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Singing The Blue Pine Blues

Started by WDH, August 24, 2015, 09:36:10 PM

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WDH

I had some root rot in one of my plantations.  The root rot weakens the trees, and the bark beetles swoop in and clean up.  Then, the ambrosia beetles realize that there is a party, and they show up.  After a bit, the longhorn beetles show up to clean up what remains.  The ambrosia beetles bring in a blue stain fungus, and all kind of hades breaks out.  Soon, down here in the heat, the needles all fall off, the bark falls off, and then the tree basically rots from the top down.  It eventually falls over and the rot fungi finish the deal. 

But, if you catch it right, all the party goers are there with the fungus, and funky things happen to the wood.  There are cool holes and a nice blue stain from the fungus.  It is often referred to as "blue pine" or "denim pine". 

So, I was cleaning up the devastation in one of my plantations, this one at 29 years old, and the plan was to cut the lumber to make lumber drying pallets.   Some of the wood was really blue stained and full of beetle holes.  No problem for the pallets.  Put it in the kiln, dry it, sterilize it, and make pallets.  Well, some of it was really nice (at least from a crazy woodworker's perspective).  So, I put in an ad for some "Rustic Blue Pine also known as Denim Pine".

The response has been very good, mostly women calling.  They like the blue color.  I have 3 or 4 waiting for the next kiln load to finish.  From chicken waste, make chicken salad (kinda of an old saying). 

I am making a 6' bar top for one customer, and they chose "blue pine".  It is turning out nicely. 



 

Also, popular right now are "Farm Tables".  Anybody else seliing wood for "Farm Tables"?
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

A majority of the SYP that I saw is "beetle killed" and blue.  Matter of fact, one job this week will be singing those blues.   8)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

WDH

But, you just saw em and leave em all blue  :'(. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: WDH on August 24, 2015, 10:17:26 PM
But, you just saw em and leave em all blue  :'(.

You said you weren't gonna say it.  ;D
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Magicman

But the truth will set you free.   8)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

WDH

DanG.  I slipped up.  I will do better next time.  Too tired from messing with blue pine to think straight. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Bruno of NH

i think the rustic look is the in thing right now.
that pine would make a nice farmers table .
Jim/Bruno
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

21incher

That blue pine top is amazing. I have never seen it before. Does it stay that color or get darker after aging a couple of years?
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Jim_Rogers

I was told that light color wood darkens with age and dark color wood lightens with age.

Don't know what the blue pine will do, we'll have to see.....

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

hackberry jake

https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

petefrom bearswamp

Nice danny
WP here just seems to get partially blue with most of the wood still white.
makes a nice contrast.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

WDH

Quote from: Jim_Rogers on August 25, 2015, 12:59:33 PM
Don't know what the blue pine will do, we'll have to see.....

Jim Rogers

I don't know either.  I just wish that I had a shed load of it.  More calls today. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

pineywoods

Reckon you could figure out a way to cultivate ambrosia beetles ?
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

WDH

I have been thinking about what to do when my supply of just dead and dying trees are gone.  I guess that I could cut them down and let them lay on the ground with tops on for a month or so. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

chet

Quote from: Jim_Rogers on August 25, 2015, 12:59:33 PM
I was told that light color wood darkens with age and dark color wood lightens with age.

Don't know what the blue pine will do, we'll have to see.....

Jim Rogers

The paneling I made and installed in our mud room has a lot of "Blue Pine" in it. It's been up over 25 years and still looks the same.
I am a true TREE HUGGER, if I didnt I would fall out!  chet the RETIRED arborist

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

I will probably be sawing some Blue Pine tomorrow.  It is either a lightning or beetle killed tree.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

hackberry jake

Quote from: WDH on August 25, 2015, 08:20:33 PM

  I just wish that I had a shed load of it.
I read this a little too fast the first time and thought WDH was heading towards the woodshed.
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

Warped

Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on August 25, 2015, 05:38:12 PM
Nice danny
WP here just seems to get partially blue with most of the wood still white.
makes a nice contrast.
Exactly what I was going to say. It doesn't "color" the whole board for me, and it certainly had plenty of time, unless the pine borers work faster around here? Also had it spalted to what would be considered rot and it never reached this amount of blue. Unfortunate....
Good with the rough stuff and rough with the good stuff

WDH

The amount of blue varies from 5% to 90%, depending on the tree.  For the bar top, I picked out the bluest of the blue, some of the 90% blue stuff.  On average, there is maybe 30 - 40% blue. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

isawlogs

 The edge og my new kitchen table has " bleu stain " I chose those two boards just for there look.  :)

  You can see in the pic the darker colour of the edge ...



 
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

WDH

Lady wanted a blue pine door, barn style, to go between a bedroom and a closet.  It will be a sliding door.  They are really popular now.  So, I made her a barn-style, blue pine door.



 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

POSTON WIDEHEAD

I gotta hand it to you on this one.....this is pretty cool.  :)
Of course I feel at home around barn doors any way.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

barbender

A lot of nice looking work with "junk" wood! I've read that blue stain fungus only affects sap wood, so it stops when it reaches hardwood and I have seen that to be true in my logs. I think young southern plantation pine is likely almost all sapwood, so the blue goes all the way through.
Too many irons in the fire

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