Pergola prob;ems

[Iain]

Putting up a pergola as an extension to an existing verandah type arrangement, hopefully will finish today so I can do some real WW.
I found I had a rotted timber and went out to buy a rreplacement, this time instead of hardwood I bought a 38x100x3.6m in treated pine.
It was the last one in stock and is as twisted as a Queensland polly.
I put it up anyway and used a 6" coachscrew in the centre to 'haul' the thing back into shape.
This damn stuff is so wet I am hoping it will dry out and retain its straight line. Question: Will it revert to it's original shape and bugger up the rest of the pergola or will it remain straight, it did not take much to straighten by way of pressure.
Another question on the dreaded treated pine, the rest of the pergola is 38x400 and weighs a ton, it near on drips it's that wet.
I find cutting a slow and tedious process, is this normal or is there an easy way of cutting? I am using a jig saw as I don't want to bugger up my CMT blade on the table saw and its too big for the bandsaw.
I'll certainly be glad when this one is over, horrible stuff.

[This message has been edited by Iain (edited 05 May 2002).]

[Bushrat]

G'day Ian,
Yes the pine will stay straight while it dries, I used many hundreds of feet of the stuff for framing in my house ( I am still building after 2 years ),) Initially I used my Electra Beckum compound mitre saw so as to get nice clean cuts etc but it didn't take long to discover that pine sap sticks to and gumms up everything it touches, try and clean that crap out of the dust extractor bag !!!, or off the impeller blades for that matter (. I purchased a cheap blade for the Makita circular saw and use that. I clean it daily with a wire brush dipped in turps, touch up with a file and its ready for tomorrow.
Hope it helps
Take care
Bushie