A Pile of White Oak and Extra Time

[skysharks]

Originally Posted by NCPete

What is this thing you call EXTRA TIME?

Great looking chairs bud!

R E T I R E M E N T, you too will someday get there

[AndyBarnhart]

Originally Posted by skysharks

Jeff you playing with me????
I have been looking for some cypress, but haven't found any local yet.
The whole time I was building them, it was burning in the back of my head, YOUR USING OAK for outdoor furniture.
It's overkill, you've gone crazy, etc,etc.

White Oak is great for outdoor stuff. It was (and sometimes still is) used a lot in boat building. Lots of boats have WO keels (http://www.google.com/search?q=oak+keel). I just made new sail battens out of WO and won't even bother with finish (it would wear off quickly anyway, sliding them in and out of the pockets in the sail). I would keep a close eye on the red oak, though. It doesn't deal with weather as well.

I made some similar stuff from cedar and cypress (2 cedar chairs and small table, cypress loveseat) and the cypress was easiest to work with and smells like oatmeal. Either is easier to cut/shape than the WO, but they also scratch and dent easier.

Nice job!

[DavidF]

Nice looking furniture you have there. Do the end aprons on the tables lift up to make a bigger table? - -or could they

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by skysharks

Jeff you playing with me????
I have been looking for some cypress, but haven't found any local yet.
The whole time I was building them, it was burning in the back of my head, YOUR USING OAK for outdoor furniture.
It's overkill, you've gone crazy, etc,etc.

Actually Mr. Mac I'm not toying with your mind - White oak is decay resistant, Water oak being the most decay resistant of the white oak grouping. So my conclusion is you did good my friend.

Here's a little chart to go by: I can't recall where I picked this up at - but (you'll notice that Old Growth Cypress is actually at the bottom of decay resistance scale and well below that of White Oak but only slightly above White Pine). It's really funny how people think about things - and I really don't know how Cypress got it's reputation of being highly resistant to decay Your most decay resistant lumber is - of course Black Locust not to mention it's like working with a brick.

Lumber decay resistance by species grouping (in first order precedence)

Highly Decay Resistant - Black locust / Osage-orange / Red mulberry / Yews

Decay Resistant - Cedars / Redwood / White Oak / Sassafras / Junipers / Catalpa / Cypress (old growth)

Moderately Decay Resistant - White pine / Honeylocust / Longleaf pine / Baldcypress (Young Growth)

Slightly Decay Resistant - Alders / Ash / Basswood / Beech / Birch / Buckeye / Hemlock / Hickory / Maples (both hard and soft) / Red Oak / Pines (all others ) / Poplars / Sweetgum

Thanks

[AndyBarnhart]

I am surprised that Ash is so far down. It is a popular choice for canoe gunwales (http://www.google.com/search?q=ash+gunwales). I know because I have had to replace some before. I wonder why they use it so much. It looks about the same as WO, or at least it does before it rots...

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by AndyBarnhart

I am surprised that Ash is so far down. It is a popular choice for canoe gunwales (http://www.google.com/search?q=ash+gunwales). I know because I have had to replace some before. I wonder why they use it so much. It looks about the same as WO, or at least it does before it rots...

My guess would be it's shock resistance value???

Here is a more comprehensive list located here - much more than my little sliding cheat sheet card I carry around in my folder

http://www.petersonsawmills.com/resources_treeid_a.htm

Ash, White (Fraxinus americana)
Other Names: American ash, Biltmore ash, and cane ash.
Type: Hardwood
Range: Grows in United States and Canada.
Appearance: Generally straight grained with a coarse texture. Pale-brown heartwood and almost white sapwood.
Physical Properties: Moderately heavy, hard, strong, quite elastic and tough with moderately high shock resistance, good dimensional stability, and poor decay resistance.
Working Properties: Machines fairly well with machine tools although turning and mortising properties are marginal. Glues, screws, and nails satisfactorily. Stains and finishes well, although filling may be required.
Uses: Furniture, cooperage, baseball bats, boat oars, ladders, chairs, food containers, agricultural implements, tool handles, plywood, and decorative veneer.

Thanks

[AndyBarnhart]

Thanks for that; the link answers the "why not WO" question also. It splinters and chips more easily and therfore doesn't like fasterners as much. Makes sense why WO is a good wood for bows and battens - no fasteners. When used in boat building as a keel, it is a big honkin' piece and ony small fasteners (brass nails traditionally) are used.

[jeff...]

Little more information for Mac-ster just thought it would better to provide references that "jeff says"

Bald Cypress --->http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets...xiodiummet.pdf
Durability: It is rated as resistant to very resistant to heartwood decay

Oaks ---> http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets...quercusmet.pdf
Durability: The oaks are rated with respect to resistance to heartwood decay
Very resistant--bur oak, chestnut oak, Gambel oak, Oregon oak, post oak and white oak
Moderately resistant--swamp chestnut oak
Slightly to nonresistant--black oak and red oak

Thanks

[Travis]

That is on my project list as well. Great job.

[skysharks]

Hey thanks Brother, that means allot to me.
I am very please to know that I didn't make a boo my using WO.

Do the end aprons on the tables lift up to make a bigger table? - -or could they

They currently do not by the original plans, but you probably could easily do with a bit of mod.