Outdoor rocking chair.

[sawinredneck]

Mainly for Jay, but I welcome all input!
I've had a slat rocking chair for years, it was a kit that one of the neighbors gave me when he moved out and hadn't put together/lost the hardware. It suited the purpose, but years of weather and being screwed back together have taken it's toll! I picked up a nice round back at a yard sale, but it's Pine and it's already showing bad signs of failure just from this first winter, it's not going to live long!
So, for something that is going to be mistreated, exposed to sub zero temps to 110 plus temps, what would be the best wood to use? Teak, Redwood, Cedar?
Anyone know any decent sites with plans for making one?
I've priced the outdoor rockers and they are insane! I've got the tools and time, just need pointed in the right direction.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just commission Jay to build one for you!

 

[sawinredneck]

We talked about that, shipping would be insane!

 

[PCTREE]

Im no wood worker but I have 2 anarondaks that are cedar and have been outside in the woods for 10 years and are still doing fine....

 

[woodworkingboy]

Unfortunately, it is pretty out of sight expensive to ship something as large as a chair.

Andy, As Paul suggested, Cedar is a good choice for outdoor woodwork, and you can help it too with an exterior wood preservative slapped on every couple years that soaks into the wood. It's also light as a plus, which also means it is not the strongest wood, so screws into end grain especially, could well loosen up with use, particularly a rocker. You might consider glueing with epoxy plus whatever wood fasteners you plan to use. Painting the wood is another option, chairs like Windsor chairs were originally made for outdoors and were painted, being comfortable and durable, they eventually found their way indoors as well. Covering with a tarp or something when you expect prolonged non use is a good way to go, if you don't mind the bother. Be careful of mold when covering, however. Teak is another good exterior wood due to the resins in it, but it is heavy and will crack when exposed to a lot of hot sun. Teak doesn't glue well, but if you do want to glue it, first wipe down well with acetone to remove the surface oil/resin, and glue up soon after.

 

[pigwot]

How would black locust or cypress hold up?

 

[woodworkingboy]

I know that Locust holds up well as a fencepost wood and boat builders like it, so it might be ok against rot, but I tend to doubt that it has the resiliency of Cedar when going through repeated getting wet and drying out cycles. I've had Locust lumber crack pretty bad when drying. As hard as it is, the straight grain splits surprisingly easy, I think there is minimal adhesion between cells, compared to a lot of other woods. Can be pretty nasty splintery stuff when it goes ornery. Cypress in the form of Japanese Hinoki is what I know, and is a superb interior wood, one of the best as far as softwoods go, lovely shine and aging, but I don't much recall seeing it being used outside, unless painted. It is fairly light and strong, especially the tighter grained material. I think Cedar or Red Cedar is the best bet, very reliable when used for exterior, but again, it is pretty soft.

 

[stig]

My parents had some garden furniture made from old growth Western Redcedar. It had been painted with some ugly brownish surface treatment, but other than that stood untreated in the garden for some 30 years, before the legs were worn to stubs from being slid across the flagstones.
That wood splinters too easy, the legs should have been copperor brass clad on the bottoms.

But.............when they finally threw it out, I kept some of the bigger pieces to turn, and just below the ratty looking surface, the wood was fresh and had that lovely cedar smell when i worked it.