Quality Hand-made Porch Swings, Garden Arbors & Adirondack Chairs
Wood
Wood is staked and allowed to adjust to the climatic conditions
in my studio for two weeks before construction begins.
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Black Walnut - Cherry - California Redwood
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I build my Porch Swings with Black Walnut and Cherry woods. I choose these woods for their natural beauty and durability, even under conditions favorable to decay. Cherry and Black Walnut are absolutely beautiful when hand rubbed with a tung oil finish and that's why I love working with these woods so much. The following information comes from the US Department of Forestry. You can visit them at http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/ for more information.
Walnut Juglans nigra Family: Juglandaceae Black Walnut Distribution Black walnut is native to the eastern United States, from southern Minnesota east to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York; south to South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama; west to Texas; and north through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The Tree Black walnut trees reach heights of 120 ft (37
m), with a diameter of over The Wood General: The sapwood of black walnut is nearly white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark, chocolate brown, often with a purplish cast and darker streaks. The wood is heavy, hard, and stiff and has high shock resistance.
Working Properties: Black walnut is straight grained and easily worked with hand tools and by machine. It finishes beautifully and holds paint and stain exceptionally well. It also glues and polishes well. Durability: Rated as very resistant to heartwood decay–one of the most durable woods, even under conditions favorable to decay. Cherry Prunus serotina Family: Rosaceae Black Cherry Distribution Cherry is found in the eastern half of the United States, from the plains to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. It also occurs in high elevations in Mexico. The Tree The tree reaches a height of 100 ft (30 m), with a diameter of 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m). It is shrubby under poor growth conditions and at the northern limit of its range. It does best on the rich, moist soil of the Appalachians. The Wood General The sapwood is light yellow, while the heartwood is brownish with a greenish tinge, darkening upon exposure to a deep reddish brown with a golden luster. The wood has a mild, aromatic scent, but no characteristic taste. It is of medium density, firm, and strong, with a fine, uniform texture. The grain is generally straight. Working Properties: Cherry is easy to work, finishes smoothly, and is dimensionally stable. It is easily machined. It can be sawn cleanly, turned well, and planed excellently with standard cutting angles. Screw-holding ability is good, as is gluing, except where gum streaks are present. Durability: Rated as very resistant to heartwood decay. Redwood Sequoia sempervirens Family: Taxodiaceae Redwood The genus Sequoia is represented by one species (S. sempervirens). A related tree, the giant sequoia (Sequoiadenrdon giganteum) is also called redwood, big tree or giant redwood. The word sequoia was selected to honor Sequoyah (also spelled Sequoia), or George Guess (1770?-1843), Native American inventor of the Cherokee alphabet. The name was unexplained by its author, an Austrian linguist and botanist. The name sempervirens means evergreen. Distribution Redwood is native to the Pacific Coast regionfrom extreme southwestern Oregon (Curry County) south to central California (Monterey County). The Tree Redwood trees reach heights of 200 to 300 feet, withdiameters of 6 to 12 feet. The record is 376 feet tall, with a 20 foot diameter and an age of 2,200 years, and represents the world’s tallest tree. General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood of is white,while the heartwood is a dark reddish brown. The heartwood has no characteristic odor or taste. It has exceptionally straight grain, high dimensional stability and is resistant to warping. It is moderately strong in bending, strong in endwise compression, stiff, moderately low in shock resistance and holds paint well. Working Properties: Redwood works easily with both hand and machine tools, with little dulling effect on tools. It planes well, provided the cutters are sharp and it splinters easily when working on the end grain. It holds nails well, and paints and finishes satisfactorily. It also stains well, but glues best with alkaline adhesives. Durability: Redwood is rated very resistant to heartwood decay. |
Studio visitors are welcome by appointment.
Please phone 702-838-3015
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Quality Hand-made Porch Swings, Garden Arbors & Adirondack Chairs |
