by 3-3/8 or 5-3/8 inches. Material prepared this way is smooth, straight and dimensionally stable. I have used it to make several shop tables, cabinets and shelves and have had no trouble with warpage. I don't think 2 or even 4 weeks is enough time to get this lumber down to a usable moisture level.