# Wood type ???



## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

I am building a swing big enough for 2-3 people it will be hanging under the gazeebo but still wxposed to sun and rain depending on the wind direction.... Would cypress be a good choice, cedar, or go with the treated from the big orange store?????


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## JKV (May 21, 2011)

Ceder is always a good choice, treated is nice but it does not hold the color and looks bad quick, you can git ceder at a sawmill and plane it down yourself and it will look great when you finish it and it will last just as long


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Other options include white oak (unlike red oak, it's closed cell), mahogany and teak (these latter two are over-harvested and expensive, however). Another relatively new entry on the market is Ipe, which is said to stand up well outside, and is used for decks and such.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I would suggest cypress if you can get it without taking out a loan from the bank ,cedar would be next but not Oak  it's not to good for outside items.
One more ,the new plastic wood (deck boards) is great for out side items, it will last forever out side...

I got into a huff with one of the members so I drove a 16" long stick in the ground and I just pulled it out of the ground just to see what it was like after a year and it was just the same ,after a year in the ground..I now use it for out door items..


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papawd said:


> I am building a swing big enough for 2-3 people it will be hanging under the gazeebo but still wxposed to sun and rain depending on the wind direction.... Would cypress be a good choice, cedar, or go with the treated from the big orange store?????


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

I can get Cypress here for not too bad a price but still a bit costly


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Warren,

If you decide on usint PT wood for your swing, be certain to only install it where people will not get splinters from it and children won't put parts of it in their mouths... The treatment has some pretty rasty chemicals.. Not as bad as it used to be but still nothing I'd wanna feed to my family.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Warren, if you are going to paint the swing or seal it with spar varnish (Polyurethane) many hardwoods would be fine. White oak is used in stables and is pretty durable.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Warren


Just one more vote,, NO for Oak, I made a bench ( see below) out of Oak at a cost of 450.oo bucks it's not a cheap wood and a very high maintenance item, about every 2 years or so.. as you can see it's almost a swing...

I will 2nd Jim about the PT stock, that's real no no in my book, nasty stuff..it's made to kill the bugs and keep them off the wood...not for kids or anyone .. 

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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Cypress is about your best choice for standing up to the weather. I built a porch swing out of pine for my friend Frank. I never found out how his daughter finished it or how it stood up to the weather on their roofed in porch but it was fun to build.


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## bobbotron (Jan 7, 2010)

Cedar would be my choice for this, or you could use maple for the more load bearing parts.


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

Picked up Cypress today they charged me $50 for all I ordered and gave me an extra 1"x4"x6' free so I will start on this project sometime this week or weekend. What would be the best finish to put on this, as I have heard Cypress makes its own oil so to speak for a good while ,,,,and I hate painting wood any color ,I like the natural look of wood


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

Cypress would be my first choice,then cedar.

Regards
Jerry


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

any info on what to put on cypress would be appreciated, I do not want to paint it ...I have heard of spar varnish,, but thinkin also about linseed oil


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

I think the finish depends on what you want the swing to look like, and how much time you want to spend refinishing it over its years of service. Spar varnish provides a nice finish, but will likely need refinishing every couple of years. Depending on weather, that might be more frequent. An oil finish will be less protective, but easier to retouch/refresh.


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