I have a customer that wants me to finish her basement. The ceiling is to be DW. Across the width of the ceiling she wants me to see if I can locate large square “beams” approx 23 feet long, preferably made of pine to match her large arched vaulted ceiling beams upstairs (this her way of tying the downstairs to the upstairs by continuing the same look/feel). The largest beams I’m finding are around 18ft, too short. She’d like them to be 6″x6″ x 23ft. Any ideas?
If at first you don’t succeed, try using a hammer next time…everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Replies
You are my dream come true....... I have 15 pines down in my yard from Katrina, haul them off and you can HAVE them....... :-)
Semper Fi
You serious?? I'm in PA, though, some distance to haul away 15 pines :)If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Only if you are...... :-) There are a gazillion trees down in this area. To me it is such a waste. I have a friend that owns approximately 100 acres. He lost all his red oaks. 100 yr. plus trees. I would love to see them cut up in board feet. 99.9% of people here are dragging them off to land fills. Such a shame. Anyway, my desire is to get rid of my pines. I guess I'll resort to cutting them up in pieces and hauling them off myself. If you had a truck you could more than you could carry. :-)
Semper Fi
Have a look at:
http://www.procutportablesawmills.com/index.html
I agree completely, making good use of downed trees is a worthy thing to do.
-- J.S.
Regional differences....
Here in Oregon, getting softwood (fir/pine) sticks that size would be no-problemo.
OTOH, getting nice hardwoods like you all back East take for granted is a different story. You probably wouldn't believe the prices here for crappy lotsa-sapwood cherry.
Willie,
Bet a sawmill could supply you. Try Kuhns Bros....might be able to get em surfaced, kiln-dried and delivered, too. 800-326-9614.
Todd
We've made "beams" with 3 pieces of 1x and a shaper bit that gives a glue edge that meets at the corner - much lighter, cheaper, and looks like the real deal if you pick the right boards.
willie.. building wreckers in PA will have loads of beams like you want..
every time they tear down an old mill.. they wind up with railroad cars of themMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I had to do the same for a customer just under 24' I was able to use a 16 and 8 footer. We went with good old hemlock put some blocks up made a fake beam of three sides and stained it almost a walnut color. Came out real nice.
I also did a house with 6x8 solid beams only about 12' long. I wanted to wait a week or two beacuse these things were still green, but GC wanted to get it done. Anyway went back twice to tighten lag bolts and touch up make sure your beams aren't too wet if you go that route.
Jeff
Edited 9/26/2005 1:17 pm ET by jeffwoodwork
Scarf joint? That's what they used to make 32' long 8"x8" oak beams for our house. Try a lumbermill, though. Ones around here (Arkansas) often have tree stock that they'll cut to size for you.
Leigh
I am a domestic goddess! I deserve three ovens (and two dishwashers)! I am a domestic goddess! I deserve three ovens (and two dishwashers)! I am a domestic goddess! I deserve three ovens (and two dishwashers). . .
What kind of access do you have? If you find it, will you be able to get a 23 foot long piece of lumber down into the basement?
The Breaktimer formerly known as "Steve-O"
"Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." - St. Francis of Assisi
I can walk them arouind the house and straight into the basement at grouind level. Not a prob at all getting them in. Just finding them.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Williewonka,
You are asking about something tough!
I live in Minnesota and am building a timberframe.. I was only able to find 1 sawmill in the whole state with the ability to saw over 18 feet.. (well most could squeeze another foot or maybe two off their saw if they really worked at it)
Finding white oak and Black walnut trees big enough to saw into the sizes I needed was a further problem.. Luckily the sawmill I work with buys over 2 million bd.ft. of timbers a year..
Luckily Pine grows long easier and you only want 6x6 (that is no way big enough to add any strength to the basement so they will be purely cosmetic)..
Here you could do some clever tricks to deal with the issue.. For example you could do tapered dovetails over a support or hang the beams from the floor above so the cut doesn't matter. or you could put up center post, or two support posts on either side with an 18 footer in between.
you mean like these things?????? Top one is 36' long!
YEAH LIKE THOSE!!!!!!!!! Where did you get them and how do I contact them? Tell me asap...I'm bidding ona project.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
They came from:Charlie Pike & Sons sawmill
Hampton, CT860-455-9968Hope this helps you, but I think you'd be able to find a local sawmill.
If these are seriously gonna span 23' I'm thinking that 6x6 pine really isn't strong enough to hold up itself in that length without sagging a lot, let alone whatever is above it.
Any chance of using steel I-beams and wrapping them in pine to get the desired look while still actually having some structural value?" If I were a carpenter"
Steel beams???? I need 7 of them. The price of steel today will blow my budget :)If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Sorry dude. Just a suggestion. I guess steel in my area (ok my old area. I have not priced anything around here yet) wasn't all that bad.
My origional concern still merits some attention though. Are these going to be structural? will a pine beam of that size be adequate. I'm no engineer so I don't know, but I do know that pine isn't exactly your best bet for strength. Hence my steel suggestion." If I were a carpenter"
These 23 ft beams will be attached to the underside of DW which will be hanging across a clear 23ft span of I-joists 16 o.c. They wont' be structural, just the look/feel is what the HO wants.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Gotchya. Good luck. Have you located anything that might work for ya yet?" If I were a carpenter"
One solution is a chainsaw lumber mill. We are only limited by the size of the tree, which would mean about 50' beams here. Pines I haven't cut, but they get a lot larger than you need.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I had a Woodmizer for 14 years with a designed limit of 20 feet. I didn't have the extension package.
BUT, more than a few times, I cut beams up to 38 feet long with that mill. It takes a little bit of fussing around and a good straight log, but it's not brain surgery.
I say, find a competent sawyer with a Woodmizer and the right logs...shouldn't cost anymore than a special order from a yard.
(Until recently, we had an old steam driven sawmill out here that had the capability of cutting lengths over 120'. One of their shipments was some 120' 6X6 for bulwarks for one of the renovations of the USS Constitution.) A clear Doug Fir 6X6 of that length is like a noodle, but rides across a couple of rail cars with ease!
find a competent sawyer with a Woodmizer
Not so easy around here, as we've been discussing in another thread. Anyhow, it's not me with the need for a 23' beam.
And I have had them cut with a short Woodmizer. Chainsaw mill is actually easier.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I gotta wonder if this is a clear span? If so facto, that floor above is gonna groan.
My bud in NC has that Lucas ? Mill?? A circ blade doo dad..I think it runs 10k new, he stole it for half that.
Any whoo, the original poster is in for a suprise, when a sweet pine 6by goes to being a tree again, and spirals.
His next post is gonna read like...
"I have a beam, it twisted and cracked the sheetrock, it is in a basement.."
LOL.
be ready for winter here Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Lucas is good, I think. Haven't actually seen one. Bit of a problem with depth of cut if you want large timbers. Pretty sure I'd go $5k in a hurry for one with a decent power head. Cuts in both directions for high production IIRC.
My first post&beam here was tulip poplar. Won't do that again. Kinda like you're predicting for pine. No idea what Va pine does, but western pines can be cut into beams successfully, assuming a large enough tree. I hope everybody knows to keep the pith out.
This 23 footer was a 6x6 need, not exactly a "beam" by any definition I know. For a clear span I don't know if it'd hold itself up.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I'll put my vote in for making them out of 1 by. 6 x 6 pine will sag like heck over 23 feet so you'll need to peg and hang it every 6 or 8 feet. If she is concerned that someone will rap on the beam and find it's a fake get a 4 x 10 LVL split it and box it, much more stable and will get her solid wood.
Willie
I live in British Columbia Canada and they manufactur Glu-Lams here to any length or load design. They are engineered for the span. With that span I would be concerned about deflection from the load.
Cheers
Poorsh
> With that span I would be concerned about deflection from the load.
Per the original poster, these are decorative beams.
-- J.S.