Most water resistant wood

[Jacob]

I've got to make up some wooden condensation gutter things to attach to a window. The water will be drained off by 10mm copper pipes. They aren't big, 42" long and about 45x22mm with a channel moulded into one side. They will be wet a lot of the time so I might as well lash out on some hardwood.
What would be most durable in an alternating wet/dry situation. Teak?

 

[CHJ]

Greenheart?

10mm drains, neat I know but what about winter freezing?

Lots of problems with 22mm condensation pipes clogging from heating systems.

 

[Jensmith]

Greenheart is what they use for anything sitting in water or frequently wet.

 

[Jacob]

Greenheart?

10mm drains, neat I know but what about winter freezing?

Lots of problems with 22mm condensation pipes clogging from heating systems.

Thanks for that.
Yes they'll freeze in winter but it's never for long and if necessary can be warmed up. Luckily when there is nobody in the room there is almost no condensation so no problem.

Right, greenheart. Next question - where from?

 

[Logos]

Ipe?

It's readily available as decking timber to more or less the dimensions that you want.

Regards

Logos

 

[nanscombe]

Totally off the wall idea but ... don't some places use bamboo for water pipes?

 

[Jensmith]

Quick Google brought up these two suppliers. Looks to be a few.

http://www.smeetimber.com/species/greenheart.html

http://www.brookstimber.com/structuralhardwoods.php

 

[Grahamshed]

I would have thought Oak. The saxons built bridges out of it on the tidal Thames and some of the pillars still survive.

 

[Jelly]

Greenheart is probably the best natural choice; IIRC accoya (which is a trade name for timber treated by acetylation; Poplar maybe?) should be highly resistant to decay and significantly less hygroscopic than natural timber...

 

[Oryxdesign]

Good luck machining greenheart! Be careful of the splinters too.

 

[richarnold]

Why not try accoya. It comes with a 50yr unconditional guarantee, and doesn't shrink or expand even when it's soaking wet

 

[Jacob]

Why not try accoya. It comes with a 50yr unconditional guarantee, and doesn't shrink or expand even when it's soaking wet

Because I like real wood!
Looks like it'll have to be greenheart, purpleheart or one or two other options.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[richarnold]

Why not try accoya. It comes with a 50yr unconditional guarantee, and doesn't shrink or expand even when it's soaking wet

Because I like real wood!
Looks like it'll have to be greenheart, purpleheart or one or two other options.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Strange, last time i looked accoya is a real wood!!!!

 

[Jelly]

Good luck machining greenheart! Be careful of the splinters too.

At the risk of sounding flippant:- there's no luck to it if you use appropriate tool geometries; though unless you really love sharpening, carbide tipped tooling probably wouldn't go amiss either.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Good luck machining greenheart! Be careful of the splinters too.

At the risk of sounding flippant:- there's no luck to it if you use appropriate tool geometries; though unless you really love sharpening, carbide tipped tooling probably wouldn't go amiss either.

I suspect you haven't machined much Greenheart but if you have and have found suitable geometry that ensures the blade doesnt' dull I'm sure Jacob will be all ears

 

[Richard T]

Elm, famously, does not rot in water. Could be cheaper.

 

[Jacob]

Why not try accoya. It comes with a 50yr unconditional guarantee, and doesn't shrink or expand even when it's soaking wet

Because I like real wood!
Looks like it'll have to be greenheart, purpleheart or one or two other options.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Strange, last time i looked accoya is a real wood!!!!

Ooh yes! I thought it was some sort of mdf but I now see it is real wood (ish) but treated. I'll check it out.

 

[marcros]

Elm, famously, does not rot in water. Could be cheaper.

I may be wrong but is the problem with elm the junction between air and water- where it is submerged it wont rot but where it is getting regularly wet and dry it may do. I may be thinking of something else though.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Elm, famously, does not rot in water. Could be cheaper.

I may be wrong but is the problem with elm the junction between air and water- where it is submerged it wont rot but where it is getting regularly wet and dry it may do. I may be thinking of something else though.

Where people get it wrong is that they read of underground drains and parts of watermills etc. that have survived centuries, but forget that these were perpetually wet. Several woods that last quite well IN water won't survive a cycle of soaking and drying out.
Phil.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Most of the first (after the romans 13th and after, century ) wooden water pipes were made of Elm,
All the old London water companies that appeared between the 16th and 18th century used bored elm pipes for distributing water.