Originally posted by Bob Smith:
I don't know why. Several companies build entire frames out of any number of species: including white pine. It is important to remember the books we treat as gospel (Soban, Benson, and Chappell) were written some time ago by men still learning their craft. I have heard Tedd Benson say he regrets many things he said in his first book and I would posit that Jack might feel the same way.
My fun and my two scents: smell the fervor.
Bob
I don't know what exactly was stated in that book. But I spent a day up at Jack's place last summer, and I can tell you he speaks very favorably of using white pine for timberframes, for many reasons. He manages and harvests materials from his own pine woodlot.
A huge plus with white pine (and tulip poplar for that matter) in my mind is stability. I have some wp and poplar 8x8s that have been sitting in my barn (until I get to them) for 2 years and they are square and true as the day they were cut.
His red book, the book with the garden shed, the plan is actually engineered/sized for pine timbers, so I am surprised if the other book demands hardwoods.
Hmmm,
Greg
