Southern Yellow Pine

Quick primer on what is considered SYP.

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Back in the olden days when I was in college, I was taking a printmaking class. We had to get a piece of white pine for a block printing exercise. I was having trouble understanding the difference between that and yellow pine. The owner of the local lumber yard showed me how yellow pine was a lot harder, often had more grain variation, etc. whereas white pine was softer, thus much easier to carve (the printmaking connection).

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When buying around here it seems to always have the “official” SYP or SPIB stamp indicating it’s southern yellow pine somewhere on the board.

I think a good first step before that would be for it to be posted to the WIKI. A general rules section would go a long way both to educate as well as to provide a place to point people when they have questions. Happy to help with this if I can be of service.

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How does one go about identifying SYP at the store?

Like the photo about, it is yellow/amber. It will be labeled on the rack as SYP/ southern yellow pine. It is very heavy. Hard like a hardwood. Excellent for many projects requiring strength at an affordable price. But sappy, so it gums up the hindreds of carbide blades on the planer and jointer.

“Whitewood” is white/light colored. Very light in comparison. It is other types of wood. Usually other softer pines and spruce. White wood is avail in 2x4, 2x6, etc. And usually less expensive than SYP

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If you’re shopping framing lumber for cheap projects at the Home Despot (https://www.homedepot.com/b/Lumber-Composites-Dimensional-Lumber/N-5yc1vZc3tc) you’ll find Whitewood lumber as described above, “SPF” which is Spruce/Pine/Fir, and Southern Yellow Pine (or SYP).

Not sure if the SPF might include SYP - someone else probably knows better than I. When I’ve worked on “cheap” projects I tend to get the kiln dried whitewood framing lumber.

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I wood appreciate :wink:a list of woods that are not allowed in the wood shop, when I did my sign off I was told all Wood had to be kiln dried and no live edge… I think it would be valuable to post in the machines what should not be done… like no SYP on the planner and drum sander.

It doesn’t - I fact if you look at Home Depot isle the have SPF on one side and SYP on the other… at least the store I’ve been in…

It’s yellow and says SYP on the sticker

I think that is a great idea. I think it also would be nice to have a set of nice wood samples or offcuts, approximate prices per board foot, and local sources that are DMS friendly.