Aspen?

[wyatt]

Hey All,
Was just checking out what wood is available locally, and I was wondering if anyone has any experience or thoughts as to using Aspen for the decking.

[apauly1954]

Hey wyatt,
I've never heard of Aspen wood. I thought it was a ski town! I guess if a wood is reasonably lightweight & strong you can use just about anything! Chad might have some views on it for ya.
Pauly

[TimelessSurf]

I was thinking the same thing Pauly! "That John Denver is full of sh*t" lol
Moving on I have never worked with aspen, but as long as it it as strong or stronger than cedar and lighter than oak, you should be fine. If it is incredibly oily you may have issues when glassing? Other than that, go for it!

[apauly1954]

Hiya wyatt, Chad,
I have heard that if wood is oily it can be washed out a bit with acetone prior to glassing.
NOT that I'm advocating using acetone! Altho I do occasionally when glassing. Wear a mask/respirator, wear gloves (don't wash your hands in it like I used to) again, wear a mask & again, wear a mask! I think I'm having a Rocky Mountain High wooohoooo! Aspen? who knew? lol
Pauly

[wyatt]

Thanks guys,
Yea, Aspen is very light, both in color and in weight, and it is certainly not oily...as far as the density, its on par with cedar, and is supposed to be stronger than pine...not sure if I am going to use it because of the lack of defined grain, but it may be a good wood to contrast the cedar. I will do some research on it as to its movement in use, and strength to density rating and post it here.

[apauly1954]

Hi again wyatt,
Could you post a pic of some Aspen timber? I'd really like to see what it looks like!
Pauly

[wyatt]

Here is a link to a site which has a pic and some details www.cabinetmakerfdm.com/Aspen.html

Sounds like its not a good wood to use for boards....it is prone to decay from moisture. I am having a hard time finding clear cedar, even from my wood suppliers, which is a bit strange. Maybe if I was in the west, it would be more available, so I am searching for an alternative. Pine of course, is easy to find, but I would like to steer away from that if possible, thinking about Basswood atm, but who knows....maybe I will just go for pine on the first one.