Cedar Shingle (yes, shingle) Salmon

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

In May I spent a week putting a wood fascia and a gutter around our garage. I needed some cedar shingles to use as shims, to get everything plumb and level. These are the same type of shingles I bought maybe ten years ago to shim some work in a new bathroom, and I still have shingles left from those for cooking salmon.

Anyway... Here they are, undercourse shingles (a utility grade). they were eight dollars. Repeat. Eight Dollars. The cost of maybe two fancy schmancy Williams Sonoma planks.



no, they aren't treated. I don't even think they make PT cedar (would be redundant), though they do make fire-retardent treated roof shakes(and for which you pay more). These are cedar shingles not suitable for finish (siding) work, but for use as a starter course under the first row of wall or roof shingles. They are raw cedar, and marked clearly.

Here';s a shot of where i was using them.



The PT blocking there is nailed to concrete which has an angle to it. I shimmed out the new fascia with the shingles. No gutter yet. Used them under the wood blocking around the garage door opening too.



ok ok ok, get to the food. (just wanted to show you what they were REALLY for).

this is what i had left...



Soaked one of them for about an hour while i started the fire and prepped the salmon.



snipped off the thinnest end



Simple mustard coating with brown sugar and salt/pepper







they're thin, but there's minimal char after a half hour or more at 400 or so direct.



the finished salmon



and the finished trim and garage door jamb... hahaha



I can't think of a good reason to buy an eight dollar plank when you can get far more than you'd ever need from a bale of shingles... but that's just me. :laugh:

Little Steven

Geez a Milwaukee drill. Tough stuff. I've been using shingles/shims for years. I'm not nearly as frugile as you but I find they smoke faster. Nice work on the house and the salmon looks good.

Steve

Zippylip

did these 'clear markings' say you could cook fish on them on the big green egg???? very very very risky behavior there, Jeff; aren't you at all concerned about, I don't know, fumes of some sort :laugh:

the fish looks good, the garage looks better, you might be able to quit your day job

Mainegg

that looks great.. the carpentry work and the food.. but were your ears ringing about 20 minutes ago?? Did some nice tuna steaks on the egg and pulled my trusty orange thermopen out and opened it up and EEEWWWWWW stuff growing on it!! now I have never had this happen before and I thought really hard... cause I wipe it off after I use it EVERY time and put it away.... then I remembered..... someone showing me how he cleaned his .... I recall it involved an arm pit..... they swiped it and folded it and handed it back...... I forgot all about it..... till just a few minutes ago...

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

I did that to MY thermapen, not yours! Holy heck I was trying to gross you out, but wouldn't do it to YOUR thermo. Hahaha

by the way, that there is crap-entry, not carpentry!

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

We can't tell if the tumors on our neck are from the cedar, the gasket, or the galvanized bolts.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

I have a heavier duty Milwaukee too, with one of those side handles. Thing is tough.

Didint know you were a fan of using construction debris as cooking implements. Nice to know I am in good company

Mainegg

LOL I have raised two boys you have to do way better than that to gross me out! :woohoo:

cookn biker

Cause your cheap, like me, and I like it like that. :laugh:
Nice work on the house and salmon looks tasty. No horsey in that mustard?

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

Just wanted to make sure You knew I didn't do it to your thermapen. >shudder<

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

No horsradish. But I do have seven plants going!

FlaPoolman

could be from the sweatsocks

Big George's BBQ

Nice Work on house Fish looks awesome

Fidel

I have read the MSDS and the opinion of both Georgia-Pacific and The Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA), and have come to the conclusion that your cedar shims have not been tested for use in food preparation. For shame sir, for shame. Have you no concern for the health and welfare of your family?

If I were you I would get a good lawyer. I'm going to get the Missus to sue you and run away with me to Barbados with the money. Does she still look as good in a bikini?

Hoss

We have TONS of em left over after every job.I don't use them cause I don't like salmon.That said.Very economical planking method and a very good post.

crghc98

Nice work

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

thanks. i see you are a contractor. don't tell me if you spot any mistakes. it's too late to undo!

just oiled the gutters yesterday. all i need to do is paint and hang the new garage door....

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

neither G-P not the NELMA have any standing in the argument. I always refer to the Western Red Cedar Council Specs.

har har.

i'm half-kidding, actually. I've had to spec cedar, and the Western Red Cedar Council is ridiculously strict as to how things are labeled, sold, etc. ...which is why i always chuckle when there are warnings about not using Home Depot shingles because they could be treated. Nuh-Uh. These frikkin shingles are tracked closer than the Apollo orbiter was.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

some folks do cedar planked mashed potatoes. never have, but i could see it.

i think salmon is the obvious choice, because the fat is unctuous enough to counter the TINY bitterness of the softwood smoke.

but i would imagine you could try another fish. maybe trout...

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

thanks. still got work to do on the house, but the salmon is looong gone :laugh:

Fidel

Therein lies my confusion. You didn't specify red cedar. I was working under a presumption you could have been using a potential variety of shims from the Cedrus genus.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

ah. i can see why someone who has never worked with cedar, and has no experience specifying it, could make such an honest mistake.

oh hell, i bought what they had. these said "CCA" on them. which i assumed must be something good.

Essex County

Jeez. For a few bucks more you can get prestained shingles. No need for rubs or anything. You get a nice mahogony finish on your salmon (or silver or fuschia if you prefer).

Fidel

Mmmmm...extra arsenic. Good for the circulation, or so I've heard.

My lumber experience was limited to spruce, white pine, and sheathing/flooring.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

otherwise known as "Cowboy Charcoal Lump"

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

goof. got some pics of you and the missus from the eggfest i need to send along.

did you see the thread? mini-versions of the pics there.

Boilermaker Ben

stripstike wrote:

We can't tell if the tumors on our neck are from the cedar, the gasket, or the galvanized bolts.

Nope, it's from the nitrates in your bacon, the dioxins in your seared meat, the CO from your lump, the oil on your shrimps, and the lead in the paint on that fancy-schmancy woodwork.

Beautiful work, by the way...mostly the woodwork, but the salmon is nice too.

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

i was just saying i wish they'd bring back lead paint. best ever paint.

thanks for the props. building cr^p is not my normal thing. drawing it, maybe. :laugh: