I don’t do much framing, but today I framed just a couple of walls for a bathroom. One of the 2×4’s was like they used to be… lots of tiny, tight rings.
When you find one of these, in new lumber, it is most often lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). These trees grown in dense stands that seed in after a forest fire, sometimes referred to as “doghair” ’cause that’s how thick the trees are.
These lodgepole pines are so crowded that they have so much competition that they grow very slowly. This slow growth wood resembles “old growth” wood (though technically these trees have a natural grow and burn and regrow cycle that is only about 100 years long and due to this relatively short time frame “Old Growth” does not apply).
The tree this 2x was cut from has about 30 rings per inch. I counted 72 rings from the pith (center) to the farthest edge. Growth of trees is measured in MAI (mean annual increment). In this case the tree had a MAI of 0.035″/yr. This means the radius of the tree only increased by about a third of a tenth of an inch per year.
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Right. You hear so much about the wide growth rings on todays wood, but many, many times I have seen the tight growth rings on construction lumber. In fact, I think I have seen more of that stuff in studs than the obvious plantation grown wood.
Besides lodge pole, I think other species find their way into our houses, mostly from canada. For example, there is a big stud mill near Red Lake Ontario, which must be cutting jack pine and or black spruce, the only trees up there. Further west, you have the true firs, Engleman spruce, etc.
Looks like they are cutting about 2 2x4's per log. Back when I was working in the woods, we called 'em "pecker poles".
Jack pine is very similar to Lodgepole pine. They often grow in poor soil, on sites where other trees may not survive. Jack pine exhibits cone serotiny, like lodgepole. but to a lesser degree. Both species are adapted to wildfire.
<I don't do much framing . . . the tree this 2x was cut from has about 30 rings per inch. I counted 72 rings from the pith (center) to the farthest edge>
Uhh - maybe if you spent less time counting, you could even make money framing? Just a thought . . .
;-)
Forrest
Ha!You know that two minute break I took to count rings is the kind of thing that makes me unsuitable for framing. ;oPB