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Wood for BGE LG table?

frankie482
frankie482 Posts: 263
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Everyone think clear pine would be ok for building a table for a large?
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Comments

  • Semolina Pilchard
    Semolina Pilchard Posts: 768
    I used pine for my table and painted it, and am quite pleased with the results. I know pine is not the best weather resistant wood, but my table is out of the sun and rain. About the only problem for me is that pine is so soft of a wood that it "dents" a little, but no big deal. I am not sure what clear pine is exactly though.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I'd look for something more weather resistant.

    Clear pine will look great for a short time. I doubt it would last for longer than three years at the most if left outside. If you move it out of the weather it will be ok. I'd use cedar, redwood, cyprus or pressure treated lumber if you want it to last in the weather.
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  • frankie482
    frankie482 Posts: 263
    Semolina Pilchard wrote:
    I used pine for my table and painted it, and am quite pleased with the results. I know pine is not the best weather resistant wood, but my table is out of the sun and rain. About the only problem for me is that pine is so soft of a wood that it "dents" a little, but no big deal. I am not sure what clear pine is exactly though.

    Clear pine is a better grade with no knots.
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  • PhilOsh
    PhilOsh Posts: 84
    The more resins there are in the wood the better resistance to sun damage and moisture. Cyprus, redwood, cedar then pine are generally the oreder of better resistance. The hardwoods look pretty and are mostly stronger but don't fare so well in the sun and rain. (Pine windows last longer than oak windows) In any event, the end grain of the wood used should not be in direct contact with the ground. Moisture could then just wick up the boards. The pine we get now isn't near as good as the pine boards from 50 years ago from more mature trees.

    I'd be a little careful using treated wood in situations where there is food contact with the wood. The preservatives used are not anything that should be ingested. That is why preserved wood should not be burned and precautions should be observed when using it in construction. (don't breathe the sawdust, wash your hands and exposed skin after handling)
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  • golffer
    golffer Posts: 144
    Probably be ok if you seal it. Dealers recommend cypress for durability in weather.
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  • Semolina Pilchard
    Semolina Pilchard Posts: 768
    Cypress is extremely resistant to rot, if it is mature cypress. At around the 70 year mark an oil is created that makes the difference. Young cypress is not much better than pine.
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  • PhilOsh
    PhilOsh Posts: 84
    Yes, very good point about age of the tree. That holds true for all woods that I'm familiar with. The older the tree the better the wood.
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  • frankie482
    frankie482 Posts: 263
    I have tried to find cypress and cedar where I live. (Maryland - Cecil County to be exact) When I asked the lumber yard if they had cypress, they looked at me like I had two heads. They did have cedar in stock, but for the money it looked like S**T. The place I went to, Kefauver's, gets most of their wood from the mill and mill it themselves. There is a local mill that I have not tried yet. Just trying to find wood worth using is getting frustrating.
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  • PhilOsh
    PhilOsh Posts: 84
    Talk to the local mill. You don't need long pieces of wood and some mills will work with you in finding the shorter stock that doesn't sell as easy as the long stuff. Let them know you need it "surfaced (Smooth) 4 sides" commonly labeled as S4S. A lot of cedar is "rough sawn". Bring a list of the finished sizes you need in case they let you choose the smaller pieces.
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  • frankie482
    frankie482 Posts: 263
    PhilOsh wrote:
    Talk to the local mill. You don't need long pieces of wood and some mills will work with you in finding the shorter stock that doesn't sell as easy as the long stuff. Let them know you need it "surfaced (Smooth) 4 sides" commonly labeled as S4S. A lot of cedar is "rough sawn". Bring a list of the finished sizes you need in case they let you choose the smaller pieces.

    When I meant about the cedar was it was not straight. It was pretty, just wasnt usable because it was so warped.
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  • Knauf
    Knauf Posts: 337
    Don't fool around with lesser quality woods. You don't want to do this again in a couple of years. I did mine in Cypress and it gets about 4-5 hours of direct sunlight in FL and looks as good today as when I first put it on my pool deck.
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