Built some outside flower planter boxes 15 years ago out of Clear Douglas Fir and time and weather have finally taken their toll. Went to the borg looking for more CDF and there wasn't any. Called a few lumber yards and they had none but might be able to order some. I always thought of it as a great utility wood for outdoor things that I wanted to last and look nice.
I have since switched to cypress and know that this will be great. But I'm still wondering what happened to CDF. Any ideas ??
It's still around. Bought some at Home Depot a couple of months ago. Expensive though...at least in Florida.
I am really lucky I had a guy with a band mill come to my property and mill up about 2,000 Bf of douglas fir. Not all was clear, but the nice stuff was quatersawn.
I can get it at two or three places in Santa Barbara county (west coast US), not that I do, but yes as far availability. It's in the $7 per board foot range. Beautiful wood but a lot of "orange" color. It does make for very nice french doors and such, framing around the glass. My mother's rotating (rolling bars and gears with stops) quilting frame is made of it.
But for outdoors you could go for red wood too, and for an awesome wood that is in the same price range check out a south American lumber called Ipe´ (Pao Lope´), usually sold as boards for decking and sold by the linear foot, like $3. It will outlast "anything" else as it is super hard and full of micro silicates (rock sand). No finishing needed for at least 25 years. Greenheart is just as good.
Even here in the Great Northwest - Douglas Fir capitol of the USA - CVG (clear vertical grain) is very expensive. On the order of $4 to $8+/ lineal foot - LINEAL FOOT! A single twobasixbaeight for use in a door, last I checked, would have set me back about $70.
Around here the expensive DF is called "vertical grain" and it is about the same price range as QSWO, $7-8/bf.
Not sure about CDF. I am looking for MDO and I asked several BORG folks who know nothing about it. MDO is a good material for outdoor projects too. For making your flower boxes you might want to consider wooden pickets made specifically for fences. The wood is usually redwood, cedar, cypress, or treated. White (only white!) oak is also a very good choice. Use SS screws to eliminate the black streaking.
Here in Maryland they have it at Lowe's.
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