Can I use this wood

[Jimbo435]

Looking to build a timber frame home using wood from my own lot.  I had these sugar pines that were dead.  Reading some old accounts of the area, the settlers used sugar pine for their homes.  Finally got them cut down and pulled out of the woods without too much damage.

http://no-one-right-way.com/annapolis/2007/08/more-wood-big-wood.html

Now, how do I tell if I can use them for timber framing?  Someone else told me to ask the mill.  Not many mills around here (used to be).  I would like to use a portable miller.  How do I know if the guy with the portable mill knows what he is talking about?

Also, we took a slab home for a keepsake, and it is starting to split.  Should I seal the ends of these logs to keep them from checking?  What can I use that is as "green" as possible?

Jim

[fencerowphil (Phil L.)]

Jim,

There is plenty of good "meat" in those large logs.

Your small log pile is mostly too small for much, unless my perception
of their size is off(?).

Your use of the Sugar Pine in the timber frame will depend upon loads.
Match the loads to the size you have cut and you are in business.
The large logs are great swingblade material.  Determine your exact
beam and post needs first, then look up a swinger.

Phil L.                  P.S.   Sugar pine is the traditional wood for piano keys.
                                    It is very dimensionally stable, once dried.

[Slabs]

In his "The Wood Book", Jan Adkins says that Sugar Pine and Eastern White Pine are "not regularly used in construction but are fairly strong, light woods with even textures, ease of workability and high stability. stability makes both good woods for pattern making, furniture and sash stock etc" and I agree.  Down here we have the Choctawhatchee Sand Pine and I like to work with it for boxes and cabinets.  It is soft and has a close grain but it's ability to hold a bright nail may leave something to be desired.  It's not particurlarly prone to split in the thinner cuts and seems to take glue fairly well unless you get into a damaged specimine that has a lot of pitch wood.

I guess most of those characteristics kinda lean it away from framing and it does tend to have a lot of knots but they are usually small down in the lower trunk.  If you have a short log cutoff, try to split it and see why they say it has "high stability".  I found out about it's grain "strength" trying to split up some small blowdowns into azelia border pegs.

Good luck