Anyone purposely blue stain pine logs?

[oakiemac]

I have a fairly large white pine log about 10'x30" that I've left out in a field for about 2 years. I put in on the slabber yesterday and sawed a few slabs but it all looked like clear pine with no blue stain. Just wondering how long it usually takes or if white pine doesn't stain very well?

Don't do a lot with pine so I have little experience doing this. I do spalt sycamore and maple which usually take a few years.

[WDH]

Singing The Blue Pine Blues in General Woodworking

If you don't want to read the entire thread, start at reply #32. 

[Southside]

I have not had any luck with getting blue stain into white pine, does not seem to matter how long I let them sit.  Yellow pine on the other hand, especially this past year - not a problem to get stain.  

[barbender]

Only the sapwood will blue stain, and on a big log most of it is usually heartwood.

[thecfarm]

I have a lot of dead standing white pine on my land. Well did have a lot, been using it for wood in my OWB. I have cut many, with no bark on them,small limbs have broken off, standing for I have no idea how many years, some only a foot across some more than 2 feet across. I have never seen any blue stain in them. There has been some on the ground for years, and still no blue stain. 

[YellowHammer]

I’ve been hit and miss, mostly miss, on blue stain, but from what I’ve learned, it’s best you have a younger log with lots of wet sapwood, dripping sap, a hot and humid climate, and lay it in the hot and humid shade, not the sun because that starts to dry it out, and go buy a few chickens and have them poop on it.  That seems to be critical.  

[Magicman]

"Natural" blue comes from beetles introducing bacteria which travels horizontally through the tree which effectively shuts off the nutrient flow and kills the tree.  The beetles then feed off of whatever is produced during this bacteria activity.  It should be visible on the bucked end of the logs.

"Unnatural" blue is mildew and is completely different.  I have effectively produced it by dead stacking sawn lumber. 

I know nothing about White Pine nor now to introduce blue into an unsawn log.  I would think that dead stacking would work, but that is a guess.

[moodnacreek]

It is a struggle every year to have pine without blue stain. By late April any pine that is cut must be sprayed to prevent it. It is the sap wood that turns gray/blue and that is where the high grade is. Nobody really wants blue stain pine . Any clear is the first to be spoiled so any real profit is gone. There some years is a brown stain that doesn't look so bad although that is considered a defect also.

[Stephen1]

Blue stain in EWP comes in hot humid weather, 80+F and the log needs to be fresh sawn. It will go through the sap wood overnight. Fresh sawn Dead stacked lumber in the same heat will get the same results. Letting a log sit for months or years, as you do for maple will not get blue pine.
Since the pine bore attacks a fallen pine within hours, I wonder if they bring the bacteria or fungi for the blue stain?

[Magicman]

Since the pine bore attacks a fallen pine within hours, I wonder if they bring the bacteria or fungi for the blue stain?

I see no way for beetles to introduce bacteria into a downed tree/log.  Yes they quickly go to work, but sap/moisture movement ceases when the tree is felled.


 
"Sawyers" are interested in laying eggs to produce young.  They munch, crunch, and bore pencil sized holes but do not produce blue.

After the tree is dead, it takes mildew to make blue. 

[moodnacreek]

Blue stain starts after the 'wood' reaches a certain temperature while at a certain moisture content. If the moisture content can be lowered before the 'wood' reaches, say, 50 degrees the stain will not happen. This is one of many reasons why the small time mill needs to saw as many logs in the fall and stick the lumber so that it will be too dry to stain when the temperature rises. Keeping logs cool gives more time to get them sawed but clean sawed boards can stain anyhow as they warm up if they are too wet inside. This one of the reasons to leave cut logs on the ground in the woods. The whole thing amounts to heat damage.

[tule peak timber]

Yes !

[oakiemac]

Thanks for the replies. Someone said that no one wants blue stain pine but I beg to differ. Lots of people want blue stained pine slabs, not sure about dimensional lumber.

[tule peak timber]

For wall paneling it is terrific...One of my kids in the pic. It is also number one for box beams and cabinet work.

 

 I use a LOT of blued pine.We laugh at how much blued pine we blow through each year......

[Southside]

I have an order in the kiln of it right now. It's like any other product, some love it, some hate it. 

[moodnacreek]

Thanks for the replies. Someone said that no one wants blue stain pine but I beg to differ. Lots of people want blue stained pine slabs, not sure about dimensional lumber.

In a pine mill it will go for pallet. Blue stained logs sell for 1/3 the price of fresh logs if they sell at all. If you saw much pine you will have blue stain weather you want it or not. I have never had anyone ask for it but they sure do refuse it.  Take a fresh log that has a white sap band and leave it in the sun and the ends will turn black. You can peel it and watch the stain grow. It may spiral crack with the bark off. After it all turns dark saw it.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I don't saw an awful lot of pine and it has nearly all been white pine. Around here I can't imagine getting blue stained pine without a 3/8" diameter hole every few inches due to the borers.

    Does WP even blue stain or is that unique to yellow pine?

[bags]

I make a lot of BS from Ponderosa and Doug-Fir and it stains well as long as moisture stays present in the log--- our White Fir (pine) up here will rot before it stains.

[donbj]

Another marketing name to steer away from the word stain, is denim pine. Seen it used up here.

[Magicman]

Our commercial sawmills will not accept blue nor dead/bark slipped logs which is why I saw so much beetle killed SYP.  Landowners are trying so salvage some value from their dead/dying trees/logs.  The great majority is sawn into framing lumber.