Breaking the mould Southern pine reemerges as a preferred appearance product

By Brian Gretrer, Ph.D. Product Development Manager Weyerhaeuser Co.-Southern Lumber Business Hot Springs, Ar.

" It is from the thick, clear sapwood with its fine, lustrous texture and virtual absence of resinous oils that the highest grade of interior finish is manufactured and it is because of the large percentage of this clear material peculiar to Arkansas timber that Arkansas soft pine attains its maximum value, merit qnd beauty when employed as interior trim."

-Arkansas Soft Pine Handbook, 1940

A CCORDING to a recent article in .Cl,Crow's, "Of the many species to emerge in the competition for market share, southern pine is prominent."

Interestingly enough, while the characteristics of southern pine make this wood particularly adapted to use in today's interior trims, mouldings, doors, flooring, windows and a host of other millwork applications, we are not witnessing its market premier.

In fact, southern pine, together with Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and western white pine, were the dominant commercial species used in millwork production from the turn of the century until about 1950, when much of the supplies were depleted.

Now with increasing availability, unsurpassed appeal and superior machinability, southern pine is once again reemerging as a preferred appearance product. And producers, such as Weyerhaeuser's Mountain Pine mill in Arkansas, are equipped and positioned to meet the varied specifi cations of manufacturers.

What Is Southern Pine?

Southern pine, once commonly referred to as soft pine and yellow pine, is a general name for a group of closely-related species consisting of shortleaf (Pinus echinata), longleaf (Pinus palustris), loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash (Pinus elliotti).

Tables of characteristics of southern pine often treat these four species as a group, rather than individual types of wood and. for this reason, may be mis- leading.

Loblolly is the most common of the southern pines and is found naturally from Maryland south to Florida and westward to eastern Texas. It is found in the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont Zone and the interior highlands west of the Mississippi, often growing in association with shortleaf pine.

These two soft-textured, easilyworked pines growing in Arkansas' mountain region are the principal species processed at the Mountain Pine mill. The wood is characteristically lighter and less dense than longleaf and slash. Typically free from excess pitch, it has a light, soft, lustrous texture and fine grain, ideal for appearance specialty products. Yet the wood is durable and possesses adequate strength for all stresses and loads associated with construction.

Whether used alone or in conjunction with other species, the strength, beauty and machinability of southern pine offers manufacturers tremendous moulding, millwork and trim options. But according to Rick Wilson, green end manager of the Mountain Pine mill, these offerings would not have been possible without changes in cutting, grading and drying methods.

With the closing of Weyerhaeuser's Klamath Falls, Or., mill, the Mountain Pine facility inherited many of that facility's key production personnel as well as its "West Coast mentality." Changes in cutting and grading methods resulted in the processing of high quality logs available in the Arkansas and Oklahoma Mountain region into optimal 514 and 6/4 random width lumber as well as 414 clear boards.

And since industry experts agree the key to producing quality lumber products rests in the drying process, Weyerhaeuser outfitted its facilities with specially designed kilns that allow lumber to dry on a computercontrolled, extended cycle that incorporates steam conditioning. "We've found that longer drying cycles coupled with lower temperatures produce more dimensionally-stable products with near perfect surface characteristics," says Jerry Stewart, dry end manager at Mountain Pine.

On Becoming Preferred

Barnett Millwork was founded in 1945 as a cabinet shop in Toulminville, Al., and after several expansions, now operates in a Theodore, Al., industrial park. In addition to several specialty products, the company manufactures and assembles interior and exterior door frames, produces mouldings and custom wood doors, and serves as a two-step distributor primarily to industrial lumber dealers within a 250 to 300 mile radius of Mobile.

a nice texture that not only machines well and sands well, but accepts stains and paints readily," he said. Sorrels also believes southern pine to be a better choice over the western pines for many products because it isn't as soft. "We've had very few problems with tear-out and we' ve found fewer dents as a result of handling during the finishing stage," he said.

While he does admit to some inherent problems associated with the use of southern pine, "these can be eliminated through proper drying and conditioning." Sorrels notes the industry-wide efforts to share information on drying techniques and a receptiveness to work with manufacturers to produce a better lumber product.

Barnett v.p. of production Richard Sorrels says his company was thrilled when Weyerhaeuser began producing industrial grade lumber from southern pine nearly four years ago. "Up until that time, we were using radiata pine and poplar and were looking for something that better met our needs," says Sorrels. Barnett currently prodtces 60Vo-7OVo of its frame components from southern pine.

"Our company had experimented with C and D grade boards made from southern pine and found the wood to perform well," said Sorrels. "Using industrial grade southern pine is a perfect fit." He says using southern pine makes sense for manufacturers in the South because the forests and the suppliers are located near by. "Freight savings alone are a major consideration," he added.

Sorrels says most important, the characteristics of southern pine make its use attractive for millwork. "Southern pine is a clear material with

National Woodworks is a privately-owned manufacturing company in Birmingham, Al., specializing in millwork for over 52 years. The company currently produces a broad line of wood and aluminum clad double hung and casement windows.

According to National Woodworks v.p. of manufacturing Jerry Morris, the company switched from radiata pine to southern pine in its major product components nearly three years ago with excellent customer acceptance. "Our primary consideration when switching to southern pine was its availability," said Morris. "We operate in a just-in-time manufacturing climate and the local availability of southern pine was attractive."

Another consideration for switching to southern pine was its proven durability for millwork production. "We've viewed 80 to 1O0-year old homes that used southern pine windows as part of the original construction and they're still functional and beautiful," he said.

San Antonio, Tx.-based Steves & Sons is a familv-owned business that has been in continuous operation since 1866. Together with a sister company, it specializes in the manufacture of wood and steel doors for the wholesale distribution and retail markets.

Senior v.p. Tom Sykes says the company began using southern pine nearly eight years ago when securing western softwoods became a struggle. "Price was a major consideration when we began looking at southern pine," he said. "We knew if we could make it work, the freight savings alone would be beneficial to the company."

Today, SOVo-9OVo of Steves & Sons' wooden door stiles that require shop grade lumber are manufactured using southern pine. And while there are still a few customers holding on to the stigma of southern pine as a "dimension lumber product" only, most have been receptive to its use in millwork. "I don't think many people realize that when dried and 5cnditioned properly, southern pirie is a much more viable product than it was 15 years ago when it was reintroduced on the market," says Sykes.

He says his company has also seen increased product yields from southern pine. "Southern pine's machinability is cost effective for our company, offering us more cutting options and better wood utilization in our final products," he said.