Shopsmith Forums

Hi Gang
I have a question about finishing spruce. In the past we have used finger jointed pine boards for our cradle projects for the Toys for Tots program. However I can not get them anymore unpainted only primed.The problem is that we have no provenance concerning the ingredients in the primer. I can obtain a similar product in spruce but I have no experience with using spruce in a project that will be painted.
Does anyone have any experience with spruce? Does it finish as easily as pine, is it gummy or sappy, does it hold paint well? Any and all info will be greatly appreciated.
Bill V

I have worked with it before and found it and found it to be about the same as working with Douglas Fir. Sanded the same and took varnish the same and although I never painted it I would think it would accept primer and paint the same also.
Paul

wa2crk wrote:Hi Gang
I have a question about finishing spruce. In the past we have used finger jointed pine boards for our cradle projects for the Toys for Tots program. However I can not get them anymore unpainted only primed.The problem is that we have no provenance concerning the ingredients in the primer. I can obtain a similar product in spruce but I have no experience with using spruce in a project that will be painted.
Does anyone have any experience with spruce? Does it finish as easily as pine, is it gummy or sappy, does it hold paint well? Any and all info will be greatly appreciated.
Bill V

Spruce will be a good substitute for pine. But I found it to be a lot more expensive. Check your prices before you commit to it.

wa2crk wrote:Hi Gang
I have a question...
Does anyone have any experience with spruce? Does it finish as easily as pine, is it gummy or sappy, does it hold paint well? Any and all info will be greatly appreciated.
Bill V

Spruce is a white wood. It has no gummy or sappy areas like pine. There is no differentiation between sapwood and heartwood, unless it is Sitka spruce.