# working with pine



## dinofirefighter (Jan 8, 2011)

Hey all, I'm in bay area ca. and just joined this site yesterday. Been doing hobby woodworking and refinishing hardwood floors with a guy only for the past year, all on the side when I'm not firefighting. I have 2 big block of pine that I cut and brought home from work one day. The tree fell across the road on a car and we got called to clear it. The blocks are now in their rough form, not yet milled. Milling them won't be an issue but I have never worked with pine. From what I have read and have been told it has alot of pitch in it. My plans were to cut it into about 2"x17" at 9' long and make a formal dining room table top out of it. If anyone has experience with pine or more specifically Monterey pine, your advice would be well taken. Thank you all for your time.


----------



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

For a dining room table you will probably have to "set the pitch" or heat the wood to 160+ degrees. If not it will never harden and always ooze, for years. 

I would look for a local kiln drier to dry the wood and set the pitch. I don't see you ever being able to use it for finished interior furniture just air dried.

Welcome to the forum BTW.



.


----------



## dinofirefighter (Jan 8, 2011)

Thanks daren. For both the welcome and the insight. That's what I was afraid of, I was trying to do all this with no out of pocket Cost. I'm going to secure the table top in a way I can easily change the top over the years. I have access to fallen redwood trees and California oak as well. The ca. Oak Im told isn't good for woodworking like red oak is, but the redwood will be beautiful. Guess the pine is something to keep me busy and for a trial.


----------



## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

Don't pass up that oak, it can yield some good stuff to use. Do a google search on california oak and you will see that quite a few types(california white, black, tanoak) are being used by small sawmills and locals.


----------



## bugman1954 (Apr 1, 2008)

*Big pine log and Alaskan Mill*

A tree service asked if I wanted this 32" pine log. DUH? Urban that is. It is beautiful straight and a spot of fatlighter. A friend wants a couple of slabs out of the tree. I like Daren's comment about the 160 degrees. My kiln only gets to 130. Is it worth it to slab it out and use the rest for firewood? 

I just purchased a 48" alaskan mill from Baileys but they were out of the kit with the bar and ripping chain. I hope to find a bar for the mill either a double ended bar or a long bar to maximize the mill. My current powerhead is a Stihl MS660 with a 36" bar. 

Another tree service gave me a big walnut buck log. It is 42" and was hoping to harvest it with a couple of slabs out of the middle also.


----------



## farmer9 (Oct 19, 2009)

im just a farmer, dont know much about wood, but that doesnt look like a pine log to me.


----------



## slabmaster (Mar 30, 2008)

*walnut log*



farmer9 said:


> im just a farmer, dont know much about wood, but that doesnt look like a pine log to me.


 It looks like a nice walnut log to me! Do post some pictures when milled.


----------



## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

dinofirefighter said:


> Hey all, I'm in bay area ca. and just joined this site yesterday. Been doing hobby woodworking and refinishing hardwood floors with a guy only for the past year, all on the side when I'm not firefighting. I have 2 big block of pine that I cut and brought home from work one day. The tree fell across the road on a car and we got called to clear it. The blocks are now in their rough form, not yet milled. Milling them won't be an issue but I have never worked with pine. From what I have read and have been told it has alot of pitch in it. My plans were to cut it into about 2"x17" at 9' long and make a formal dining room table top out of it. If anyone has experience with pine or more specifically Monterey pine, your advice would be well taken. Thank you all for your time.


Daren is right on for the setting of the pitch. It need to be kiln dried and some one that know's how to do the drying of that wood. That wouldn't be my pick for wood. I guess you could use shellac that mite work? but pine i don't like pine wood to work with gum's up blade's Good luck


----------



## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

farmer9 said:


> im just a farmer, dont know much about wood, but that doesnt look like a pine log to me.


that's the pic of big walnut buck log


----------

