As the title says. I am going to be making a few outdoor chairs and was wondering which wood would be better to make them out of. I am in eastern TN and I can get white oak, cypress, and eastern red cedar. I can get any of them rough sawn so the cost is about the same. I am leaning towards the cypress or white oak. I am not sure the easter red cedar is as durable for outside use. I really would like to find a good source for the plastic colored wood to make them out of if anybody knows of one.
Thanks Mike
Outdoor wood for furniture
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Re: Outdoor wood for furniture
#2
They all work, Mike, but white oak is going to be really heavy compared to cypress and eastern red cedar (juniper). One caveat with cypress is to use rift or quartersawn stock; flatsawn cypress tends to come apart at the growth rings, producing knife-like projections that can ruin your day. Outdoor stuff I've made of ERC held up just fine.
Ellis
Re: Outdoor wood for furniture
#3@Ellis Walentine.
Thanks I will be starting this over the winter.
Re: Outdoor wood for furniture
#4
Ellis Walentine wrote:...One caveat with cypress is to use rift or quartersawn stock; flatsawn cypress tends to come apart at the growth rings, producing knife-like projections that can ruin your day...
Ellis
Wish I'd known that several years ago. I built an outdoor project using flatsawn cypress, and it split just like you said. Took about two years to start coming apart.
White Oak, Cedar and Mahogany have all worked well for me, though.
Re: Outdoor wood for furniture
#5How about Quartersawn White Oak
AKA Used Wine barrels
Sorry I couldn't pull up a pic wo/the stoves
Re: Outdoor wood for furniture
#6I would get some Western Red Cedar. I made this lawn swing for my wife's parents over 40 years ago. The swing is still in use at my house. Note that we do store the swing indoors during the winters. All the fasteners are stainless steel to prevent iron staining of the wood.
The frame supporting the swing is treated lumber, which is at least 15 years old.
Shortly after I took this photo, I cleaned the wood with a bleach and soap solution using a scrub brush.
Re: Outdoor wood for furniture
#7
My dad made us a set of Adirondack chairs about 20 years ago using Cypress. It's a beautiful wood. The chairs were left outside throughout the year, so they were exposed to all types of weather. We had a chair where one of the arms decayed, they are now at the end of their service life, except one. One of them has been under cover all along and that one looks good. The weathered to a gray patina, similar to the swing above.
