13-03-2012, 03:32 PM
That's ok, I was in the home grown timber game for a number of years, yes it's the sap wood which takes up the Tanalizing fluid, the heart wood does not take anything up at all, it is vertualy impenertrable, the old telegraph and electricity pole used to be run through an incissor machine which penetrated the sap wood and part way into the heartwood in preperation for the hot and cold creoste process, that's why those poles last so long. If you take a peice of tanalized heartwood you will notice that the ends are treated, if you cut 12 mm off the end you will still see some treatment, cut 150 to 300 mm off and you won't see much at all except for any that has found its way in by way of shrinkage cracks/shakes etc. Try to avoid boards cut from the very heart of the tree as these tend to twist and shake more and the timber is inherently weak, some people think that the very center of the tree is the best timber...it's not, this cut of timber is called boxed heart, if the dimension is 100 x 100 or larger then it will suffer from shrinkage cracks but on stuff this size the strength should not be affected to much. I am a great believer in the use of homegrown timber, you can't really beat clear homegrown Larch for timber gates, it is also good for decking but it splits at the end if you don't pre drill the nail holes or pre drill and countersink if using screws, 1st butt Douglas Fir is also a supurb and strong timber, if it is well seasoned you would have a job driving 6" nails into large dimension stuff as for pulling them out...forget it.
Homegrown Scots pine is also an excellent timber, it can be very resinous, homegrown Sitka Spruce (which is what I grow) has about the best strength to wieght ratio, there are other spiecies but I won't bore you.
Lawrence.
Homegrown Scots pine is also an excellent timber, it can be very resinous, homegrown Sitka Spruce (which is what I grow) has about the best strength to wieght ratio, there are other spiecies but I won't bore you.
Lawrence.
