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9 mighty woods for outdoor projects

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Top of the line

Ipe

Teak

Mahogany

Top of the line

Imported dense hardwoods

Ipe, a relative newcomer, is imported from Central and South America, where it grows rapidly. Also called Brazilian walnut and ironwood, it is so dense that it barely floats. Strong and stable, the functional life of ipe can be as long as 40 years if left untreated. It resists movement, surface checks, warping, cracking, decomposition, and denting. Also, while it is expensive (and sometimes hard to find), ipe is comparably priced with many composite wood products.

Teak is still available in small quantities, but you'll pay a hefty price for it. Largely associated with boatbuilding, it doubles as an excellent choice for small outdoor projects where you want the beauty of the wood to speak as loudly as the craftsmanship.

Mahogany serves as a great project wood. It machines, sands, and finishes well, but costs more than ipe. Be sure to ask for African or Honduran mahogany, (avoiding Philippine mahogany). One nice thing: You can buy it in broad thicknesses for use in large projects.

Continued on page 6: Rot proof composites

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Comments (9)

ke5gwl wrote:

How about Spanish Cedar? Woodworkers Source has it on sale. Lewis

7/20/2012 05:57:23 PM Report Abuse

mmyjak wrote:

Wow.. you almost covered all the bases. WHAT about Thermo-Treated wood? Its the perfect, eco-friendly outdoor wood. No Poisons, plastics or problems.

7/19/2012 09:00:10 PM Report Abuse

mmyjak wrote:

You can use a clear vinyl sanding sealer on cypress. You should be able to topcoat w/out much problem.

7/19/2012 08:51:26 PM Report Abuse

dsoliah wrote:

I have used Cypress for years for Adirondack chairs - I have yet to find a finish that works well on cypress, contrary to the statement it accepts finish as well as cedar and redwood -

7/19/2012 11:19:07 AM Report Abuse

wetzelswoodshop wrote:

black locust is also another good out door wood along with sassafras. G.wetzel

7/19/2012 10:55:25 AM Report Abuse

mapleMoose wrote:

What about new-tech, non-toxic treated woods? - Glass wood (like TimberSIL) - Heat treated wood (like WestWood or Thermo Wood)

7/19/2012 10:35:59 AM Report Abuse

pfalzon wrote:

Oops! I meant the handle of the frying pan.

6/9/2011 03:29:43 PM Report Abuse

pfalzon wrote:

I used purpleheart to replace the one that broke off on a frying pan. It has been in and out of the dishwasher hundreds of times in the past 10 years. Still going strong!

6/9/2011 03:28:39 PM Report Abuse

keith.park wrote:

The wood that I used for a boat transom was purpleheart. Rot resistant and absolutely beautiful to look at. Found it better priced than the equivalent thickness in marine plywood. Tough to work with.

5/27/2011 03:42:42 PM Report Abuse