Imported from Germany?

[Gologit]

Hell, if you figure what the retail is and what Lowes is buying them at, then how cheap US dollars are against the euro, the Krauts have to be losing their shirts through subsidizing these 2x4's. Certainly not a sustainable endeavor, and they are not stupid, so I wonder WHY??? the hell this is, in the first place.

I think the stuff makes good firewood and if you don't believe that, just head on down to lowes and light up a pallet or two before you buy!

Yup. Thanks, Ian. While I'm splitting one pack of Ramen between six of us tonight and stuffing cardboard into my children's shoes I'll spare a thought for you and your German 2/4s.

Wait a minute, I forgot about the dog. Guess I better divide that pack of Ramen seven ways.

 

[Meadow Beaver]

Spruce sucks. You should buy Doug-fir. Or Western Hemlock because that is what is made here. The local mill has the Home Depot contract so go there next time. Tell Lowes that importing lumber is one way pests get into the country. Bad Lowes, bad bad Lowes.

Yeah, that's how we got the Emerald Ash borer, it hasn't hit my area yet but by the time it does there won't be any ash for it to kill. All the logging companies around here are cuttin it as fast as they can, that's usually what I see on the back of a log truck now.

 

[Freakingstang]

I didn't know Germany was sending us lumber. Is it some special size or grade that you absolutely had to have and couldn't find anywhere else?

If not, then do your adopted PNW brethren a big favor and take that stuff back.

German saws? Yes. German lumber? Hell no!

Dude, you don't know how hard it is to find two x fours worth a crap on the east coast. It is all kiln dried pine that isn't straight and splits like he!! when you nail ro screw it.

That was the best part about working in San Diego....Real 2x4 doug fir. Our 2x4's measure 1 1/2x 2 1/2. your guy's measure 2x4!!!

 

[Gologit]

Dude, you don't know how hard it is to find two x fours worth a crap on the east coast. It is all kiln dried pine that isn't straight and splits like he!! when you nail ro screw it.

That was the best part about working in San Diego....Real 2x4 doug fir. Our 2x4's measure 1 1/2x 2 1/2. your guy's measure 2x4!!!

LOL...I'll PM you our sales department address..right now you can buy all the good DF and white fir studs you want...real cheap. You could buy a whole train load of it and it wouldn't dent the inventory in most of our mills.

I'm no expert on economics but I can't figure how Germany can send lumber clear over here and sell it for enough to make a profit.

 

[Freakingstang]

LOL...I'll PM you our sales department address..right now you can buy all the good DF and white fir studs you want...real cheap. You could buy a whole train load of it and it wouldn't dent the inventory in most of our mills.

I'm no expert on economics but I can't figure how Germany can send lumber clear over here and sell it for enough to make a profit.

I agree with you on the economics...don't understand that one bit. The last ones I bought were from maine, and I'm closer to the midwest than the east coast. Problem is home depot and lowes. We don't have many ma and pap lumber yards anymore. I try to get the local amish lumber when I need a bunch. but for small house projects when you only need 2 or 3....

 

[Gologit]

I agree with you on the economics...don't understand that one bit. The last ones I bought were from maine, and I'm closer to the midwest than the east coast. Problem is home depot and lowes. We don't have many ma and pap lumber yards anymore. I try to get the local amish lumber when I need a bunch. but for small house projects when you only need 2 or 3....

Same thing out here. There are still a few independent lumber yards around but they're struggling. They're able to be competitive on lumber prices because they're close to the mills and transportation costs are relatively low. They can't compete on tools and accessories though. If Joe Homeowner needs a couple of 2x4s and a bunch of other stuff as well he usually heads to the big box store.

 

[Burvol]

Spruce does NOT suck! It is an excellent framing wood and I have lots of it growing on my land which, last time I looked, was still in the USA. Makes a nice Christmas tree too.

We just have higher standards due to the superiority of the West Coast's softwoods, largely Doug Fir, our claim to fame out West. I've been told by old timers out here that White Fir was used to lay big wood on until the 70's around here.

 

[Burvol]

Oooh, I forgot REDWOOD! Sorry Bob. Is that still legal to cut? LOL :greenchainsaw:

 

[Gologit]

Oooh, I forgot REDWOOD! Sorry Bob. Is that still legal to cut? LOL :greenchainsaw:

SSSSHHHHHH...not so loud.

 

[oldchuck]

We just have higher standards due to the superiority of the West Coast's softwoods, largely Doug Fir, our claim to fame out West. I've been told by old timers out here that White Fir was used to lay big wood on until the 70's around here.

Without a doubt, Douglas Fir is peachy wood and the NW has superior softwoods in general. You can actually get it around here but it's pretty pricey.

 

[modn]

When I was buying lumber when I was on the retail side, the Euro lumber was bar none the best quality I've ever seen. All dimensional came in looking like a finish grade with almost no knots and 0% wayne. When contractors will pay more for a certain product and ask for Euro lumber by name, then you better follow the flock or be left behind. Around here I couldn't get any Doug Fir (most of the time) to be consistant. The strength was great, but some would be up to 5/8" off in dimension from the same unit. I'm glad I'm out of that rat race, but from what I hear the quality has stabilized and the Euro lumber isn't near the quality of what it was (good for all of us). But the Lowes "Top Choice" lumber has always been Euro for a long time. I love fir and have sold millions of feet of vertical grain beaded fir, it's just such a premium here that the SPF takes most of the sale due to affordability. It is rare in Northern New York for a lumber yard to stock Doug Fir or even Hem Fir. I wish the PNW was a lot closer!!

 

[FIRESMOKE]

I work for an equal opportunity lumber yard, we sell spf lumber (spruce) as well as hem-fir. We can get dug fir as a speacial order. The only yellow pine we sell is plywood and treated lumber. We also have poplar, oak, cherry, maple, and white pine (Idaho and eastern).:yoyo:

 

[trimmmed]

I have to say my experience is different regarding lumber yards and doug fir. (even home depot) Here the overwhelming majority of the lumber is doug fir with all the pressure treated being southern yellow pine as well as any trusswork. If anything the engineered products hurt DF sales, joists and beams and truss roofs are cheaper systems and don't use it. We call SPF "spruce pretending to be fir", it's really crap. And no matter how straight and dry it appears when you buy it, it can move way farther than doug does and I don't think it's as strong, judging by cutting and nailing it. I also think a kiln dried stud is a disadvantage unless you can guarantee it's dryness forever, which is not possible.

 

[Taxmantoo]

Spruce does NOT suck! It is an excellent framing wood and I have lots of it growing on my land which, last time I looked, was still in the USA. Makes a nice Christmas tree too.

When aircraft were framed in wood, it was mainly spruce, for the strength to weight ratio. Hughes' "Spruce Goose" was named that for a reason. Radio control hobbyists still use balsa, with 'hard spruce' in the strength critical areas like bulkheads and wing spars, not sure what species of spruce it comes from.

 

[Maldeney]

LOL...I'll PM you our sales department address..right now you can buy all the good DF and white fir studs you want...real cheap. You could buy a whole train load of it and it wouldn't dent the inventory in most of our mills.

I'm no expert on economics but I can't figure how Germany can send lumber clear over here and sell it for enough to make a profit.

:agree2: It is the same thing in the steel industry with China dumping their steel on our shores eating up the demand in this country... Oh wait that was before the.....(you know) hit the fan everywhere else. How can it be possible to ship from that distance and make money.. Our illustrious government allows them to continue to get away with "un"fair trade. It is not a problem that began yesterday it has been brewing for alot of years with no end in sight! You see it in everything that we buy "made In... everywhere but here!" :angry2: Okay I better stop ranting!:deadhorse:

 

[smokechase II]

Spruce isn't what it used to be

"When aircraft were framed in wood, it was mainly spruce, for the strength to weight ratio. Hughes' "Spruce Goose" was named that for a reason."

===============

The sprooce guuse:

"Due to wartime restrictions on the availability of metals, the H-4 was built almost entirely of laminated birch, not spruce as its nickname suggests."

============

And I'll bet dollars to marks it wasn't birch imported from Germany at Lowes or H Depot.

Anybody who knows their woods knows Howard Hughes hated the nickname because it wasn't from spruce and it wasn't a goose.

============

Back to the original thread.

 

[smokechase II]

Doug Fir

Doug Fir

Period

 

[ak4195]

Yup. Thanks, Ian. While I'm splitting one pack of Ramen between six of us tonight and stuffing cardboard into my children's shoes I'll spare a thought for you and your German 2/4s.

Wait a minute, I forgot about the dog. Guess I better divide that pack of Ramen seven ways.

LOL!!,but all joking aside,thats how our system works,"if you can find a cheaper source...." doesnt mean theyre making $'s err euro's,makes you wonder bout all the siberian forests.What you didnt know siberia had/has HUGE forests?
So the next step is to think,how could american forests become/stay competive.Not a pretty picture,since the top rarely likes to absorbe "shock & awe".
ak4195

 

[PB]

Germany probably cut down all 10 acres of trees they have for the lumber order. Don't worry, the Germans can't have many more trees.

 

[slowp]

Germany probably cut down all 10 acres of trees they have for the lumber order. Don't worry, the Germans can't have many more trees.

But they do. Prior to the 9/11 attack, German forestry students came over here and worked with us in the woods. Klaus, Ludwig, Wolker...and others.
Little did we know! Actually, they were in Forestry hoping to get a job in the woods there. Reality was that you had to pretty much be born into it or have some pull with somebody. I don't think any of them got jobs in the woods. They wanted to stay here. They were a lot of fun. We all started using terms lik Boolsh#t, and Let's go Bar Jumping. We had one of them so drunk he was yelling, I vant to sing Soldier Boy! at Kareoke night. Soldier boy wasn't on the program so he whined it out with no music. Ach, so much fun they were.