Thread: Getting thin very strong flexible wood like the old Ladders?

My old extension ladder was made of oregon for the risers and spotted gum for the rungs

Yep, Spotty is the go. Used extensively for pick/mattock/shovel /axe handles because of it's strength and spring.

In days gone by before aluminium was used, yacht masts were made of oregon due to their light weight, flexibility, and strength.

Keith

Hi all, Can someone confirm this side of the ladder is Oregon? The hardness of Oregon is way below spotted gum, but does that mean its strength is too? This piece is pretty strong & flexible. I think it would hold up better over hard stiff wood.

Sure looks like it.

Well it does look like oregon. If it smells like it and tastes like it then it could well be it.

Originally Posted by Tegmark

The hardness of Oregon is way below spotted gum, but does that mean its strength is too? This piece is pretty strong & flexible. I think it would hold up better over hard stiff wood.

Generally, yes, but timbers all have their own characteristics. Balsa is pretty strong for certain applications, but I wouldn't be making steps out of it, nor would I make ladder steps out of Oregon (aka Douglas Fir) unless it was at least 30-35mm thick. NO WAY would I use it at the normal step thickness of 18-20mm.

It, ahem, also depends on the usual load it might get....

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Generally, yes, but timbers all have their own characteristics. Balsa is pretty strong for certain applications, but I wouldn't be making steps out of it, nor would I make ladder steps out of Oregon (aka Douglas Fir) unless it was at least 30-35mm thick. NO WAY would I use it at the normal step thickness of 18-20mm.It, ahem, also depends on the usual load it might get....

Thanks. I was hoping to use a length of possible Oregon that acts as an upright pole for a camp shower that holds 20-30kgs & connects in a stand/base. So far this piece does pretty well with 20kgs no issues.

old growth oregon, or sitka spruce?

Originally Posted by iolithblue

old growth oregon, or sitka spruce?

Not sure exactly what you mean? Just looks like Oregon,thats all I can tell.

Trying to find spotted gum beams, does anyone know how heavy spotted Is compared to Oregon? To me Oregon here seems close to cheap pine in weight or even liter. Tas oak is my idea of way too heavy.

Hi,
Spotted gum is roughly twice the weight of oregan, about 1000kg/m3 to 500kg/m3. For comparrison jarrah is about 800kg/m3. Can't tell you what tassie oak is from memory. These weights are for dried timber.

I always felt the old L T Kennett ladders made out of oregon/spruce/hemlock/cedar, whatever they got their Nth American wood stock from, felt so much more stable than the thinner sectioned spotty gum ladders I have used. I've still got a couple of LTK's but ditched the spotty gum one long ago. The screws in the spotty ones all used to rust and loosen, the ones in the softwood are still tight and good condition.

I reckon the two ladders I have are made of different species, one is much deeper red with more pronounced orgeon like grain, while the other is lighter almost like yellow cedar.

For strength, wood for ladders is rived. Do not make rungs out of non-rived wood.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi to you all,
25 yrs ago I worked, should say I was employed by the State Electricity Comm. of Vic. That's what the public wood tell us, SEC, Safe Easy & Comfortable.
The Ladders we used, I'm sure were Oregan.
We used 9ft. 26ft. & 35 footers.
Could carry & raise a 26 to a Pole with ease, but the 35's you needed 2 people.
The uprights on 35's were slightly bigger than on the 26 foot Ladders.
All Painted Grey with Black & Yellow Bands up to the 1st 6 foot.
1 other reason I say they were Oregan, was if you got a Splinter from a Ladder, the pain wood tell you it was Oregan.

Towards the end of my time, Aluminium Ladders were the thing, but nobody liked them.
There was another one made of Light Steel covered with Plastic used on surf boards. Can't find the word ???