Charlie Self wrote:
George Cawthon responds:


Leon wrote:

wrote in message
egroups.com...


I've be trying to flatten a short piece of yellow pine 2x12 CCA that
I've had around for a while and just found the use of. I didn't think
it would be too tough a job.

Not having a power planer I've been working on it with a #5, and a #4
(both recently tuned up and sharp) but the only thing that cuts it is
my low angle block plane. This stuff is like planing marble--the 45%
planes just slide over the top. The low angle cuts pretty well, but
leaves a choppy surface.

Anybody here know why yellow pine gets so frekkin' hard?
I'm gonna haf ta find another board.


Umm because yellow pine is hard compared to many woods and many woods
naturally get harder as dry out and age.



Where is this yellow pine from? Are you taking about Pinus
Ponderosa commonly known as yellow pine? If so, I don't
know what you mean by hard? I'm in the northwest and have
used lots of yellow pine. About the only thing softer is
cedar and redwood. Must be talking about some other species


SYP, AKA southern yellow pine, has zip to do with Ponderosa pine. Mostly found
from Jersey's Pine Barrens on south to Georgia, it is a highly figured wood,
the hardest U.S. pine, hardens with age, and is a royal PITA to work. SYP that
is CCA treated doesn't dry out until it's been in place 103 years, or so it
sometimes seems.

On the Janka hardness scale, long leaf SYP is 870. Cherry is 950.

Charlie Self
"They want the federal government controlling Social Security like it's some
kind of federal program." George W. Bush, St. Charles, Missouri, November 2,
2000

I've kind of figured P. ponderosa is not what the discussion
is about. However, none of my books on wood and trees, and
I have several, mention southern yellow pine. The problem
with common names is they are often indefinite and
confusing. And syp, seems to be a rather regional
designation. More at response to Mel. Thanks.