What wood?

[Nigel]

Hi all,

not really banter but posted here so I didn't get moderated out of the restoration section .

I have been tasked with restoring an old garden bench seat - Two metal ends that need lots of wooden slats adding between them. My questions are:

1. What is the best wood to use for the slats?
2. Where can I source that wood cheaply?

Nigel

[Rupert]

Teak, and there is no answer to the 2nd part - it ain't cheap. Alternatively, cheapest softwood and paint it well.

[Ed]

No, I don't think you have to go that far....

A cheap mahogany like Meranti would be OK, if not very nice.....available in many places, including B&Q as that rather nasty pink hard wood....as I said....not very nice, but it would work fine for quite a few years, before you had problems. It is after all what most of the exterior garden furniture you currently see for sale is. Robbins normally have it, but quality does vary. Go for Kaya or Utile for a better but more expensive result. Again Robbins normally has both.

If you want to make it really good and fine for that 'silvered' outside look.

Go for Iroko. It's heavy....looks just like teak and is still bloody expensive, but at least there is still a little left, whereas the Teak has all but gone.

Again, Robbins will have it.

You could go for Oak....but I guess it would stain rather badly around the steel ends...and if you are spending that amount of money, reckon the Iroko would give you best results.

eib

[cweed]

I renovated a small garden bench a few years ago using the 'side bench' seating slats off a scrapped wooden Enterprise,; but you might also keep a look out for pallets from very distant shores which also seem to utilise semi hardwoods, sadly.

[Michael Brigg]

There is a chandlery here in Gosport (Now called "Arthur's Chandlery.") which seems to have a deal with Westerly Yachts to sell off all of their old "off cuts" from teak used as trim and toe rails etc. I'll have a look and see what they've got if you like.

I'm sure I've seen the odd 6' length down there.

[davidh]

Michael,

whilst there, could you keep your eyes peeled for any mahogany (or equivalent) - - about 1"-2" x 4'-5' - am now looking at making rudder blades. Have the cedar, need a spine of something along those lines.

Cheers

D

[Roger Holman]

I would agree with Ed, Iroko is your best bet. Considerably cheaper than Teak, a b*****d to work as it can have what is known as a 'tortured' grain pattern which causes it to twist every which way when sawn, but, if you get a good, relatively straight grained bit, once weathered, you will be hard pressed to tell it apart fom Teak.

Roger

[Rupert]

Is it Iroko you have to be really, really careful with the dust with?

[Roger Holman]

Yes, it is. Someone I once worked for fitted their cruising yacht out with Iroko in lieu of Teak, his young son spent several adys in hospital as a result of breathing in the dust. However, 20 something years of spasmodic injestion of Iroko dust have not stopped me Jollyboating. As with most of these things, adequate ventilation and a little common sense seems to work.

Roger.

J247 Mystery

[Ed]

Thanks for that.

I didn't know that.....although I always take care with all the hard-wood dusts. I have found that even kyaha dust has a rather extreme sinus-clearing quality....which isn't all that nice.

eib