Thread: How not to make a ladder

What ^ he said.

This ladder has come up really well. Great job.

Thanks Checked out the red coat today and all seems like it's going well although it's sitting up a bit which I suspected it would considering the qualities of wood I used but I think a sealer will help bind it and make it a deeper red before cutting and polishing.

I'd suggest a more spongy wood would be the go with this dye but I think there's potential with harder woods, perhaps steaming or warm soaking before application? Anyway at the moment during a Melbourne winter all I could do to help the dye penetration was to dampen the wood with hot water and warm the dye in a double boiler arrangement that the better half wasn't too pleased about

Both the other impractical ladders I've made have had a surface applied to them. The last adder was made during the Iraq conflict. A heavy mix of bitumen, oil and turps was rubbed into the wood, darkening it but still letting it show its grain through and a section of oil stained American flag was oil painted across the top fifth of the ladder.