So last winter the pier in pismo took a serious beating and it’s being torn down and rebuilt.
I’ve got a batch of boards I plan to build from the rubble.
Some of the wood is high quality but it’s been far too long tracking it down so I figured I’d build a board that would display the life the pier has seen. Some still beautiful and some that’s failed and beaten by the weather.
It will probably spend most of its life on a wall pointing to the cities past but not until it’s had a few sessions under the pier that is replacing it.
Probably gonna be a slow build but I figured I’d document it for those that are interested.
All that creosote will jack those blades. I watched then haul away the lumber to the city yard up by the sewer plant the last time they rebuilt. They’re not getting much longevity out of those Piers
This sounds like a nice project. I’m looking forward to seeing more images of your progress. A belt sander might be useful if you don’t want to dull the blades on your planer.
It was advertised as redwood(it’s not) it looks to be cedar. Anyone out there know for sure?
I’ve kept a mask on through out the journey. Most of the heavy lifting will be done outside. If I don’t eat the stuff or use it for sod in my vegtable garden, all seems well.
Cutting the wood will help you tell. Most people can identify the smell of Cedar, it’s almost a harsh sharp odor. Redwood has a sweet smell when cut and it’s quite different from cedar.
I rescued some timber from a pier getting removed near me a few years ago. It was super heavy and I assumed it was just sodden wet. Got it home and dried out in the work shop for a few weeks. Excited to start the table and went to cut it, ruined a saw and a circular saw blade and then realised it was green heart. It’s still sitting where it got stacked… Sometimes romantic ideas get halted by an unworkable wood.
I did a chambered board out of sugar pine and redwood. Your gluing, as pictured, will be fine. For spot gluing, wood glue is like Brylcream, “A little dab"ll do ya”
What is the density of your wood (lbs per cubic foot)? I’m guessing it’s going to be somewhere between 20 and 30. My last balsa board build had 7 lb/cu ft wood.
How long is the finished board going to be?
The grain is looking awesome. It’s going to be a beautiful board.
Yep, could be Douglas Fir. Cedar generally has a much straighter grain. Also Cedar would be an odd choice for a Pier since it’s so soft. We don’t get a lot of Redwood over here so I’d be hard pressed to identify it.
