Gentleman,
A friend just gave me 12 1x6x8 Cypress. Rough sawn and it has not been kiln dried. Very very wet. I want to use this for some out door projects. I am thinking about a storage bench.
Questions: Can I use this wood as it is? What is the max width I can use to try to keep the warping and checking to a min? What kind of joinery? Glue? And what type of finish can I use to help protect and maintain the natural color?
Thanks for your help!
Sean
Replies
Cypress is a VERY good wood for outdoor projects. It has much less tendency to warp or twist than most woods and it's natural oils help it resist weathering. You can use full width planks (that is, as wide as you have available). It needs no finish at all and is best when used that way (it's oily surface makes finishing more difficult and less durable). Allow it to weather to the beautiful silver-gray that it will naturally acquire as it ages. Consider that the original John boats were made of very wide cypress planks (usually two formed the boat bottom and one for each side). I would go ahead and use it green if you are ready to use it... just be aware that it will shrink some as it dries. Cypress shrinks less than most woods and also, correspondingly, will swell less when wetted... excellent attributes for a wood that will be exposed to weathering.
Great information! And for the joinery, just an exterior grade course thread screw?
Thanks again!
That would work but sometimes screws will snap off because they are more brittle than nails. I like nails for joints that may need to withstand significant stresses. I drive them in at opposing angles so that they cannot just pull out. I use hot galvanized or ring shanks... or (best of all) make my own tapered square spikes. A good ring-shank nail is harder to pull out than a screw in most cases. It also tends to bend rather than snapping off (if stressed beyond reason).
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