Porch swing wood

On 17 Nov 2006 10:05:25 -0800, "Todd the wood junkie"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Steve B wrote:
>> I have a wooden porch swing at my cabin. The wood is obviously a hardwood.
>> It is one of the mass made ones rather than one of a kind.
>>
>> I want to make one of these, and add some metal work and an inset panel in
>> the back that is a plasma cutout piece of flat metal.
>>
>> What would be the best wood to use? This is about 3/4" thick, and the
>> strips vary in width from about one inch to about two inches.
>>
>> Steve
>
>If you can find it: osage orange, or black locust. They will last a
>long time and are very strong.

There is one sitting on my mom's porch (really a carport with a deck
over it) that was there when she and dad bought the house in 1976. I
refinished it summer before last for the first time in years (since
the last time dad did it). It is quater sawn white oak and is in
perfect condition after more than 30 years outside. It clearly was a
manufactured unit, but I am not sure when or by whom. I put spar
urathane on it. I am not sure what dad used the last time he did it
which was at least prior to 1993 (he died in 1995 after a couple years
when he would not have been able to do any refinishing).

Dave Hall

Steve B wrote:

> I want to make one of these, and add some metal work and an inset panel in
> the back that is a plasma cutout piece of flat metal.
>
> What would be the best wood to use?

Oak and copper fittings. Looks lovely, doesn't have the iron-stain
problems of steel fittings on oak. You can use steel bolts, just hide
the actual junction of wood and metal under a non-corroding washer.

if you have a plasma cutter, then I'm sure you're capable of casting
your own bronze fittings 8-) (Go on!)
http://codesmiths.com/shed/things/smithing/casting/


Or almost any of the comonplace cedars used for outdoor work.

Steve B wrote:
> I have a wooden porch swing at my cabin. The wood is obviously a hardwood.
> It is one of the mass made ones rather than one of a kind.
>
> I want to make one of these, and add some metal work and an inset panel in
> the back that is a plasma cutout piece of flat metal.
>
> What would be the best wood to use? This is about 3/4" thick, and the
> strips vary in width from about one inch to about two inches.
>
> Steve

Down heah, in the land o' cotton, porch swangs is pretty much a way o'
life. Mostly, we builds our porch swangs outa cypress. Now if'n you
ain't from around heah, you might have a bit o' trouble findin' good
cypress. The sapwood ain't hardly no better'n poplar as far as not
goin' rott'n on ya, but that heartwood, why it'll last fer a rite long
spell in the weather.

DonkeyHody
"Even an old blind hog finds an acorn every now and then."

Steve B wrote:
> I have a wooden porch swing at my cabin. The wood is obviously a hardwood.
> It is one of the mass made ones rather than one of a kind.
>
> I want to make one of these, and add some metal work and an inset panel in
> the back that is a plasma cutout piece of flat metal.
>
> What would be the best wood to use? This is about 3/4" thick, and the
> strips vary in width from about one inch to about two inches.
>
> Steve

If you can find it: osage orange, or black locust. They will last a
long time and are very strong.

Steve B wrote:
> I have a wooden porch swing at my cabin. The wood is obviously a
hardwood.
> It is one of the mass made ones rather than one of a kind.
>
> I want to make one of these, and add some metal work and an inset
panel in
> the back that is a plasma cutout piece of flat metal.
>
> What would be the best wood to use?
<snip>

If the metal is either bronze or brass, then white oak.

Stainless will look gaudy and anodized aluminum will also stain the wood.

If the metal will rest, forget it since it will stain any wood you use.

Have fun.

Lew