Pine as secondary wood.

Ty G

Well-known member
Is pine a suitable & appropriate secondary wood choice for period pieces such as highboys?  Or was pine just used for junkier pieces historically?  I am in Texas and order all my wood, poplar included.  But, kiln dried pine could be had locally. 
 
Make sure any pine you use in fine furniture has been kiln dried to at least 165 degrees! That's the temp that "sets" the pitch. Air dried pine can ooze sap for decades! My two cents... unless you have some specific reason to use pine stick to poplar for secondary, it's just all around better for everything.
 
Depends upon the region of the piece you are building. Eastern white pine was a common secondary wood in New England. In the mid Atlantic region, we see more eastern white cedar and white oak.
 
Chippendale used plenty of pine as did most English and Irish cabinetmakers during the eighteenth-century. Pine is not junk... in this context.
 
In new york eastern white pine and poplar are local woods, and either is appropriate.
 
What are the characteristics of a secondary wood?
If your local pine is inexpensive, easily worked, comes in decent widths, is light in weight and relatively free from defects like knots, wind, cup, twist, crook, splits, pitch pockets and wind shakes you should use it.
 
For those of us on the west coast who wish to give the look of eastern white with an availability on the west coast I have found that molding grade super pine performs well.  Be selective and try to get quarter sawn stock.  I have worked Windsor chair seats from both eastern white pine and molding grade sugar pine and I actually prefer the sugar pine.    I have done a brick up for a federal card table and it performs well. 
 
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