Is this right?

[Pabs]

I picked these up today from wickes the sneck.

The one graded c24 was the most defect free one I could find. The c16 was the same

But to my eyes the c16 looks far more appealing to cut mortices out of. This doesn't make sense to me as I thought c24 was supposed to be superior

Is it approaching rift sawn (half of it at least) I'm trying out my learning.

Here are two photos of each face.

Thanks merry folk

 

[ajs]

Could well be. Ultimately Cxx gradings are structural rather than cosmetic. The C16 is less knotty but the knots are by and on the edges where they have a disproportionate effect on the strength.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Learn on something better - go to a builder's merchants and get redwood.

 

[Spectric]

C24 and C16 are builders materials for things like stud walls and not for making furniture or anything decent and as @Phil Pascoe has said use redwood to learn with, but if you move onto hardwoods like Sapelle or Oak then that is a different game again. Find yourself a local timber merchant who knows more about timber and if just practicing joints they may even have odd stuff that would suit your needs.

 

[baldkev]

Or go to a joinery shop and ask if you can buy a few of their offcuts. Take beer with you

 

[Pabs]

this is for a log store sorry should have said

 

[Adam W.]

I use C24 spruce for carving picture frames, it can be very good quality at a good price if you can get the right stuff, so don't be afraid to look at the likes of Wickes.

The C16 piece looks alright and better than the C24, but it's the margin knots on the arris which reduces the grade.

 

[Pabs]

thanks adam. it's cheap and means when I screw up I'm not over invested atm. I've really only just learnt the importance of planning / marking out scrupulously and again this is through mistakes

Phil & Roy - making this stuff at the moment is more about getting my handtool / general skills up like marking out and cutting square to a line - I find this framing lumber is cheap, easy to work and good for outdoor framing projects. Ultimately I want to make my own shed for the garden but have a long way to go first. I do have redwood and hardwoods to practice and try make nicer stuff for indoors

below are a couple photos of where I'm at skill wise with joining things together since Nov when I really started out and stopped just screwing things together with butt joints - the frame for a steppy-platform is probably the cleanest I've managed so far with some redwood which I worked to dimension and cut out with a chisel

 

[macca]

just a quick two thoughts, if its a log store I would be inclined to stick with the green treated timber (pictured left) as it will fair better. secondary to my point the piece on the right looks as though it may be cls which could also contribute to it being graded 16 due to its smaller cross section, i may be wrong but just a thought

 

[paulrbarnard]

thanks adam. it's cheap and means when I screw up I'm not over invested atm. I've really only just learnt the importance of planning / marking out scrupulously and again this is through mistakes

Phil & Roy - making this stuff at the moment is more about getting my handtool / general skills up like marking out and cutting square to a line - I find this framing lumber is cheap, easy to work and good for outdoor framing projects. Ultimately I want to make my own shed for the garden but have a long way to go first. I do have redwood and hardwoods to practice and try make nicer stuff for indoors

below are a couple photos of where I'm at skill wise with joining things together since Nov when I really started out and stopped just screwing things together with butt joints - the frame for a steppy-platform is probably the cleanest I've managed so far with some redwood which I worked to dimension and cut out with a chisel


View attachment 156906View attachment 156907

That looks like a mighty fine start!

I’ve used Construction lumber for a lot of different non construction jobs and the trick is to just keep it sitting around in your workshop for plenty of time before you use it. Buy it for one of the big home stores (B&Q or whatever) as it is stored in side in racks so already drying. You can also rifle through the prices and chose the best bits.

 

[Pabs]

Macca, I've seen suggestions to buy the biggest dimension possible and resaw at home - I did this with the redwood stuff I bought - does this generally hold true with construction grade timber to get a better grain structure or is it not worth the effort (I have a bandsaw but don't have a planer / thicknesser so I scribe a line with a marking gauge referencing the original milled surface where I can and just smooth it down to the line)

Paul yes it's hefty stuff when I first get it but had a piece sitting there since Jan and it's significantly lighter! if resawing it would you also wait until its dried out? I've had some issues with the bandsaw choking up and I think it must be because it is so wet. IDK why it's described as kiln dried when you can feel the moisture on the wood just by touch

amazing how much you learn through mistakes = such as chopping out these mortices had a load of the redwood split on me - found that clamping to the worktop over a leg pretty much negated lost transfer of blows and gave cleaner cuts. also great learning tolerances etc

 

[rob1693]

It's kiln dried but often left outside getting wet prior to going in shop

 

[Adam W.]

@Pabs I'm sure that you can see that if you rip the knots off or cut them out of the piece of C16, you'll end up with a very nice piece of timber, so you've selected it well. Generally I go for the largest piece of timber I can find at the store, as they are normally the best, so the stack of untreated joist timber C16/C24 is what I look at first.

 

[Pabs]

thanks chaps all very helpful
beer on me next time anyone is passing

 

[thetyreman]

ultimately it depends what you want to make? if possible try and get hold of some high quality hardwoods as well, don't just use pine, especially if you plan on making some quality furniture, it's worth the extra expense of buying high quality hardwoods.