[Domer]

Sam Maloof started making furniture from used pallets. He did pretty good stuff.

Domer

 

[fussy]

Construction lumber is just fine; just take care when choosing your boards. I built a colonial trestle desk of construction lumber purchased at Furrows in Ft. Wayne, hauled home in a '72 Vega Hatchback finished it with maple stain and polyurethane in a unheated garage with minimal tools and minimal understanding of what I was doing. Still use it almost daily today; looks a little frayed-cats, cats, cats-but is still useful, solid and approved for display in the front room. Go for it, treat it like wood and enjoy.

Steve

 

[rance]

Const. grade lumber is 'just another species'. I use it all the time, especially since I got a planer.

 

[helluvawreck]

Thanks, opal; I'm going to show my daughter and her fiance this site. They are trying to become do it your selfers and he is real good with his hands but doesn't have an abundance of tools. He live just down the street from my shop.

 

[Maveric777]

Cool discussion and links…. Enjoyed the read….

 

[gillyd]

Use construction grade lumber all the time, once planed and jointed it looks pretty decent. As mentioned before, just watch what you pick out. I also prefer Ripping 2×12's. I have noticed that this kind of lumber does tend to split easier, so be advised.

 

[opalko]

Again, I'll ask:

is there a visual test to determine Spruce vs. Pine vs. Fir on the 2x aisle?

 

[Earlextech]

Twenty five years ago I was a carpentry foreman on a house remodel, during the job, using 2×4's I built a pencil post bed that I still share with my beautiful wife!

 

[TheDane]

opalko-Not sure I can tell the difference. I generally just avoid anything marked SPF … I have only seen SPF on 2×4, 2×6, and 2×8 stock. The kiln-dried 2×12 (which is what I prefer) is Douglas Fir at my local store. Their 2×10 stock is sometimes a mix of Douglas Fir and Hemlock Fir.

-Gerry

 

[Loren]

The kiln dried 2x material often has stamps on it and you can
sometimes take a guess from the stamp… usually in California
the boards are marked "DF" "Hem" for douglas fir, hemlock, and
so on. These woods are quite similar in working characteristics.

 

[Howie]

@The Dane…you're lucky to have a Menards. All I have in this catagory is BORG and Lowes :-(.

Once you sit down does your butt know whether it's pine or mahogany? I use both and never had any problems.

 

[TheDane]

Douglas Fir (which, ironically, is neither a true fir, nor pine, nor spruce but is a distinct species of its own) has pronounced growth rings that, by the time it comes out of the kiln and makes it to the lumber rack at the big box is a brownish-grey. Douglas Fir is also moderately resistant to rot.

Hemlock Fir doesn't have the pronounced growth rings that Douglas Fir has, and oxidizes to a light tan.

In terms of strength, Hemlock Fir is only slightly less strong than Douglas Fir, and is less rot resistant.

-Gerry

 

[opalko]

All this being said, I am trying to get a dining table built in short order and my hardwood sources have dried up. I am very pressed for time and may have to consider a softwood "construction" grade material.

Would you use the same woodworking techniques - glued up (table) top, mortise & tenon apron/leg joinery with these type materials?

Thanks again.

 

[NBeener]

Hey, man.

If it's wood, build something nice out of it, and post the pictures when you're done.

You seen some of the junk pallets that LumberJocks have turned into beautiful pieces ??

Go for it !!!

 

[Loren]

You can use it, but you have to fatten-up your joints and frame members.

I'd say as a rule of thumb where you could use 3/4" hardwood, you'd
want to go to 1" or thicker in softwood for all furniture parts. Even
table aprons should be thicker.

 

[TheDane]

Loren is right … you can get away with 3/4" stock on some stuff (e.g. cabinet door frames), but it won't have the strength you get with thicker stock. That's why pieces built with construction grade lumber typically look bulkier … they are.

-Gerry

 

[dbhost]

Okay I'll bite. I use / have used construction grade stock for furnishings. But then again, I tend toward a very rustic style anyway, the more tight knots the better it sometimes seems…

I can't say a word about Spruce because I wouldn't know it if it bit me in the (donkey). However, at least down here, Southern Yellow pine is well named as it has a very distinct yellow hue to it. The examples of fir I have seen are much whiter in color. Kiln drying versus green makes a LOT of difference when using for anything beyond framing a fence. And even then there is a bit of difference… Take your moisture meter, and ignore the stares of the kids working the lumber dept at the BORG… Get straight, dry lumber. If you have to spring extra for kiln dried, do it. You won't regret it.

I have used "construction grade" stock of the following types in my projects…

Southern Yellow Pine (it's what we have here).
Pressure treated pine. No clue what species.
Cedar.

PT and Cedar almost exclusively on outdoor projects…

If you can, get your stock as wide as possible, 2×10 or 2×12 would be best. Those seem to warp / twist less once you rip them. Like others have mentioned, be careful to seal the ends if you get wet stuff, they can split / end check pretty badly while air drying.

 

[jerkylips]

I have to ask…what the <bleep> is BORG? I see references all the time & I have no idea what you guys are talking about..

 

[NBeener]

I think it's Big Old/Orange Retail Giant, or something like that.

Basically, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Orchard, etc.

 

[darinS]

Big
Orange
Retail
Giant

Used to be standing for Home Depot, but has now come to mean just about any big retail outlet like that.