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Hemlock???

Started by BeaverBlatch, January 06, 2011, 12:59:33 PM

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BeaverBlatch

If this is the wrong place for this question please move. Next Spring I will be building a small 16X20 sugar house and have a fair amount of hemlock on my land. 2X6's and 1X siding. Can hemlock be used? Old timers tell me you can't drive a nail into it when dry???
Thanks

jason.weir

Gotta love hemlock. 

Old timers are right - you need to work it green and it will move around quite a bit as it dries...

But its tough as hell...  Put a nail in green and try pulling it out once it's dry.

I built my entire house of hemlock - a couple of beams were dry and the chisel would just bounce - made cutting mortises very hard.

Look out for ring shake - a bad log will literally fall apart as you cut it.

Best thing - it's historically been cheap...

-J

BeaverBlatch

Thank you. How about dry with a nail gun? How much shrinkage on a 5/4 board?

jason.weir

you're talking flat stock - I'm was referring to beam work 8x8 - 8x10 - 8x12 - etc...

I doubt shrinkage is significantly worse than most of the other softwoods - someone here will have a shrinkage chart handy.

nail gun will work - might split things if you get too close to the end but that's no different than any dry wood..

I'd work it green and get it hooked down before it warps, twists, cups, and splits on you...  You couldn't pay me to work dry hemlock..

-J

Brad_S.

I had a barn sided with air dried hemlock. While I didn't do nailing, the crew used air guns and no one complained about hardness. I don't think it will be an issue. Can't be worse than oak flooring and air guns have no issue with that. Hemlock air dries nicely, it is not prone to bow, cup or twist. Maybe in beam for it reacts as Jason says, but in all my experience with lumber, it is not a tempermental wood. Ring shank is the only issue I have ever had with it.

I want to build a sugar shack too. Are you using stock plans or did you custom design your shack? The U of Vermont Extension has plans for a 16x20 that I have been considering.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

BeaverBlatch

The 16X20 from VT is nice but my neighbor is coming back from the Natl. Beef Stock Show in Denver with an "old" book with over 100 plans. Let ya know. nTks for the insight.

bugdust

I've constructed several buildings with eastern hemlock and find it's not that bad to work with. A couple things to deal with is; dry hemlock splitting near the ends when nailing, extremely hard knots and careful with splinters. I still have a barn (board and batten) that originally was lumber from a house built back in the 40's, later torn down by my dad in the 60's and put back as his wood working shop. In the 70's we tore it down and built the barn. Newspaper is still on a couple boards that goes back to the original building (house.) Green hemlock is easy to work with, just heavier. I never turn down a good hemlock log, but as the first responder mentioned, be care of ring-shake. Shrinkage is fairly minimal.
Since I retired I really like work: It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.

Chuck White

We have built with Hemlock right off the mill. 

Especially when putting up Board & Batten siding.
Put the boards up, tight together, but let the bats dry for a few days before putting them up.

Certain areas are prone to "ring shake" in Hemlock.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
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SwampDonkey

I've used it dry for strapping and it split when driving nails, it also chipped small chunks, bend nails, just about drove me nuts.   I think the kilning process ruined it. It was recycled stuff that father salvaged. Was no prize, shoulda burned it. :D
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Dave Shepard

I use air dried 2x hemlock all the time around the buildings at work. I screw a lot of it, but also use the air nailer. Never had a problem with it, other than some of it has shake.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

laffs

youl have no problems building with hemlock as long as its sound. it lasts for years. ive used it for decks to framing. they us it to line horse stalls they cont chew it as much. works well green or dry. most of your older houses used it for sills because it lasted long. the logs are cheap to buy somewhere from $160 a thousand to $200. they have used it on every building you can imagine for decades. doesnt make a very good finish product but some people like it different.
Brent
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terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: Dave Shepard on January 06, 2011, 07:28:27 PM
I use air dried 2x hemlock all the time around the buildings at work. I screw a lot of it, but also use the air nailer. Never had a problem with it, other than some of it has shake.
I agree, I consider hemlock as a great general purpose construction wood with pretty good weather resistance as well.  I built a timber framed 13x10 treehouse, 13 feet off the ground, with a 14/12 pitch roof,  out of hemlock.  The roof boards are planed hemlock and look great.   It is sheathed with EWP and I had no trouble hand nailing with 3" nails into the hemlock frame which was about 3 years dried by the time I got the sheathing on.  Saw some shake in sawing but it's not hard to spot.   Agree that nailing near the ends will split off corners with the grain but you can see where that's going to happen if you look for it.  Pretty sure hemlock has 50% or greater more strength in some board orientations than pine and doesn't weigh much more.  I've used scrap 1x for birdhouses and garden frames and no trouble working with it.  I think one of the popular timber framing books with a lot of pix published about 10 yrs ago has photos of finished hemlock roof boards in a cathedral ceiling which are awesome.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Dave Shepard

Hemlock roof decking, planed a little on the bottom to brighten it up.

Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

band-it lumber

OMG  OMG do i see chip board on that shed made out of such beautiful native woods shame shame shame!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

Dave Shepard

Only the porch is framed, the rest is conventional stick. However, this barn is what you see when you look out the garage door:



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r.man

Nice barn. What are the doors for in the air above the run in area?
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

captain_crunch

Eastern Hemlock must be better than western Hemlock match sticks and door trim is about all it is good for ::) ::) But we have Doug Fir out here so it causes Hemlock(aka Grouse Ladder) to be second place
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thecfarm

I've used hemlock that is native of Maine. I made a horse run in a few years back. I had no problems with it.The slabs will make good fire wood too.
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apm

We use it for a lot of building around here. I've heard all my life it's immune to termites and other critters.

Greg
Timberking 1600 now

Ironwood

It's been GREAT here. NO movement on the unfastened lower edge in 10 years. Used stainless fasteners underr the lap, and plugged ones at faceframes. lightly sanded so it shows saw marks. hornets love the underside of the clapboards.

 



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MotorSeven

I have not decided yet what wood to use for the rafters on my log home. I have available on my place white & red Oak, Poplar, Hickory, Walnut, Ash, ERC & Jack pine. I think I want Hemlock for it's rot/bug resistance, but I don't have any and it seems to be a bit scarce around here since it was a number one choice for barns. I will not consider any type of Pine...not rot resistant enough.
I haven't done the calculations yet, but a 30' wide house & a 12-12 pitch w/2' overhang should be in the vicinity of 24'. For a 5x10" rafter that leave out Cedar....too short. If I can't find any Hemlock I am not sure what to consider.


RD
WoodMizer LT15 27' bed

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