WCLB grading stamp

[Noklin]

What kind of lumber does the following stamp apply to?

N.SPR (l) GER KD-HT

I searched the grade information on the WCLB web page and could find no information on this stamp.

I assume that it is a type of spruce. Is this something that could be used on my CS20 for stringers and other members?

[Howard]

This may not help, but it's a start:

http://www.wwpa.org/gstip.htm

I think you are probably right that it's a variety of Spruce. Northern Spruce is really not a variety per se, more like a grouping of different varieties that have similar characteristics, such that they can be marketed as one. Probably better than SPF, but who knows?

The KD-HT is simply Kiln Dried, Heat Treated. Maybe a Grade 1.

But as for your question, if it's Spruce....and the folks selling it should be able to tell you, I'd think there would be better choices. Doug Fir, for example. When you consider the cost of everything, and your labor, I wouldn't try to save money buying cheap lumber.

I recently went shopping at one of my local yards.....not a big box store....a real lumberyard, and came home with a few sticks of decent Doug Fir. They left me alone to go through a large stack of 2 x 12's and I managed to find several that had at least a part of the board clear and tight grained. The rest can be carved up around the knots for cleats, or scarfed for stringers or cleats. BTW....these were 10 footers (as long as I could haul) and they cost $16 each. Roughly one fourth the cost of one sheet of 1/4" plywood.

One was very clear...almost the entire board, but was plain sawn. Another trick is to look for these plain sawn boards, where they left a big of bark on one edge such that it really isn't a good board for building, but clear and very good for ripping out stringers.

[Noklin]

I agree, but in this case I already have several pieces of this lumber laying around. I purchased it several months ago for another non-marine project and was wondering if I could use it for the CS20. It is taking up much needed storage space and I will have to discarded it if it can not be used for the CS20.

[Barry Pyeatt]

The primary thing I would look for on those boards is how they are cut. Plain sawn, quarter sawn or close to vertical grain. Also even more importantly if you want to use them as stringers or long pieces that need to hold a good fair curve is how straight the grain is in the length of the board.

Ideally if you are cutting down into narrow stock to use and it is plain sawn with straight grain running the length of it you will find it will work just fine. Spruce is lighter than Doug Fir, closer grain most of the time and will hold fastenes almost as well. For working with adhesives it is good wood. Generally speaking construction grades of any wood are not necessarily good to use for boat building and how it is cut, the size and number of knots and how straight the grain is with as little runout on the edges as possible. If it has large loose or missing knots, you may not be able to do much with it except cut it up into little pieces to work with it.

With quarter sawn stock you generally have the best of all worlds with cutting it to smaller width dimensions. You end up with fasteners going thru grain rather than splitting it no matter which edge you come in thru. That is advantageous and for the most part Spruce is a suitable wood. The best would be Sitka Spruce, but you are not going to find it marked as a particular subspecies unless graded for aircraft or boat building. And then it will be expensive.

[Howard]

If that's the case, I would go back to where you bought it and ask. If it's Spruce...you've got a decision to make. It's not the best in terms of strength or durability in the form of rot resistance. I'd weigh that against where I was going to take the boat, how much use it was going to get and how long I wanted it to last.

At the least....it should be good for your stiffback or cradle to build on. Nothing ever goes to waste. I've got two 4 x 4 sticks of redwood I bought 20 years ago to build a swingset for the kids. I didn't need em then, and have moved them twice...and they are still a valuable part of some project I haven't even dreamed up yet.