Question about cedar lumber

[wroughtn_harv]

You can get Douglas Fir cut and finished to match perfectly with western cedar. It is stamped for structural. My arbor at my house uses Douglas Fir beams and you can't see the difference between them and the western cedar used for the rest of it.

Another thing you can do is what I did with a staircase. I hid steel in a dadoed eastern red cedar beams.

 

[Western]

Check out your local lumber supplier. They often have packages that could be adapted for your purposes.

Note: If I understood correctly your roof will be 30 ft. wide. You may be looking at trusses for that span.

Thanks Egon, I meant trusses on the end. I went back and read my follow up and I guess I hadn't enough coffee yet...Thanks

 

[Western]

Douglas fir, I'll have to check around. The only cedar I have looked at so far is the stuff at Lowes and Home Depot, that's what I was referring to.

 

[Western]

Well, spoke with my cousin, he confirmed what a couple of you said, could be done but generally to brittle and weak for a 30' span. He also recommended Douglas fir if I was dead set on the idea. So I had an idea since there has been several threads about telephone poles, use some of those since they are easier to get.

When I start I will post photos if you guy's are interested.

Thanks for the reply's..

 

[beenthere]

I wouldn't jump to telephone poles as a solution to replacement of cedar lumber, if you are still talking about a beam over the 30' span. Telephone poles are used in a standing position, not as a beam or bottom chord in a truss.

Hopefully you get connected with someone close that can help you with the engineering details as far as using wood in a structural application.

Western: You seem to be bouncing a number of different ideas around, and at the moment, it is hard to focus on which problem you are trying to solve. Not meaning that in a derogatory sense, but for those wanting to help you go forward and not make a mistake or waste your money, not easy to make good suggestions.

 

[Western]

If this picture works, this is basically what I want to do. This is a 32' truss

 

[Egon]

You may need some design help.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

You may need some design help.

And he's either going to have to spend a bundle on tools and training or find a friend indeed.

 

[jinman]

Considering your questions here and the ones in the other thread about telephone poles. I'd like to give you another source for lumber made from telephone poles. Here is a link to their photo gallery. Notice the one structure with a truss very similar to your photo. I've purchased from these folks since they are only about 5 miles from my house. Their products are really good, but you'll have to wait about 2 months or more because they have such a backlog of work. Also, you will have to suffer through about 6 months of strong creosote smell with any product sawn from telephone posts. They stink; no way around it.

Here is a link to their pricelist also.

Stice Sawmill Pricelist

 

[Western]

Jinman,
thanks for that link, That's the most creative site I've seen with t-poles and your right, that one photo is almost to a "T" what I was thinking as far as cedar goes, without the slight curves, it would be perfect.


wroughtn_harv, I have 2 welders and a plasma, what other tools do I need for woodworking... All kidding aside, I have most of the tools I would need and "technically" I'm a certified log home builder, at least according to the Log home builders assc.

The reason I was asking about the cedar primarily was because its the closest, most available material where I live, (at the box store chains), for the the look we want but, I have never worked with store bought cedar. Next in availability would be telephone poles. If I lived closer to Eddie and could afford to transport pines trees, he has an amazing stand of pines he was gracious enough to offer, at the time the quote I had on shipping alone was in the $1500 range per load, of course diesel was $3.90 a gal too.

I sure appreciate every ones input.