Subject: tamarack

From: [email-masked](David White)
Date: 29 Mar 1997 15:41:30 GMT

Does anyone know anything about a wood species called tamarack?I am told
it is also called juniper or larch.I have about 1600bdf of this wood and am 
considering using it for a deck.I live in Eastern Canada and am told that this
wood has a high resistance to rot . Does anyone have any info they would like
 to share about this species?

Thank You
David White

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From: Whistler <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 07:42:46 -0800

David White wrote:
> David WhiteHi David,

I have heard the same thing about tamarack. I have had a piece in the 
basement for years but haven't had a project for it. Make the deck and 
let us know how it turns out.

Tony Kettle
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Tony Kettle,    }                            Occupation  
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From: Martin Eastburn <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Mar 1997 05:34:18 GMT

Just a note -
Someone in Oregon should post something - it is native there
as I recall.
Martin

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From: [email-masked] (Luigi Zanasi)
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 04:06:12 GMT

> to share about this species?

Tamarack, larix laricina, is a larch, not a juniper. The only northern
conifer that loses its needles in the fall.

It has a pretty good resitance to rot, better than pine or spruce, but
not as good as cedar. But it's harder than most of your eastern
softwoods. It used to be used for railroad ties. It should be good for
your deck.

Hope this helps

Luigi

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 21:30:40 GMT

Eastern tamarack was used for ships knees for wooden vessels.
I do not think western tamarack is as good for this purpose. If I am
correct, it possibly relates to rot resistance.
Most west coast vessels I have been on have "grown knees" of Douglas
Fir.
"Common Sense is so..Uncommon"FLW
Remove X to reply

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From: [email-masked] (Robert Klein)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 09:09:45 GMT

Mr. White,

To quote from the USDA Forest Service Agriculture Handbook #72

Tamarack

Tamarack (Larix laricina) is a small to medium sized tree with a
straight, round, slightly tapered trunk.  In the United States it
grows from Maine to Minnesota, with the bulk of the stand in the Lake
States.  It was formerly used in considerable quanity for lumber, but
in recent years production for that purpose has been small.

The heartwood of tamarack is yellowish brown to russet brown.  The
sapwood is whitish, generally less than an inch wide.  The wood is
coarse in texture, without odor or taste, and the transition from
earlywood to latewood is abrupt.  The wood is intermediate in weight
and in most mechanical properties.  

Tamarack is used principally for pulpwood, lumber, railroad crossties,
mine timber, fuel, fenceposts, and poles.  Lumber goes into framing
material, tank construction, and boxes, pallets, and crates.

end of quote

In another source I see that tamarack is moderately resistant to
decay.

Hope this helps,  I have more if you need.
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> to share about this species?

Regards,

Robert Klein
Robert's Antiques and Restoration
Pensacola, FL  32505  USA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
If you can't find time to do it right the first time,
how are you going to find time to do it over?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
[email-masked]
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Robert Klein)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 09:05:08 GMT

Mr. White,

Tamarack

end of quote

Regards,

Robert Klein

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From: [email-masked] (Robert Klein)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 09:12:59 GMT

Mr. White,

Tamarack

end of quote

Regards,

Robert Klein

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From: [email-masked] (Robert Klein)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 17:44:50 GMT

Mr. White,

Tamarack

end of quote

Regards,

Robert Klein

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From: [email-masked] (Garrett Lambert)
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 1997 09:14:08 GMT

A further piece of inconsequential information: if I recall correctly,
tamarack is also the only conifer that loses its needles in the
winter. They turn yellow in the autumn and then drop.