8" thick dry posts. Where are they???

[Kungfucarpenter]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post and it's about a post.

I would like to purchase 8" (anything 175mm-200mm) thick posts untreated 1.8m+ and dry.
It doesn't sound that complicated yet no one locally supplies them, I can't find anyone online and everyone tells me just to buy 6".

I have found a few 8" posts untreated but they have been stored outside... I cannot use these.

Currently I buy and laminate boards but it's a pain staking job alough this was originally the quickest part of the job now it's the longest.

I would just like to be able to order 8" thick dry untreated posts with minimal sanding required to apply finish. I would order 20/40 at a time as well.

Can some one please help me!

Sam robins
the Kung fu carpenter

 

[Chrispy]

I think you may need to ask your self why would any one dry 8 inch gate posts?

 

[blackrodd]

Hello, and welcome. Do you mean wet as in rained on or wet, unseasoned?
Just a thought, are all these new softwood sleepers wet that farmers goods and supplies outlets stock?
Failing that, you may try Demolition materials, as in Winkleigh timber, on the old ww2 aerodrome there.
They seem to have a lot of big stuff, 20 odd feet oak beams and flooring etc, etc.
Fair way for you to travel, but you certainly won't find what you're after in the local Tesco.
HTH Regards Rodders

 

[beech1948]

First question would be why should someone produce 8" square posts and then dry them. The real use for these would be in gate posts or large pergolas.

I suggest that you maybe consider 4x4" laminated together. Should be able to find these dried and untreated.

If you were lucky you might find some 8x2 but may have to special order it about 12 months in advance.

Al

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I would just like to be able to order 8" thick dry untreated posts with minimal sanding required to apply finish. I would order 20/40 at a time as well.

I think you're very unlikely to be able to acquire such a thing, all depending a bit what you mean by 'dry'.

Typically, pretty much everything greater than 4" thick is not going to go through a kiln cycle to bring the wood down to 10% or 11% MC. The reason for this is cost - it takes a long time to achieve this kind of moisture content, and the end result would have to be reflected in the retail price of the finished item. The second reason is the high likelihood that drying faults will be introduced into the wood making it pretty much unmarketable. This is particularly the case with refractory wood species such as oak.

The most likely availability of large section beams of the type you describe will either be sold 'green', or at best 'air dried'. Air dried would mean the shell might be down to somewhere in the region of 20- 23% MC just after the driest time of year, i.e., purchased in early autumn, but the core may still be at fibre saturation point, i.e., 30% MC or more, particularly if the wood is a slow drying species such as oak (again). Ash beams on this scale (if available), and air dried might be a bit drier because it is a relatively easy and quick drying wood.

If such baulks of wood are used in habitable buildings, houses for example, they will continue to lose moisture because of the lower RH that heated buildings experience compared to outside conditions here in the UK, but there will be shrinkage leading to fissures and cracks to live with as they develop.

Could there be another solution? Do you have to use solid wood? Could you make up hollow columns out of four pieces of rough sawn 1" or 1-1/2" stock? Of course, I have no idea what you're trying to achieve, and I can't tell if this is work for yourself or if it's a job for which you're charging. Slainte.

 

[Kungfucarpenter]

Hi All,

Thank you for your comments. I am afraid this would be the case. When I say dry I just mean something that isn't left out in the rain. I make kung fu dummies.

It seems like I won't get lucky here. even if I could get someone to laminated 8x2 c24 then turn them on a giant lathe that would be ideal.

 

[RobinBHM]

I have had some wing chun dummies in the workshop to alter holes that were wrong, the main body of the dummy was made in laminated hardwood -lots of bits only about 40mm square.

They were made in Vietnam for a fraction of the price I could have made them for.

http://www.pagoda-imports.com/product/f ... den-dummy/

Maybe you could get some glulam beams which are stable and laminated to large sections, I buy glulams from here:

http://www.glulambeams.co.uk/glulam_specifications.html

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Kungfucarpenter - you have PM.

 

[SimonT]

Search ebay, i saw some 8" x 8" posts (oak) earlier today funnily enough, in varying lengths. But i dont imagine they'll be cheap.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Glulam: briliant stuff - get it made up to your exact spec!

 

[n0legs]

Glulam: briliant stuff - get it made up to your exact spec!

Isn't there someone in Avonmouth off St Andrews Road doing Glulam ?

 

[Eric The Viking]

Glulam: briliant stuff - get it made up to your exact spec!

Isn't there someone in Avonmouth off St Andrews Road doing Glulam ?

Yes - I've bought from them. Junction of St. Andrews Rd. and Kingsweston Lane. Excellent service and a good price (cheaper than steel). http://www.glulamte.co.uk/

 

[Doug B]

It seems like I won't get lucky here. even if I could get someone to laminated 8x2 c24 then turn them on a giant lathe that would be ideal.

You might have answered a question that puzzled me for a while, I worked a few years back for a widow of a martial arts chap who had in his garage very straight lengths of tree trunks around 8-10" diameter which had had their bark remove, ends sealed & appeared to be in stick drying.
Perhaps this was his inexpensive way of producing what you are after, they were certainly clean straight grained timber & made very nice bowls.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

I would like to purchase 8" (anything 175mm-200mm) thick posts untreated 1.8m+ and dry.

Here you go and they can supply up to 9m lengths.

HTH,
Neil

 

[dc_ni]

Hi All,

Thank you for your comments. I am afraid this would be the case. When I say dry I just mean something that isn't left out in the rain. I make kung fu dummies.

It seems like I won't get lucky here. even if I could get someone to laminated 8x2 c24 then turn them on a giant lathe that would be ideal.

As you mentioned turning them it made me think of something like these:

http://www.totalpoles.co.uk/

Not sure about how dry they would be but it does say in the FAQ section that you can buy them untreated if specified in the order.