# how common is this fir figure ?



## phinds (Dec 24, 2012)

This is a piece of old growth Douglas fir sent to me (well, the pics were) by a correspondent to my site. I've seen it before but only very rarely. It's a wavy-grain figure that results in a flat cut face grain that may be called quilted, although it way different than, say, quilted hard maple.

I'm wondering if any of you sawyers who deal with doug-fir have seen this before and can give me some idea, is it as rare as I think or have I just not run across it much?

Thanks,

Paul


[attachment=15123]


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## Kevin (Dec 24, 2012)

Some member recently posted a project that had similar looking wood. I doubt it's very common. Sure is pretty.


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## Mike1950 (Dec 24, 2012)

Kevin said:


> Some member recently posted a project that had similar looking wood. I doubt it's very common. Sure is pretty.



I ran a planer for a few years in a sawmill- never saw it. timber was from inland Doug fir so maybe in the coastal giants is where that beautiful figure resides...........


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## myingling (Dec 24, 2012)

I got small block wood like this is nice stuff


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## rtriplett (Dec 24, 2012)

See NorCal wood monger's post from yesterday. He showed a piece like that. I have used some for boxes. It seems to be from huge coastal trees- at the bottom of the tree. I think the old stumps left by past logging are the source of this wood. It wasn't nice straight grain wood for building. I have a 2" x 7" x 5' piece on my workbench to cut up, but it has a lot of cracks through it.
Robert


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## phinds (Dec 24, 2012)

Hm ... I wonder if perhaps this wavy grain results in the really big old-growth trees from the weight of the tree pushing down on the lower part and causing it to compress slightly near the base. Seems likely.


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## Kevin (Dec 24, 2012)

triplett is right that's the pic I remember. This thread.


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## DKMD (Dec 24, 2012)

That lower pic is the exact same piece of wood and same photo as the other post... Cool looking stuff! The compression curl idea makes sense to me.


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## phinds (Dec 24, 2012)

Kevin said:


> triplett is right that's the pic I remember. This thread.



Son of a gun, i thought the guy who sent me the pic owned the wood. I guess he was just showing me stuff similar to what he used to see.


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## 333.okh (Dec 25, 2012)

I have more pictures of that wood somewhere. It was all from a 2x12 that was 8 feet long. Full dimensions.

I sold most of it to wood turners and game call makers. I also had this from another:

http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P1010118.jpg

I worked as a mill worker, then a forester and later the head wildlife biologist for the Pacific Lumber Company. We had Douglas-fir in excess of ten feet in diameter. They start getting crazy compression wood at the butt when they compete against the Coast redwoods. Biggest one I saw felled was 11 feet, but I know where a 13 footer is.

http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P3130049.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P3130048.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P3090022.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P4240149.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P4240148.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P4240152.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P1040611.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/P1040613.jpg

Those are after some cutting. It sold like water in the desert! That last long 2x6 that was 8 feet sold in 2 foot sections to a humidor maker.


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## 333.okh (Dec 29, 2012)

http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/downsized_1229122036.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/downsized_1229121342.jpg
http://i128.Rule #2/albums/p180/SCOPAC495/downsized_1229121343.jpg

I will let you know how it shows its grain on a smaller project. This is a Scandi leather piercing knife/dagger in medieval style from a very old metal file found in a pre-depression era logging camp. I will give it a brass/alum guard and a horn alum butt.

I am new at this knife business so be nice...I cut and burned myself today grinding that blade.


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## The Wood Bucket (Jan 2, 2013)

Very nice


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