Thread: Any suggestions for the type of Australian timber I should use for this Porch Glider?

I would say any hardwood decking material would be suitable. Spotted gum is one Australian hardwood that comes to mind. Though not Australian, Merbau could be an good alternative to teak. Another one of my favorite is Cypress pine, durable and easy to work with.

Yes!

Spotted Gum is my current favourite!

Many thanks.

I think spotty would be good too.
Now to the plan. Being a belt and braces man I have concerns about biscuits in an outdoor setting that will be subjected to a fair amount of stress.
Regards
John

Havn't looked that far.
Won't be using biscuits.

Thanks to all.

My guess is that would be very heavy in aussie hardwood. I think even teak as per the original would be heavy, if you could afford it. The dimensions look like the sort of thing they would make out of oregon or similar in north America.

The designer is suggesting teak, with alternatives like mahogony and oak, specifically because they want weight for stability as about half the structure and all of the usable load can be mobile. I certainly would not be trying to make a lighter structure overall unless you are sure that you want to bolt the unit down to the deck it is mounted on. Modern plantation grown oregons are not particularly great when exposed to the outdoors, although recycled older natural growth material may be viable if you can obtain enough in suitable sizes.