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Hemlock questions

Started by Ironmower, January 18, 2009, 06:23:57 AM

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Ironmower

Just about ready to finish a 500 sq.ft gazebo here in WV. It's an oak timber frame with roughcut hemlock batton board siding. Now I've heard all kinds of stuff, like it won't rot and it's impervious too bugs. My friend sawed the boards at his mill, and said that alot of the timber was "windshook", because the boards were splitting length wise with the grain. Some would actually fall in two. It seems to me that it really holds the moisture. Is there any truth too this? Oh ya one more "hemlock & lace" poison???  Sorry, no pics yet, still tryin' too figure this contraption out. Heck, we just got running water around here!!!!!   (just kidin')
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Ron Wenrich

Hemlock poisoning was from a different type of plant.  Its not even a tree.

Wind shake can be pretty common for hemlock in some areas.  Shake comes from a bacteria and it causes the ring separation.  I've seen it in a lot of different species.  In many cases, I've been able to saw around the shake.  But, apparently the shake in my area isn't as bad as many others.

Another factor may be stress within the log.  Lots of stress will cause the wood to split while you're sawing it.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

SwampDonkey

Shake in my area is instigated by the yellow bellied sap sucker and then a fungus invades. Not hardly a hemlock in this area that hasn't been ringed by the sapsucker.

Here is a couple USFS papers, the first being more pertinent, the second has to do with birds and small mammal habitat.

http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/pristine/2006/ne_2006_brown_001p.pdf

http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_ne267/gtr_ne267_135.pdf

I think this has a lot more info if you can find it off the USFS web site.

Shigo, Alex L. 1963. Ring shake associated with sapsucker injury. USDA Forest Service, Research Paper NE-8. Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Upper Darby, PA. 10 p.

And maybe this link to a PDF may be interesting.

http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/3838

As far as siding, I've not seen it used on exteriors, only inside of old houses and barns. Spruce holds up better for clapboards and sills. Hemlock is not as decay resistant as spruce and if there is shake in the lumber it is going to be worst ever still. About the only market people up here bother with is pulp and it's very cheep pulp, around $70 a cord. Once eastern hemlock dries, it's almost impossible to drive nails without busting up the boards. I've struggled with the cursed stuff, myself.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Ironmower

Hey, thanks guys, great links swampdonkey. Sounds like I might be replacing it soon, we will see. It was sprayed with a clear wood preserve.
WM lt35 hd 950 JD

Tom Sawyer

Not only is it prone to shake, but if you have to handle the stuff, make sure you have gloves, or you will be spending lots of time removing splinters.  Don't ask me how I know ;D. 

Ironwood

Our house is Hemlock ,and it is held up well, but IT IS NOT impervious to rot. It does have tendency to check when handled and dried, after that seems stable.

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Corley5

90% of the old haybarns in this area were built of hemlock and the ones that have had roof maintenance and were built on a good foundation are still standing 100+ years later.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

woodmills1

hemlock splinters have barb like projections, they hurt, are hard to rmove, and it seems always get infected.  Yes, thats how I know :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

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