what is redwood?

[sunnybob]

I'm pretty good at recognising exotic hardwoods because thats what I use all day long. But when I just need some "construction timber" I just go to the woodyard and buy by the size I want from a huge selection of lengths and widths. The wood is pretty white, and cuts easily, but if I store offcuts in a corner, the wood turns noticeably brown, almost going towards cherry.
If a piece is overlaid there is an amazing contrast, like some one who has been sunbathing with part of an arm in the shade.
What is this wood's proper name?
Bear in mind I have translation difficulties, the man in the woodyard is romainian and speaks perfect greek. I dont speak either of those, and have to rely on pigeon english. :roll:

 

[RobinBHM]

pinus sylvestris is commonly known as redwood, at least in the UK.

it is quite white when freshly machined and goes quite yellow after a while.

But Im not sure if thats what you have in Cyprus

 

[deema]

Redwood has reddish lines at the growth rings, probably winter growth (no expert on what and why) but you can’t miss it.

 

[sunnybob]

This is all northern european wood, No local wood available because its either still producing olives or its being burnt to keep warm. 8)
i'll find a bit with shading tomorrow and take a pic.

 

[Deadeye]

On the same theme.. what is "deal"?

 

[sunnybob]

Its when the "dealer" gives everybody another set of cards (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

 

[Rich C]

On the same theme.. what is "deal"?

Olde worlde term for common construction softwood. So pine and spruce. These days they call it redwood and whitewood.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Iirc deal is technically a size of timber, not a specific timber.

 

[sunnybob]

according to wiki, RED deal is an old name for Yew.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

From an old article on Gloucester docks -
When a ship or a lighter arrived at a Gloucester timber yard, a gang of men were employed to carry the deals to be piled up in the yard. Two men lifted one or more deals on to another man's shoulder, and he ran along a line of planks to the pile where that size of deal was being stacked. A leather pad was worn to protect the shoulder, but it could still be very painful until the skin became hardened. As the planks flexed when the carrier ran over them, he had to develop a knack of allowing for that movement or he could be thrown off.
When the carrier reached the right pile, he dropped his load, and another man positioned each deal tidily while the carrier ran back for more.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

...while the carrier ran back for more.

And people today wonder why productivity and efficiency is not as high as it should be.

I am currently putting olives in 50 kg sacks (some of them may be as much as 60kg, if wet); I think it might be illegal in the UK. At the very least, I would need to do a hse assessment on each one before lifting it, and probably document the the process.

 

[Ttrees]

Red deal is Scots pine according to my old school book.
Is redwood sold in UK?

 

[MikeG.]

......Is redwood sold in UK?

Not your redwood, I don't think. Our standard pine is called redwood, here, but it isn't your giant redwood (sequoia).

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I think it is the same stuff I have available - very soft, very wide growth rings, and planes up beautifully. Mostly use for shuttering concrete in these parts, so not at the top of the list for quality. It is also enthusiastic to cup, warp, bend, curl, and generally go banana-shaped.

For quality wood we get Finnish slow-grown pine (known as "Swedish", obviously). Hardwood seems to be something that might have been available, once, long ago. I am now in the market for cutting down people's fruit and nut trees - they just don't know it yet. My neighbour has a holm oak that I have my eye on, and he also has the world's biggest walnut tree - must be a storm coming, any day now....

 

[sunnybob]

scrap piece of wood about 2" square.
see the discolouration?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

What does it smell of?

 

[sunnybob]

Dust. Its been there a while and I cant sense anything other than that.

 

[Rich C]

Iirc deal is technically a size of timber, not a specific timber.

It's both. A deal is a piece of wood over 2 1/4" thick and less than 10" wide.

But also, it was the common name for softwood, presumably because it was traded in deals, a typical amount was apparently 120 deals, called a hundred of deals, obviously.

White deal is spruce, what we'd now call whitewood (i.e. cheap carcassing timber).
Red or yellow deal would be pine, which we now call redwood. Somewhat better joinery grade softwood.

 

[eezageeza]

+1 for it being Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine). That's what the Potters of Nantwich catalogue says it is, and the stuff I've bought from them over the years has aged to that orange shade exactly like the bit in your photo.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I think that what you have is softwood - pine of some species or other - I don't think it's necessarily pinus syvestris which normally has a marked colour difference between heartwood and sapwood (although maybe you've only got a bit which is only one or the other), it also doesn't normally have grain that looks like that.

The pale patch is just where something has protected it from the discolouring effects of UV/sunlight, as you say.

It could be parana pine or some other kind of pine e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_pinaster https://www.wood-database.com/maritime-pine/

I think maritime pine would be much more economical for structural uses than scots pine (which tends to come from the baltic or Russia) given your location.

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-find ... wp_paged=3

Cheers, W2S