Porch swing - what wood?

[Stove M]

Is a poplar a reasonable consideration?

[Steve N]

If everything is available the next question is will it be ornamentation? Or get heavy use? If it's available and it will get heavy use I would go with White Oak. It services very well outdoors with minimal care if a tender gray color is ok with you, and unless you are going to use magic to hold it up either rope, or hardware will wear well on it. Softer woods often have problems with hardware causing the joints to yaw as they work back and forth, this elongates holes, and on really soft wood like WRC it can walk right through the wood. If you end up using WRC source at least 6/4 for the frame, I'd prefer 8/4. I wish cypress was available here, as it's not, all I know about it is that it weathers well outdoors. We do have Black Locust, and it is also very durable outdoors, it is also very strong, and fairly hard so it would be a good second to WO.

---

Is a poplar a reasonable consideration?

Not outdoors, it has poor resistance to rot.


Poplar in some of it's various names

[daddo]

Click the video before reading.




  Why the Pine is the very symbol of the US heritage. An Icon amongst all the wondrous trees a nation ever had. It stands tall and reverent, it braves the bitter cold winter storms of ice and snow, the billowing heat of the summers sun. It's very scent leaves no wonder from where it comes.
 It was the pine that helped begin the settlements of this great country, erecting log homes and shelters, barns and troughs. It strong planks used to build a dinning table, bed posts, and those beautiful wood floors. It's lasting beauty living on for many decades. It warmed homes and hearts. Why without the pines, our forefathers would have had to eat off the woodless floor in a cold and dark cave. How would President Washington have eaten his favorite pine cones? Where would the first congress held their meetings? How would the grain mill- mill? How would little Jimmy have his first toy on Christmas, carved from the pines bow?
 You see, the pine is more than just a piece of wood. It IS America! The brave, the strong, the symbol of all we believe.!!

 Now go forth and make those benches!

   I'm done.

[WaterlooMarc]

I can get cypress although not as easily as oak. With the exception of fencing I don't know if I've even seen cedar round these parts. Admittedly I've never looked before. I've never used cypress before. Is it pitchy like yellow pine?

[sniper]

No, it's more like Cedar or Poplar. The more I think about it, SteveN is right, for a swing, I'd go with WO for the strength. I made 2 screen doors out of Cypress and they have held up very well and their light weight is a plus. To have someone sitting on it and the hardware rubbing in the support holes, WO would hold up much better.

[John Mihich]

I would go with w/o for the supports and cedar for the bottom and back; pine would work well if you are painting it.

[p_toad]

Cypress is a very good wood to use but you will want to ease all the edges as it gets sharp and splintery sometimes.  They sell it around here for porch decking and it always has the edges eased.

[doobes]

Cypress is a very good wood to use but you will want to ease all the edges as it gets sharp and splintery sometimes.  They sell it around here for porch decking and it always has the edges eased.

+1 on the splintery.  Another thing to remember is that Cypress has a much larger than normal expansion due to moisture content than most other woods, so design your joints accordingly.

If you can get some Sinker Cypress, I would use that.  The cypress available today is new growth and not anywhere near as dense as the old growth forests that were cut down at the turn of hte 20th century. 

I bought my mom a porch swing from Acadian Cypress in Pontchatoula, LA made of sinker Cypress.  I put a topcoat of Cetol from Sikkens on it an it held up really well. Well at least until she used oven cleaner as an insecticide for some wasps living over the swing. The oven cleaner took the Cetol right off 

[Steve N]

Easing the edges would really apply to any wood you planned on sitting on. White Oak surely could do a splintery edge if you didn't knock it down, same with Cedar, Pine, and a whole bunch more.

[WaterlooMarc]

Well after pricing it I think cypress is out. White oak seems to be the concensus. What about ash? It's certainly strong enough. Haven't heard of it being used outside though.