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re: wooden canopy
"James Purchase" <jpurch at interlog_com> sez:
> As for using Basswood in your project, that would depend upon how big its
> going to be. Basswood is the lightest, softest and weakest of the native
> American hardwoods. It is widely used for packing cases which will hold
> food, and in beekeeping supplies and is often used for drafting tables. Kiln
> dried Pine would be a stronger choice and is still very easy to work with.
> Hardwoods such as Oak are a lot more trouble to work and I don't think I'd
> recommend using Oak for a "first effort". Maple is strong and more difficult
> to work than Pine as well. If you are close to a Home Depot you should be
> able to see samples of all of them and pick what you like best.
Perhaps because of its low density, bassword is dimensionally stable.
It is also probably less likely to split when you nail it than most
hardwoods or yellow pine. If I had access to basswood or clear
kiln-dried white pine, I would use either of these. Because I'm a
cheapskate, and I have a thickness planer and a jointer, I also might
pick through the rough cedar fence pickets and buy the clear ones and
plane my own 1/2" or 3/8" boards. I've done this before for making seed
flats and it worked really well.
Best regards,
Bob