Adirondack In Oak - Air or Kiln Dried

[humanfish]

Hi all
I've been asked to make two adirondack chair's to go with my parents new deck for the summer. I've got some plans for a folding design from brimarc to use, i also bought some carriage type bolts for the folding mechanism.

The question is which wood do i use, I was thinking of using oak but i don't know whether to buy some kiln dried or air dried seeing as it is going outside. It would need to be finished so as to keep it's colour.

many thanks for your help

b_h

 

[neilc]

I made a few out of iroko a couple of years ago and they're holding up really well. They're outside all the time.
Neil.

 

[Richard in Smithville]

I made mine out of some douglas fir that I reclaimed from a packing crate. I use a penetrating finish and reaply every year or so. The fir gives that combination of strength but keeps them lighter than using a hardwood. My chairs stay outside during Canadian winters and they seem to be holding up well. I suggest that you use an oil type finish and reapply as needed.

 

[humanfish]

Iroko would be a good option but i don't know if i could machine it that well, or am i thinking of teak?
Using douglas fir or somethings like it would certainly keep the cost down i guess but i think my parents would quite like oak.
Do you think it's best to use air dried wood outside to stop it taking up moisture quicker and distorting, which might be a problem with kiln dried. I guess it really depends on the type of finish or whether you leave it open to the elements.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi BH

I would go for kiln-dried and unfinished.

If you like that sort of thing, it will weather beautifully of it's own accord.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Keith Smith]

B_H you'll probably find that to buy the timber in the dimensions you need you will have to buy kiln dried. A lot of "air dried" timber has just been left out in the yard for a couple of years, I've bought some recently and it was soaking wet internally.

Also don't be tempted to buy large sections of air dried oak with a view to resawing it to the sizes you need, it will almost certainly warp and twist out of all proportion.

For a project like this chair I would always go for kiln dried, the wood is drier so is kinder on your tools, it is more stable, and once the piece is made it will soon acclimatise to its new setting.

As for finishing I'd use Garden furniture oil especially if you want the wood to keep its colour. If you do want the wood to turn grey and decide to leave it unfinished be aware it will tend to mark the clothing of anyone who sits on it.

Keith

 

[Alf]

I would always go for kiln dried, the wood is drier so is kinder on your tools

:-s Universal experience suggests air-dried is easier to work, I believe.

On the whole, if you have a reliable source, I'd opt for air-dried. What's the point in paying for someone to take it down to x% when you're going to be chucking it out into the big bad, wet world anyway? There's an awful lot of rot talked about air-dried wood, mainly because there's money in convincing people that kiln-dried is the only way to go. For a production there probably is. For the part-timer who has time to let it acclimatise and so forth, I'm not convinced. The only drawback is finding someone who's done a good job of it.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Keith Smith]

I would always go for kiln dried, the wood is drier so is kinder on your tools

:-s Universal experience suggests air-dried is easier to work, I believe.

I don't know why you have deliberately mis-quoted me; this is why I rarely post on this forum and why I won't be back.

I said kinder on your tools, NOT easier to work. Having had a piece of air dried oak eat a serious hole in a cast iron top overnight due to its excessive moisture content I can speak from EXPERIENCE rather than as a tool collector.

I've bought and used over £8,000 of oak in the last six months, both air and kiln dried, but hey, what do I know :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Hi all
I've been asked to make two adirondack chair's to go with my parents new deck for the summer. I've got some plans for a folding design from brimarc to use, i also bought some carriage type bolts for the folding mechanism.

The question is which wood do i use, I was thinking of using oak but i don't know whether to buy some kiln dried or air dried seeing as it is going outside. It would need to be finished so as to keep it's colour.

many thanks for your help

b_h

BH

I purchased an oak bench set a few years ago and it had to go back after a while. Seems that oak, if not properly treated, can have spores in the grain which develop into a horrible black fungal thing. Not sure how common this is, but when it happens, it is not nice

 

[Chris Knight]

Personally, I would use Iroko as it is cheaper than oak and stands up well outside. It is however quite irritating and can cause allergic reactions when working with it - I suggest you use a barrier cream if you want to use this wood.

Kiln dried oak will be fine outside and I am with Keith on this. I have worked with wet oak which has spoilt tools that I have failed to clean immediately after use. Worst of all is green oak but air dried which is not really dry can have the same effect.

 

[Alf]

I would always go for kiln dried, the wood is drier so is kinder on your tools

:-s Universal experience suggests air-dried is easier to work, I believe.

I don't know why you have deliberately mis-quoted me; this is why I rarely post on this forum and why I won't be back.

Keith, I didn't deliberately mis-quote you. I didn't mis-quote you at all. However I did misunderstand you. "Kinder to your tools" is often a way of saying "doesn't turn your finely honed edges into chipped monstrosities" after all.

I don't see any real need for you to either take unnecessary offence or decide to cause me offence as retaliation for your perceived hurt. I've used oak that's never been near a kiln and never had a problem - but it wasn't wet. Can we observe the difference between green oak and air-dried stuff here? If it's that wet, no, I wouldn't use it either. I'd have a word with my supplier and point out his air-dried wood was actually green - or I'd leave it hanging around in suitable conditions to let it finish doing it's stuff.

Cheers, Alf

 

[humanfish]

thanks guys and gals
i kind of thought kild dried would probably ok but i really felt i should check before i bought a load, thanks for your guidance
i'll have to get on and get that qoute now, cheers

b_h

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Keith

Thank you for your comments, which are much appreciated.

As for finishing I'd use Garden furniture oil especially if you want the wood to keep its colour. If you do want the wood to turn grey and decide to leave it unfinished be aware it will tend to mark the clothing of anyone who sits on it.

I had based my post on my experience with an oak gate and I just love the way it is starting to turn. Having read your post, I can see exactly why you have recommended applying a finish to the seat. I hadn't thought of the implications of an unfinished seat.

I must have been lucky with the air-dried oak, which really was excellent quality.

Cheers
Neil