I'm always interested in adding more wood to my extensive collection and another blue would certainly be good. I have not seen or heard of Blue Pine before, but that doesn't mean anything, so I have done some investigative research. Blue Pine is an actual tree, like a Blue spruce, but blue pine lumber comes from yellow, or ponderosa pine (pretty sure those two are the same tree). The blue is caused by improper lumber storage, which basically means the lumber is moldy. Same basic thing as spalted maple is moldy wood. I always fear mold. I don't fear toxic chemicals that can be in a finish, because you can protect yourself during application, and then the spray dries, including any oversprays, thus becoming pretty much harmless. A moldy wood such as spalted maple is a different situation. You can wear a mask during cutting and sanding, you can wear gloves, change clothes, shower and whatever, but even with all that and the best dust collection, there will be residual sawdust somewhere in that shop that can invade your lungs. They say that if maple spalts and is then kiln dried afterwards, the mold is killed. But who can verify that for sure, considering mold can live in an asteroid hurling through space, or in the hottest pits of hell under the ocean ! And even if it is for sure true, who can verify that the wood was spalted before or after the kiln...because maple can be spalted after it is kiln dried if not stored properly. Anyhow....Blue pine is a different beast, the blue is a stain caused by the mold, the blue is not the actual mold. You could say the mold pee'd on the wood and it soaked in. If you have blue pine, get it damp, rub it with a finger, and if nothing comes off, it's not moldy. If it is moldy, take the wood outside with the planer and run it through a few times, that'll take care of the mold issue. My conclusion is that I'll try and track down a few of these boards and use them, but I'll still avoid spalted woods.
http://www.handymanclub.com/IMG_Incl.../BluedPINE.pdf
http://www.handymanclub.com/IMG_Incl.../BluedPINE.pdf
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