WWA Info Exchange

I have an exterior landscape light (the Pagoda type). In total, it's about 24" tall. My plan is to make a 'case' to house it. It will be a frame and panel box (four sides)...The bottom two/ thirds will be a panel of slate, and the top 1/3 will be frosted glass. I have White Oak and was going to use it, but am concerned about it's ability to shed weather. I can raise it so that it is 2" from the soil, but in the winter, there will be snow. I have some exterior decking from my neighbor (...ipe...very oily wood), but my search on the net reveals great difficulty with it's ability to hold glue (even epoxy- which I have used with success on teak).
Any thoughts? Wood that will handle weather, not rot, will glue... Again, I have white oak in the house.

Walnut is also ok. The main issue with wood decay is alternating wet/dry, so whatever you can do to minimize that will help. Not much available domestically that is as good as some exotics, but here's some info and a list of species from USDA grouped by decay resistance - page 3-15. http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgt ... 3/ch03.pdf . Note this applies only to the heartwood.

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I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

I would suggest Cyprus. I made a table top out of it and it has weathered great. I did put Cabot Spar Varnish on it. It is not in direct contact with standing water though. It has taken hot humid temps and rain water occasionally.

Bill

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Amateur Bill
O'Fallon, MO
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If a man speaks in the forest, and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?

I'm in shape, round is a shape.

White Oak is fine as I have used it on several outdoor furniture projects. White Oak cells are plugged with tyloses which makes the wood impenetrable by liquids, this the reason white oak is used for wine and whiskey barrels.

What's your standard for good looks? You willing to let things whiten, weather and surface check as long as it holds together? If so, almost anything will do for vertical installations. Hundred year old board and batten barns here have aspen or balsam poplar walls. White oak would certainly do.

With the combination of moisture and ultraviolet at work you had best have low standards or one of those oily tropical woods. I would make my joints mechanically bound rather than relying on glue, since there will be a lot of wet/dry cycles to pop the glue lines.

Cedar or redwood work great.

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Frank
WWACOAUX#1
"I love the smell of Sawdust in the morning, it smells like, victory."
WWA'ers I've met: Popeye, Ed Avery, Stephen Wolf, Rockfish, Rodedon

If it's available, What about Black Locust
JohnR

AlanS,
I just finished these lights for my patio. The wood is Jatoba (hard as a rock) and the hats are squirrel guards. The copper pipe is scrap I had laying around. I have a total of $27 in each light.
Zulu

Two ideas. Lyptus is a great exteriot hardwood - plantation grown in Brazil and imported. Finishes great and looks sort of like cherry.

Whatever wood you choose look into liquid epoxy used by boat builders - it displaces all moisture in the wood and basicly turns the wood to petrified wood. The only weathering is with whatever finish you apply - the wood will not decay or change colors - no moisture left. FWW had an article about this process about 5 years ago.

Good luck

Zulu - I really like those lighta alot! What did you use for the post (pvc?) are they low voltage or 110?

OMG! Zulu posting pics without artillery! What can this mean?

Seriously though, great lights. I love the design and have done some projects before with Jatoba. It's really a great wood to work with and looks just stunning.

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Frank
WWACOAUX#1
"I love the smell of Sawdust in the morning, it smells like, victory."
WWA'ers I've met: Popeye, Ed Avery, Stephen Wolf, Rockfish, Rodedon

Redwood, teak, marine ply, plastic wood,

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Mango
The land some where in the middle
20 47 00N -156 26 00W

The light post are 2" galvanized pipe. Power is 110V
They were fun to make.

Ice Pirate,
If I remove the tops, the lights fire like a mortar.
Zulu