Lodgepole Pine Logs for Furniture

[lawnmasters]

Hello All,
I was referred here from a woodworking forum I frequent by one of your members. I am looking for a mill that handles lodgepole pine. I am building a log home and I need a small amount to build some furniture, railing and other decorations. I am using barnwood and logs, timbers and other asst. wood. Can anyone direct me to a place in TN./ so. Ky. or Ark. that might handle some. I know its a western tree, but someone has to mill it around here for use in homes, etc.

Thanks for any help you can direct to me.

Greg Pierce
Lawnmasters
731.642.2876

[Cedarman]

We can peel eastern red cedar to the desired dimension and length if you can use ERC.  Southern Indiana.  No lodge pole pine though.

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forum.
You received good advice from your woodworking forum. If it is happening, you will find it here. 

Are you building a log home from lodgepole pine? And trying to match the wood?

How much of it are you looking for, and what size? Had a neighbor ship in a large quantity of lodgepole for rail fences 'western' style. He wanted it for his horse farm. That was several years ago.

We'd be interested in hearing more about your home and furniture building. You can find some others here who have built log homes, and also some in the process of building them (as well as thinking about building them).

Welcome.   We like pics too.  8)

[Cedarman]

Lawnmaster, pardon my lack of manners this morning. Welcome to the forum.  We would love to hear about your projects.  If you want to know about wood this place is as good as any.
Again, Welcome, don't be a stranger. :D :D

[lawnmasters]

Thanks for the welcome guys. I am not needing a ton of this stuff by any means. I am looking for what would be a PITA for most sawmills. I am wanting enough to build a bed and some night stands, then a few decorative things aroung the house.  After that I will probably want some more. Also, I build decks for our customers and have a need for log railing from time to time, I was wanting to just find suppliers for that before the next time it comes up. I like to be ready with info. when the customer asks. There's not much we won't do for our customers, heck I even changed a toilet seat for a little ole lady one time.

I'll be glad to post some pics. I'll gather up some of what I've been working on in the house and pass along. I have built my cabinets out of Oak and Ash, put wainscotting around the dining and game room in the basement out of reclaimed barnwood. Trimming all the doors with barnwood. Interior doors will be barnwood. Built some living room coffee/end tables out of barnwood also. Done some nightstands out of logs with 5/4 spalted maple tops, those I really liked.

I'm not against the eastern red cedar, but the wife has already posted a picture of the bed she wants, and its made out of Lodgepole, so....... you know.

[petefrom bearswamp]

Hi all,
Holy cow, got back from Colorado hunting Elk a couple of weeks ago.
The Lodgepole is devastated in the west due to the mountain pine beetle.
Also saw a lot of dead stuff in Wyoming last year.
Went to the the Forest Service office in Walden Co and talked with a nice young lady about this.
They can't sell salvage jobs because of the housing downturn and the stuff is checking badly as well as blue stain.
I am a retired forester so am interested in the future of this species.
Another observation: in the clearcuts done perhaps 15 years ago the young lodgepole reproduction is OK so far.
When this stuff starts to fall over it will be impossible to get thru the woods.
Pete

[beenthere]

And Pete, it's been like that in the West for 25-30 years. When the lodgepole was ready to harvest (and still alive), the enviro's had the forests locked up in court actions so no cutting could take place. Let it die, let it burn. Let it go to waste.

For furniture size, still a lot of lodgepoe available. Suggest finding a supplier that will ship to TN. Doubt it will be found in a yard locally in TN, unless by some outside chance, a log home builder is having it shipped in.

[Magicman]

lawnmasters, I can't help you with your question,  but I can say Welcome to FF.....

[scsmith42]

Greg, I'm glad that you made it over; you'll find that the FF crowd is a great one!

Good luck with your search.

Scott

[fishpharmer]

Welcome to Forestry Forum.

How good is your wife at wood ID? ;) ;) :D

Here are some pics I took from our fearless leaders post.  Hope you don't mind Jeff.

[beenthere]

I think I see a squeak in that lower right joint.  ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Welcome to the forum lawnmasters. 

I don't know how lucky you will be finding the lodgepole. Is the wife interested in the lodgepole because of the dimple figure in the wood? Kind of a birdseye , but in pine.

Jack pine, Pondersa and Jeffrey pines will give you the dimples, but not as pronounced. Not all bolts of any of these pines will contain dimples. But, it's fairly common. I'm just assuming it's the figure your after.

[lawnmasters]

Thanks everyone, Phishfarmer thats a good looking bed. I'm thinking that's ERC, no? I am not that good at all the subtle differences myself. She would know the difference in the picture and the lodgepole. White cedar would probably work as well as a few others, it doesn't 100% have to be lodgepole. I knew it would be a strectch finding it around here. I am right now looking at a few places that make furniture in East Tn. , they truck it in I'm hoping to get a few pieces from them. I was just hoping to find a mill that actually milled the logs and worked in several species from around the country, that, and I'm hoping to figure out how to burn water in my trucks as fuel, success with both should be about equal.

Thanks, and if anyone happens up on a spot let me know, as well as anyother type of wood that would have the same look.

Greg