First Grade Redwood

[Arthur2]

I'll be going to one of the big timber yards here in Liverpool (Beers Timber) tomorrow. The web site has First Grade Redwood listed. What are the characteristics of this wood...what should I get?

Thanks.

Arthur

[stuart noble]

"First grade" doesn't really mean anything. European Redwood is graded as "unsorted", then 5th and 6th grade. Don't ask me what happened to the grades in between :-) More important is where it comes from. Swedish Upper Gulf, anything from Finland, and Russian Karasea are all good quality shipping marks (the red letters stamped on the end) but these grades are considerably more expensive. Most timber merchants stock a respectable middle of the road grade and call it "joinery quality". You can only tell how good it is by looking.

[Arthur2]

Taken a look this morning. Knots looked tight but there were too many to give much confidence as I want to rebate for a front door and route mouldings onto it. I've compromised and bought the red hardwood timber with precut rebates and sad arse ovolo. I'd have gone for mahogany last year but less money in the pocket this year.

Thanks.

Arthur

[stuart noble]

Tight knots is a feature of redwood (unlike e.g. whitewood) but too many is usually an indication of low grade.