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Striking color variation and clear, tight grain make Trestlewood's Douglas Fir Picklewood Millwork Stock a popular option. Vat staves produce Picklewood lumber with its signature intermixing of light and dark colors. Vat bottoms (and thicker staves) result in lumber with rich colors but more subtle color variations.
Species | Primarily Douglas Fir |
Source | Pickle Vats salvaged from different sites in North America |
Holes | Occasional small nail holes; no visible bolt holes (boards were sometimes assembled with wood dowels so there can be some dowel holes on the edge) |
Knots | Essentially clear. Some boards will have pin knots. |
Checking/Cracks | Unlimited as long as board is sound; end cracks to extend no more than 6" into board; some boards have dark checking, making them ideal for a distressed millwork product |
Grain Pattern | Tight grain; Mixed |
Moisture Content/Stability | Kiln-Dried |
Standard Dimensions | a) Thickness (net): 4/4"; b) Width (nominal): 4"-7"; actual widths typically range from 1/2" under listed width to full listed width (6" boards would typically measure from 5 1/2" to 6", for example); and c) Length: 1' increments up to 7' |
Available Dimensions | a) Thickness: up to 10/4"; b) Width: up to 12"; Length: up to 12' |
Weight | Typically, approximately 3 pounds per board foot |
Surfacing | Band-Sawn |
Salt/Minerals | Picklewood materials contain significant amounts of salt and other minerals, creating special characteristics and/or considerations like those described in the following items. |
Color/Appearance | The coloring of individual Picklewood boards varies widely. Weathered faces can include a range of grays and browns (the exterior of the pickle vats generally weathered to grays, while the interior generally weathered to browns.) Processed Picklewood materials have color variations which range from normal Douglas Fir coloring to color combinations unique to Picklewood materials. |
Finishes/Glues | Certain finishes and glues do not work well with Picklewood materials. Most importantly, DO NOT USE WATER-BASED FINISHES. |
Metal Corrosiveness | Picklewood materials can have a corrosive effect on metal fasteners, machinery and saw blades. Stainless steel fasteners should be used in lieu of regular steel fasteners, especially in applications involving the likely mixing of Picklewood, moisture and oxygen. |
Moisture | Picklewood absorbs moisture more readily than typical Douglas Fir. Picklewood material (especially material with air dry or kiln dry time) should be handled, stored and transported carefully to minimize any unnecessary reabsorption of moisture. |
Odor | Picklewood materials often have a strong pickling smell to them. This odor is especially strong as wet material is being cut or otherwise processed. It tends to become less and less of an issue as material is allowed to air dry (or as material is kiln dried). |
Salt Leaching | As moisture is drawn out of Picklewood materials, it brings salt with it. Salt leaching tends to be the most concentrated at knots and material ends, but can happen anywhere. Air dry time (and kiln drying) reduces, but does not eliminate, salt leaching. Approaches to salt leaching include sanding and refinishing impacted areas to doing nothing (and letting the salt serve as one of the most visible evidences of the history and reclaimed nature of Picklewood materials.) Salt is more visible on processed materials than on as-is materials. |
Appearance Variation | Boards can vary in appearance from piece to piece and even within a piece. The characteristics described on this specification sheet generally apply to each board's featured face. The opposite face and edges can differ from the featured face in texture, coloring, and other characteristics unless otherwise noted. |