Advice needed about wood

[AntarcticPilot]

This isn't really boaty, but this forum has a lot of relevant expertise. I'm planning on making a hammock stand for our garden - it will be styled on a Viking boat if I can manage it!

It will have to live outside in all weathers.

What wood would be suitable? It needs to be strong and weather well (with an appropriate varnish or oil).

There's a good woodyard near me where I can get a wide variety of hard and soft woods, but I have to saw it to size myself - it's sold by volume.

Thanks!

 

[Corribee Boy]

Red Cedar? Nice colour, self-preserving and ages to a silvery grey. Also light to move around. The dust when working can make your eyes water, though, even though it smells nice.

 

[[159032]]

I like iroko. Really easy to work by hand. Light and looks lovely. Slightly difficult to sand as the grain picks up either way.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I like iroko. Really easy to work by hand. Light and looks lovely. Slightly difficult to sand as the grain picks up either way.

I have some of that left over from another job, and was wondering about it. The plank I have is very dark in colour, though.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Hi AP, iroko would be fine if you've got some kicking about. Please post a piccy when it's done

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Hi AP, iroko would be fine if you've got some kicking about. Please post a piccy when it's done

I don't have enough to finish the job; and I have another project in mind, too. But Iroko isn't silly expensive, especially if bought by volume as with my local supplier. Don't know how it will work in these days of social distancing, but last time they showed me a pallet load of sawn timber and let me choose my own piece! As long as I can get a piece long enough, I've just invested in a table saw so I can rip it down myself.

I was slightly concerned that iroko has a tendency to have curly grain, and I wondered if that would weaken it for bending loads.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Red Cedar? Nice colour, self-preserving and ages to a silvery grey. Also light to move around. The dust when working can make your eyes water, though, even though it smells nice.

I like the idea; I'll keep that in mind. As noted below, there's a good local wood merchant who sells by volume, not by size, and I'd certainly have to rip the timber to the required dimensions. Is the dust from Red Cedar merely unpleasant, or is it something to avoid?

 

[Corribee Boy]

Actually it depends on if it's Western or Eastern red cedar. I believe Eastern is poisonous, but Western merely irritant, but enough to dissuade burrowing insects. I try to avoid breathing the dust anyway! It was Western red I was thinking of; Thuya plicata

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

I don't have enough to finish the job; and I have another project in mind, too. But Iroko isn't silly expensive, especially if bought by volume as with my local supplier. Don't know how it will work in these days of social distancing, but last time they showed me a pallet load of sawn timber and let me choose my own piece! As long as I can get a piece long enough, I've just invested in a table saw so I can rip it down myself.

I was slightly concerned that iroko has a tendency to have curly grain, and I wondered if that would weaken it for bending loads.

I'm not being funny skip, but.. don't 'over-think' it

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Personally I would steam right in there, with some condemned scaffolding planks from the nearest builder's skip but hey, respects for a perfectionist

 

[Laminar Flow]

I like the idea; I'll keep that in mind. As noted below, there's a good local wood merchant who sells by volume, not by size, and I'd certainly have to rip the timber to the required dimensions. Is the dust from Red Cedar merely unpleasant, or is it something to avoid?

Red cedar is very soft and has a tendency to easily split along the grain when dry. The dust can cause allergic reaction.
It has been used for planking in the past since it was available in long clear lengths; for that purpose it was used green as it is when used for moldings around windows and exterior siding. It is a common timber where I live and I have used a lot of it. For furniture, because of its lack of impact resistance, I would consider it less desirable.

As far as dust goes, iroko is much worse IMHO and calcification pockets can be brutal on the tools. For a piece of furniture I think it would be preferable to cedar and a fine, hard finish can be achieved. It does have a tendency to work.
I have used iroko for boat in- and exteriors and it is a good (better) material for your purpose.

I work with wood for a living.

 

[billskip]

A job like this needs a lot of serious thought,

I would ge a deckchair, a crate of beer, and a couple of acorns.......

 

[Corribee Boy]

I've only used red cedar for fencing, cladding, and pergolas. I don't think I've ever had the splitting problem but I'm not sure it ever dries out around here! It's certainly soft.

 

[Corribee Boy]

A job like this needs a lot of serious thought,

I would ge a deckchair, a crate of beer, and a couple of acorns.......

If you position the hammock carefully over the acorns, might it grow into place?

 

[Laminar Flow]

I've only used red cedar for fencing, cladding, and pergolas. I don't think I've ever had the splitting problem but I'm not sure it ever dries out around here! It's certainly soft.

It splits very well as the grain is quite straight. Traditionally, shakes for roofing are split off a block and the West Coast Natives made the boards for their houses in that fashion.
The Vikings by the way also split the planks for their long boats off the log. Unlike sawing, when splitting a plank the separation never runs cross grain and, since as grown, the individual piece tends to be much stronger.

 

[LittleSister]

I'm planning on making a hammock stand for our garden

You've been fooled by the recent unusually prolonged spell of fine weather, then?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

You've been fooled by the recent unusually prolonged spell of fine weather, then?

No, it's my wife. She's used to a tropical climate, where the weather is more predictable than here!

 

[LittleSister]

No, it's my wife. She's used to a tropical climate, where the weather is more predictable than here!

So once you've finished the hammock stand, you'll need to build a tropical glass house round it?

 

[Rappey]

What about finding some nice oak ? Its cheap enough for building needs,, you could be really clever and find some naturally curving pieces and make davit like supports?

 

[Laminar Flow]

What about finding some nice oak ? Its cheap enough for building needs,, you could be really clever and find some naturally curving pieces and make davit like supports?

Excellently resistant under water, moderately to poor above.