When did SYP get so hard to find??? - Rant

[sbarnhardt]

I'm probably going to come across sounding rather dense here with some wondering where the heck have I been. But when the dickens did SYP, particularly in a 4x4 and untreated, get so hard to find?

My plan was, and still is, to make myself a hall tree out of southern yellow pine. I was going to use a 4x4 for the upright portion and something in the range of 1x6 for the legs. Just knew all I had to do was go to HD and get what I wanted. That was my first mistake. They had SYP, but not in 4x4 or 2x4 that I could glue up and make a 4x4. Left HD and went to Lowe's since they aren't that far apart in Kannapolis and they had even less in SYP. Assuming Lowe's would have it was my second mistake. So I'm back to searching. Haven't given up yet. Spoke with a very nice fellow at The Woodworking Source in Mooresville but no cigar. Have one more place to check for the 2x4s.

Now it's off my chest. Go ahead and ask me where have I been thinking I could find this so easy.

Later

:BangHead:

 

[CatButler]

Hi Barney,

I was looking for some untreated 4x4's also a few weeks ago. No go @ HD and Lowes. The Capitol City lumber yard in Raleigh had them, but not a lot. I think STOCK building supply may stock them. I would look for some local lumber yard.

 

[CrealBilly]

I'm probably going to come across sounding rather dense here with some wondering where the heck have I been. But when the dickens did SYP, particularly in a 4x4 and untreated, get so hard to find?

My plan was, and still is, to make myself a hall tree out of southern yellow pine. I was going to use a 4x4 for the upright portion and something in the range of 1x6 for the legs. Just knew all I had to do was go to HD and get what I wanted. That was my first mistake. They had SYP, but not in 4x4 or 2x4 that I could glue up and make a 4x4. Left HD and went to Lowe's since they aren't that far apart in Kannapolis and they had even less in SYP. Assuming Lowe's would have it was my second mistake. So I'm back to searching. Haven't given up yet. Spoke with a very nice fellow at The Woodworking Source in Mooresville but no cigar. Have one more place to check for the 2x4s.

Now it's off my chest. Go ahead and ask me where have I been thinking I could find this so easy.

Later

:BangHead:

Please don't take this the wrong way - I'm not trying to be condescending - I'm just tryiing to drive a point home.

I assume you all have noticed the economy has been pretty bad the last few years.

Take this example: The big Georgia Pacific sawmill in Creedmoor, NC has been closed for a long time - why is this?

Lumber demand is low, Sawmills aren't buying, loggers aren't logging because the sawmills aren't buying because demand is low. It's a vicious circle and the only way out is for demand to pickup again. Demand won't pickup again until construction crews start building again, which wont happen until people start building new houses again, which won't happen until the price of existing houses rebounds from the nose dive that started a few years ago and is continuing today. I could go on and on but I think you get the jist...

And that my friend is why your having a hard time finding untreated SYP 4x4. A item that used to be common and cheap just a few short years ago, but now it's uncommon and expensive.

I hope the economy keeps turning around and continues to gain momentum, like they say it is. This has been way to long of a deep down turn.

If I may remind everyone of the forum rules no politic'in - so keep the replies clean afterall this is about a untreated SYP 4x4 :gar-Bi

 

[eyekode]

Note sure where to find 4x4 SYP but I have noticed that HD's lumber tends to be SYP more often then Lowes (at least around me). You could rip and laminate out of a 2x10 (which are all SYP at my HD) too.
Salem

 

[kooshball]

Guy C Lee in Apex has 2 x 4,6,8,10 etc in SYP; might want to check on 4x4 posts.

 

[Woodmolds]

Steve Wall Lumber has 4/4, 5/4, & 8/4 C&Btr Southern Yellow Pine.

Tony

 

[Mark Anderson]

if there is a truss comany near you they will have 2x4 #1 syp. if you don't mind gue up i would search out a syp stair tread (5/4 X 12 bull nose one side) gona cost you but it will be nice clear stock.

 

[saw4you]

I will saw whatever you want is SYP, I get logs all the time

Jack

 

[Glennbear]

A couple years ago I needed several feet of untreated 4x4 for a shop project and I was shocked that neither of my local lumber yards or the BORG stocked such a critter. :wconfused: I guess the times they are a changin'. :wsmile:

 

[mkepke]

A couple years ago I needed several feet of untreated 4x4 for a shop project and I was shocked that neither of my local lumber yards or the BORG stocked such a critter. :wconfused: I guess the times they are a changin'. :wsmile:

What does anyone build out of untreated 4x4s in any volume anymore ?

I've needed/wanted untreated 4x4 material in the past, but the amount I was willing to buy wouldn't keep a mill in operation for 10 seconds...

-Mark

 

[CaptnA]

Guess we're lucky here to have sawmills close. Sunrise, Woodpecker, Kuell's, Beetree that's 4 I've been to in the past year.
Guess I'm an oddball (hey now, I can say it- you just gotta think it or silently agree :rotflm but I rarely go to the big boxes for wood.

 

[lwhughes149]

I don't go to the big box stores either because I have always been able to find what I need just by posting a request on this site. I see that you have also gotten good response to your request as well. Don't you just love this site? Always bails me out.

 

[victoon]

i read in a post that syp twists when drying. so they recommend buying 2*12s that are close to a center cut and then rip off the sides so you will end up with two 2*5 QS boards that are very stable. from What I see in homedepot, the SYP 2*12s are most likely to be twisted than white pine 2*12 boards at lowes. but I think HD SYP boards are more "wet" to the touch.

 

[golfdad]

Only 2 of the HD'sin Triangle carry it......as far as I know Hwy 55 in Apex and Capitol Blvd stores....

 

[Gotcha6]

Jeff is spot on with the assessment of why no SYP. Big companies will often shut down mills due to lack of demand. I've seen it in building cycles all my life. Many times they will shut down southern mills in the summer & northwestern mills in the winter. It's often cheaper to get SPF off the west coast or Canada than local SYP because the mills aren't running at all, even though the SYP may carry a higher load rating. Many home designers factor that into their plans. BORGs usually buy from whoever has the best price du jour. A mill with marginal production figures will sell at or below cost to keep volume up and the doors open. When the demand exceeds the production capacity of the open mills but doesn't justify opening another one, guess what? Price goes up. Welcome to Economics 101. When housing picks back up you'll have all the SYP you want.

 

[Kyle]

Can you use green?

I have about 2000 bf worth of nice pine logs on the yard.

What length do you need?

Several dry mantels of old growth pine available

kyle

 

[CatButler]

Just a note on this, we have a house for sale in the Cary area. Two couples who have liked most of the house have passed specifically because they would rather build and have it the way they want rather than remodel the kitchen. So maybe the building market is looking up, but I don't think the Triangle are got hit as hard as areas like Charlotte.

I heard both couples were somewhat young and naive, because I've heard having a house built and dealing with builders is one good way to lose faith in humanity.