# roughcut lumber



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Two threads for you to work through:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...ood-and-building-boxes&highlight=rough+lumber
- and -
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...uld-you-use-rough-sawn&highlight=rough+lumber

Keep in mind that "rough cut" lumber likely is not _kiln _dried, and may not be _air _dried either. If you want to use green lumber, your best bet is to properly stack & sticker it with a top cover and allow it to dry for multiple months.


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## beemilk (Sep 12, 2012)

I have been using "one side rough" that I get from Curtis Lumber. It comes in just 1 X 12 stock and is FAR cheaper than even the low grade stock. Been using for the past three years with absolutely no problems.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

I cut about a hundred board feet of rough cedar into deeps years ago. The bees will propolize the inside more when rough.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Two threads for you to work through:
> 
> http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?276577-Moisture-content-of-wood-and-building-boxes&highlight=rough+lumber.


Rader... I went back and read through the thread you posted above.. I laughed out loud. Everyone should read that thread.

cchoganjr


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I agree, Cleo! I had forgotten some of the _wild claims_  in that thread. :lpf:


k:


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## jredburn (Feb 25, 2012)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> I agree, Cleo! I had forgotten some of the _wild claims_  in that thread. :lpf:
> 
> There are two types of people in this world.
> Those who have something to say.
> ...


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## ChrisBex (Jul 24, 2014)

There's a company down on the gulf that does rough cut lumber. This is what they quoted me.


> We Can Offer a 1x12 rough cut yellow pine for $1.10 a LF. OR Cypress rough cut for $3.75 a LF. I would need to know a quantity To get you a dressed price.


southernwoodspecialties.com

Also, check Craigslist. A bunch of local people have mills that they jerry rigged in there back yard selling lumber. I know some will even plane it for you. Shop around! From my experience the competition is fierce down in southern Mississippi, someone will always quote you a better price... Gotta love undercutting.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

ChrisBex

In Kentucky I pay 48 cents a board ft. for pine or poplar sawed 1 inch thick, 12 inch wide. For cypress I pay 50 cents a board ft. for 12 inch wide, sawed 7/8 thick. Most of the mills want a minimum if 500 board foot. They are good about picking the wood so I get good boards.

cchoganjr


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Calculating how many board feet I need to purchase to make it worth the fuel to drive there and pick it up a load. That is an awesome price. 

If I was making mediums, I could cut the 12" boards to length, then cut to depth. Then glue the two narrow strips together for a third set. That would be a sweet deal.


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## Silverbackotter (Feb 23, 2013)

I use rough. Have to adjust the box size a bit. Nail it up quick though or it will warp or stack and sticker it for a few weeks in the garage or keep it covered and it will dry ok. I save more than enough to justify the cost of running to get it.

We used to have a mill as a kid and we used green wood for everything. Had some folks do houses with it . Keep in mind I live where there is scant humidity.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Silverbackotter...

I stick dry all of my lumber for at least one year. Several stacks in the barn have been strip staked for three or more years. A 12 inch poplar board will shrink about 3/4 inch in 9 months. Pine will shrink 3/4 to 7/8 in 9 months. Cypress will shrink about 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

marshmasterpat.. We have lots of Amish Mills in this area. I would guess at least 25 mills within 20 miles. They normally specialize in one type or another. Some only cut poplar, some only cut pine, some only cut walnut. My cypress comes from Benton Ky, about 135 miles away.











Here is one of the many test pieces I have laying around for testing shrinkage. (These, pine and poplar test pieces, have been posted on another thread before)










This is one of the stacks in the barn.

cchoganjr


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## CajunBee (May 15, 2013)

PaBill said:


> Has anyone ever used roughcut lumber for the hive bodies ? No problem with shb in my area as far as i know, but again, what do i know.


Yes.









Rough on the inside, like a hollow tree. Kiln dried cypress I received in exchange for services rendered. I'm happy, the bees are happy and shb is currently under control.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

Nice, making me drool.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

I use mostly rough cut wood for boxes. Here are a couple of photos of rough cut poplar, bought Oct 2013, strip stacked and then made into boxes in the last couple of weeks. Making these shallow supers for a friend. Rough cut poplar costs 48 cents a board ft at the Amish mills locally. (deep on the bottom right is cypress, it cost 50 cents a board ft. It has been stacked for about 5 years.)


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

What about the variation in thickness w/ rough cut? Doesn't that cause problems w/ inside dimensions?


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

sqkcrk said:


> What about the variation in thickness w/ rough cut? Doesn't that cause problems w/ inside dimensions?


Only if you let it.... 

Remember to "Think inside the box."


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

So how do you avoid the problems of thickness variation?


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## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

AmericasBeekeeper said:


> I cut about a hundred board feet of rough cedar into deeps years ago. The bees will propolize the inside more when rough.


I saw a presentation by Marla Spivak a few weeks ago, she was presenting preliminary results from various experiments. The short story, bees that had a lot more propolis on hive sidewalls, the 'propolis envelope' as she called it, were getting substantially higher marks in tests for some (not all) diseases. They created the 'propolis envelope' by stapling propolis traps to the inside walls of the colony. One of the closing comments was 'I wish I could buy hives made with rough cut lumber, easy way to create this condition'.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

sqkcrk said:


> What about the variation in thickness w/ rough cut?


No. I order all of mine cut at 1 inch. (You will pay for 1 inch, even if you had it cut 3/4 or 7/8). It is band saw cut, and the boards are uniform 1 inch from end to end, 12 to 16 ft boards. 

I cut to length, then cut the box joints, then plane to 3/4. Then cut the hand hold.

Cutting the box joints in the total 1 inch will allow you to plane out any blowout you might get from the dado. Also, if there is any cup in the board the 1 inch starting will allow the cup to be planed out. Final step is cut the hand hold.

cchoganjr


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

grozzie2... It would be no problem to leave the inside rough and plane the outside. I never have, but, I have read the same thing you mentioned. 

Our local mills are band saw mills, and the boards are very uniform from end to end, so, you could plane all from the outside to get the 3/4 thickness, leave the inside rough.

cchoganjr


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## bolter (Jun 27, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> So how do you avoid the problems of thickness variation?


I don't plane the 1 inch rough cut pine that I use. The boards will vary a bit - maybe 1/16th of an inch between boards. As such, I make supers out of the same board, or make sure I match thichness if I have scrap pieces. I use double rabbet joints, adjusted for the wood's thickness and sand the outside a bit, but leave the insides alone. I don't even notice the difference in super sizes once everything is assembled & stacked. Would be an issue if I decided to combine my stuff with purchased supers made with 3/4 inch material.


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