# Wood construction



## general1861 (Jan 22, 2010)

Next to red cedar or cedar boards is the choice for outdoor wooden structures. What do you all use other than these two types of wood. ....Travis


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I have used redwood for all my bridges, now about eight years old. For my station I used cedar fence pickets cut into lumber. That structure is now 4 years old.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Best thing is to find someone replacing a deck that is made of old redwood. It is much better in quality than the new stuff , if you can find it. Luckily my son was doing that and I got some good boards to rip down.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Back when I was sold on wood buildings and made a number of them, i used as much cedar as possible, oil primed them inside and out and had screen in some windows so mold would not build up. And they were mounted to durock cement board because we have lots of termites around here. 
I used scraps of cedar vertical siding for main body of the building. 
the old barn is still around ,,someplace??









and the wood house in the far background.

I now love using Colo. Models structures.


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## GaryR (Feb 6, 2010)

I'm a fan of sassafras wood. It has been a main stay of outdoor tool handles longer than I been around. I get mine from . It is light brown in color with a very noticeable grain. Email Ken, as it's not listed. 
They cut mine as thin as 1/16th. I get random width that is 7 to 8 inches wide and about 5 feet long. They will cut to 
length and width you ask for. Far as I know, they don't do "sticks", but of course you can ask. They are fine people. 

GaryR


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

I brought back a few cypress boards from a recent trip to Florida to use in outdoor scale construction. Have not used it yet so no information on longevity. I have used primarily cedar either from lumberyard, expensive boards, or from fence place in town, very cheap, and wood is softer. Both seem to hold up

I also tried cutting up pressure treated fence boards and use them in about 12" x 12" scale size for cribbing around ballast and roadbed ares. Seem to do OK, and gee, you dont' have to steam bend them as they bend all on their own.









Jerry


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## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

I use redwood almost exclusively, as here (Sacramento and California in general) fences built with redwood are very common. Old redwood boards generally have rotted about six inches from the bottom, but the rest is good. Run through a table saw, it makes good ties, building walls, trolley stops, etc. 

And you can't beat free!


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

My buidings are built with exterior plywood milled to be clapboards or with battens glued on. with paint inside and out, a good roof and stone foundation they seem to last well, some are more than 10 years old. I do the trip either with white pine or cedar. It is quite damp here, shady and cool and we do not have termites (knock on wood). 

My covered bridges have pine trusses, (scale) western red cedar siding open to the air inside and out and a Cedar shingle roof. they last very well. I outgrew my 20 year old bridge which was on its second roof but still basically sound. 

for trestles, I have been using pressure treated (southern Yellow Pine) which used to be bomb proof but the newer stuff is hardly better than untreated pine...cedar might be better, though I havnt tried it yet.


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## iaviksfan (Dec 27, 2007)

Has anyone tried bamboo? I found some placemats at Target which were made up of several bamboo sticks. Its only been about a year now of them being outside and no ill effects that i can tell. My next project i will try them as horizontal siding. 
Greg R.


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## jemurrer (May 7, 2013)

I found that cedar really holds up nice outside, along with cypress. To add some different colors to the structures walnut is good at beeing rot resistant. I use Titebond III water resistant glue but also mechanical attach all boards with brass echuon pins. Ones the structures are complete several coats of spar poly out door finnish adds that extra protection.

Try your local saw mill for scrap cuts. Then mill them down to dimensional sizes.


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## Bunker (Feb 7, 2009)

The best wood I have found for 1:1 outdoor structures is a Brazilian Mahogany called Ipe' (Ironwood). It is a straight grain hard, dense wood, the fine sawdust while working it can be an irritant to mucus membranes. I have some scraps from a large, expensive patio deck I helped build about 10 years ago. It has been stored outside all during that time and the only effect on the wood is it has turned gray. Since I have mostly 2"x6" & 1"x6" pieces, when it is cut, the reddish-brown Mahogany color reappears. 
Here is an example of the wood bridge made from the Ipe'. The curved structures were made by sawing thin strips and gluing them back together in a jig. So it will hold together well with Titebond yellow glue. 










Other choices for exterior hardwoods are Locust (used for pier pilings) & White Oak. I like Cedar but it is a lightweight, soft wood. 

I hope that helps.


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## BrianTFowler (Sep 20, 2012)

I was about to post a similar question to this post on preferred wood material. Does anyone use mahogany? Is it just the cost that keeps people away from it? I have a virtually unlimited supply of mahogany scraps. (I live down the street from a commercial custom door maker. Fills a dumpster with scrap weekly). Perfect already cut material for buildings and structures. I was planning on bringing some to the NGRC2013 but not sure if anyone would be interested. 



I also have built some log cars wit IPE. Beautiful wood! I occasionally get scraps from a Custom Deck builder I know. I usually get a call if IPE goes in a job. I was collecting Redwood scraps from them but running out of space for the best of materials (2x8 nominal quarter sawn). I keep enough wood around to build 50 cedar bluebird houses for the local parks every fall. It helps to have friends in the right places! 

Feel free to ask me about gettting some quality building materials. I love this hobby but can't afford to do much.

Brian


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I would use mahogany for cars and other places were precision milling and fine finish are required. I am not so sure how it would hold up outside. I don't think it particularly rot resistant. keep it dry and keep it painted or oiled outside.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

You west-coast guys with your redwood and cedar are lucky! 
here in the North-East, we only have limited supplies of cedar, and its usually not the good "heartwood".. 
And I don't think I have ever seen a single stick of redwood in my life.. 

Im going to want to build some wood trestles in a few years, and I dont know where to start to find 
suitable lumber..any easterners have any suggestions? 

Scot


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I lived in the East some (1960 -1967) Go to a real lumber yard and ask an oldtimer... 
You want a closed and straight grain , probably a hard or semi hardwood. 
Hemlock might be self perserving! lol 

GaryR, when I lived in Norfolk Va. I found a piece of sassafrass wood and kept it in my pocket. When ever I wanted a rootbeer I snifed that stick! I was 12. 

I use pecky cedar, minus the pecks, I salvaged a ceiling/roof from a remodel. 
Local termites are eating Redwood now. 

John


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

@Jerry - Cyprus is an excellent wood for outdoor structures. It weathers well and is heavily used here in Florida by outdoor furniture makers. There used to be a small saw mill that cut nothing but Cyprus near me, but like many small business in recent years it closed up. 

@Eric - Mahogany and Teak are both heavily used in boat building for decking and cabinet work. Both are hard woods and hard on tooling when machining. Like Ipe, both will generate a fine dust that is hard on the respiratory system. 

I am experimenting with some second hand pressure treated material that has been out in the weather already for a good while. Cutting is done outside (roll the table saw out of the garage), I have two shop vacs rigged up to collect the saw dust, and I keep a box fan at my back during cutting. This is a recently begun experiment, so I don't have any history to speak of. 

Bob C.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I split a PT 2x4 and buried the cut faces as part of an inspection pit under the rails in the engine house. 5 years later I dug them up, the centers were gone. Only a half inch from the surface remained around the missing core. It was a fresh 2x4. 

John


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## spincaster (Mar 10, 2012)

Posted By Scottychaos on 02 Jun 2013 06:51 PM 
You west-coast guys with your redwood and cedar are lucky! 
here in the North-East, we only have limited supplies of cedar, and its usually not the good "heartwood".. 
And I don't think I have ever seen a single stick of redwood in my life.. 

Im going to want to build some wood trestles in a few years, and I dont know where to start to find 
suitable lumber..any easterners have any suggestions? 

Scot 

Scot

Aw common! You should be able to find both redwood and cedar in Rochester. Try Wegman Hardwood (look on CL under materials) or try Mathews & Field Lumber. There may be others?

Jack


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