Question on lumber, pine vs whiteboard?

[Rita B.]

While purchasing lumber for a project that will be painted,  the big box store sales lumber in pine and whiteboard.   The pine is more expensive and heavier in weight with less knots.  The whiteboard is easier on the budget, lighter weight with more knots.    Google search describes the two as a yellow pine and white pine and the store guy just sort of shrugged and told me there was no difference except for the price.   So that leaves me with the question of the structural integrity.  Any difference other than appearance and cost?

[David Dean]

Well Mrs. Rita I have had no problem with the white pine so far and I have buildt 4 dresser's and 2 chest's and they are still in use but I dont now much about white board.

[Rita B.]

Thanks Mr David!   Your chest looks great.    Have you tried a stain on whiteboard?   Love your panels.   I did one today myself as a first time ever.   Trying to do some skill building and following a plan which is also a first.   I managed to put together a back panel for a piece I am working on which included pocket hole, rabbet and miter joints.   Here is the pic.  

[Ken Darga]

"Whiteboard" is generally the dry-erase board type material.

Pine Lumber

White Pine vs Yellow Pine.
Each grows in different geographical region.
Both are in the soft-wood category.

Yellow pine is slightly harder than white pine,
generally two to three times as hard as white pine.

White pines yield a strong, durable wood with little warping or swelling or splitting, 

and has a more even grain texture.

The "white" painted color board is pine, which has a primed (painted) finish.
This material can obtained from some home centers.
Cut edges need to be primed before applying a painted finish.

"Knotty pine" is a white pine material, that is used in knotty pine paneling.
White pine is commonly used in doors, sash, cabinetry, furniture, trim and can be used for flooring.

Yellow pine is generally used for building materials,

and makes for a more durable flooring use.

[Gary roofner]

What your calling white board sounds like we used for trimming the roof edge because it was pre primed pine  saved time .  Now a lot stores sell the vinyl boards to trim the roof edges then put your facia  board  and soffit. The vinyl boards last longer much more expensive  .  

[David Dean]

Thank you Mrs. Rita and great job on that panel Im gald to see some one can cut a 45% but I cant say if that white board can be stained or not as for me I plan a lot of my own wood. And luck on your rabbet and miter joints and the grain looks great on your panel. 

[Rita B.]

Thanks Ken,  I am aware of dry erase type whiteboard.     The home store tags on the shelves called it "whiteboard"  not white pine.   It was next to what I am realizing was yellow pine for its color and heavier weight.   The white pine or whiteboard as the store called it was about half the cost of a same size board.   Might be due to my geographic area.

Gary, these are not pre-primed boards.  They had those too.   My home has steel siding to look like wood siding.   It has held up well over the years vs aluminum or vinyl siding.

Ha Mr David,  you should see how many boards made it to the scrap pile before producing a miter I could live with.  I made a miter sled for the table saw and it makes it much easier,   yet there is still a learning curve and I am enjoying the process.

[Marc Sadovnic]

Nice work.  I have this fear of panels.  I'd like to do that but have too much inertia to get going.  Are they placed in a rabbeted lip?  If so, how wide and how are the fastened?  Glue and a few brads?  Any advice appreciated.  Thanks.

Marc

[James P. Cottingham]

A number of years ago, I build some raised beds for our garden. It was recommended (I don't remember where) to use white boards as they where not chemically treated to prevent bug infestation like termites. The chemicals could leach into the soil over time. I always assumed that the difference in price between regular pine and the white boards (also pine) was the treatment. Can anyone verify this?

[JL Wood Built]

SPF lumber (spruce, pine, fir) is generally called white wood. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_SPF_lumber

[Paul Crow]

Hey Mrs. Rita. White boards are great for projects, especially if you are going to paint them. There are couple of things that you should remember, though, if you are going to use white boards.

First of all, be very choosy and pick through the entire stack at the store before you buy. You want to make sure that the white boards you purchase are straight, not twisted, not cupped, and not bowed. Set one end of the board on the floor and carefully look down all sides to determine which ones are useable and which are not. You also want to choose boards with as few knots as possible.

Second of all, do not assume that all the boards have been planed the same. On my first project I found out the hard way that just because the board is in the 1x10 bin doesn't mean it actually measures 9 1/4 inches across.

Finally, make certain that you go heavy on the primer as you attempt to cover the knots. If you don't, you run the risk of the knots bleeding through your final paint job.

White boards make great projects, and can even be stained if you desire. My first project, which you have already seen on my page, was made with white boards that I then primed and painted. All the best on your project.

[David Dean]

Well Marc everyone has diffrent ways of doing it as for me I use me grandfather old table saw like a plunge router for dado's but you can rabbit your panels but becarefull with the brads if they are to  long they will shout throw the other side.

Marc Sadovnic said:

Nice work.  I have this fear of panels.  I'd like to do that but have too much inertia to get going.  Are they placed in a rabbeted lip?  If so, how wide and how are the fastened?  Glue and a few brads?  Any advice appreciated.  Thanks.

Marc

[Rita B.]

Now see Mr David,  that is what I am aiming for!   The table saw was purchased last year and I have been using and learning.  This year I added a router table.   A whole new learning curve for me.   I still do not have a dado blade for the table saw and I need to add, a little at a time, my variety of bits for the router.

Paul,  I have already learned the hard way that the selection of woods at the big box stores can be less than favorable.   It looks like your project took the paint very well.    What I hope to do is give it a all over treatment with primer followed by Behr paint with primer.   I have used the Behr before and have loved the coverage.  I hope it does just as well on this project.

James,  I do not think the what the store called whiteboard is treated with anything.  Just white pine in its natural state.  They do carry treated pine however and I too have heard not to use it for raised gardens due to the chemicals.

Marc, go ahead and give it a go!   I started building with the Kreg jig approximately a year ago.  With every attempt it encouraged me to try more.   Never expect to be a master craftsman (woman) but I do enjoy watching straight boards come together and becoming a useful item that you can claim your own.   The plans I am using simply stated to glue the panels which I did, carefully making sure the entire joint had adequate glue.  I also added some glazier points I had on hand.  Might be overkill.  The panels will be more decorative rather than structural.