I am getting ready to start cutting my first frame. I cut all of the beams and siding out of SYP about a year ago and they have been stacked and stickered since then. I am just building a 12x12 shed. One of my 8x8x12 posts has about 3/4 in of bow in one direction (measured at 6 ft point). Should I use this post or should I cut another one to replace it? If I should use it how would you orient it and should I attempt to plane or cut to compensate.

Thanks, Clip

how are you cutting the joinery?(sq rule?)
do you have the tools to straighten the bow?

Mark,
Yes, I was going to use square rule. I cut the beams fairly close, but they are about 1/16-1/8 off of the nominal now. I could take the bow out on my band mill or snap some lines and use the hand or power plane. I suppose there is always the possibility that the beam could move more after I would do this.
Clip

Unless I'm mistaken a bow in SYP is caused by compression wood so it shouldn't bow further when you plane or bandsaw out the bow... But it could start coming back the other way, I'd take it about half way and check for movement.

We bow in towards the center of the bent and plan on the siding to cover or span the bow on the outside.
Snap a straight chalk line from the top to bottom inset enough as needed for locating any joints that are where the outer arris is in mid air, and measure off that chalk line...
For example snap a chalk line 1" off the top and bottom, towards the middle of the bent. Then use this line as a temporary arris. Just when you space your brace pocket 7 1/2" off the regular arris, now make it 6 1/2" off this chalk line...
Hopefully this help you.

Jim Rogers

I culled a dozen timbers in the building of my house. I will never regret any of the timbers that I culled, but I do regret a couple that I did not cull.

A friend of my wife once remarked. "why don't you turn that ,(my barn)into a house? I replied , " I would have used good timbers if it was gonna be a house. Dah. My point is ,if your a perfectionest and it will always bug you , change it. I'm not so I would say good enough it's just a shed.
Probably the log it was cut from was bowed as well. You can't make a straight timber from a bowed log no matter how big around it is. If you see a circular pattern on the face of a timber or board it will most likely warp. I think larch is somewhat like syp and may be prone to spiral grain which is also problematic. This can be detected in the bark or checks on the peeled log. Cut it into firewood if it's spiral grained.