Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
General Information/History | Wood Identification | Working Properties | Uses in Woodworking | Cost & Availability
Pushed south and east during the last Ice Age by the southward expanding White Spruce forest, which was to extend as far south as northern North Carolina and eastward out onto the Continental Shelf, White Pine was to weather the Ice Age at the extreme eastern edge of the Continental Shelf and perhaps in some as yet undiscovered pockets in the southern foothills of the Appalachians.
With the melting of the continental ice sheets and the slow rise of sea levels, White Pine moved westward, off the Continental Shelf, arriving in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia about 12,700 years ago. Because it had to migrate north around the Appalachians and south around the Great Lakes, it would be some 3500 years after the arrival of Jack and Red Pines in Minnesota that they would be joined by White Pine. The western movement of White Pine was still ongoing in Minnesota when the first Europeans arrived.
Native Americans were said to have used the inner bark as an emergency food source. The whitish resin which seeps out of the wounds of this tree was mixed with beeswax by the Iroquois and used to seal the seams of their canoes.
New England forests were a valued source of 18th Century naval stores; large tracts were once reserved for exploitation by the Royal Navy. Heavy logging for building materials and furniture followed the westward course of settlement thoughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Regeneration was poor because of the lack of seed trees and the destruction of remaining seedlings and saplings by fire (such as the great Hinkley Fire). Few uncut stands remain.
The provincial tree of Ontario and the state tree of Maine and Michigan.
Wood light, straight-grained and easily worked but not strong. Softwood with a soft to medium density. Color varies from creamy white to pale straw, with occasional contrasting orangish growth rings.
Lightweight, soft, even-textured, and easily worked, Eastern White Pine is probably the least resinous of all pines. It does not swell or shrink greatly with moisture content changes and displays remarkable durability as shown by the large number of houses built of Eastern White Pine in New England 200 and more years ago.
Used in cabinetmaking, furniture, interior finishes, woodenware, matches and lumber. The white pine produces the most valuable softwood lumber in eastern North America and is used extensively for interior trim, window sashes, door frames and for intricate carpentry. Excellent carving material. Eastern White Pine uses include millwork, knotty pine paneling, siding and boards for boxes, crates, coffins, boats, woodenware, and novelties.
As dimension lumber and boards, you'll find white pine at most outlets throughout its range. Boards in common grades (Nos. 1, 2, etc.) cost about $1.25 per foot. Wide boards (over 12") and clearer finish grades (C, C&Btr.) cost more. Although white pine will grow to 4' diameter, such a large tree is rare today. That's because most of the harvest comes from plantation plantings where trees run smaller. Therefore, wide boards prove scarce. But at the same time, plantation trees growing close together produce wood with fewer knots and straighter grain. With those positives in mind, pick boards for your project that contain the smallest amount of light-colored sapwood (unless you like contrast). You'll be lucky if you run across red pine that's been kiln-dried to 6 percent moisture content. In the construction industry, where most of this wood goes, 12 percent is considered dry. Look for the stamp "KD15" or "MC12" on boards that indicates a moisture content averaging 15 or 12 percent. Be sure to stack and sticker the wood in your shop for a week or two so it can acclimate before working it. Then, keep the following tips in mind.
