Thanks: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 23
-
6th May 2015, 07:31 PM #1Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2013
- Location
- melb
- Posts
- 187
Getting thin very strong flexible wood like the old Ladders?
I'm looking for length of hardwood ~5cmx4 that is very strong, compact & reasonable lite, very similar to the telecom style ladders. That wood would be good if I could find it. But these Ladder lengths probably are weaker by the holes for the steps.
Thanks.
-
6th May 2015 07:31 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
6th May 2015, 07:40 PM #2GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2003
- Location
- Newcastle
- Age
- 69
- Posts
- 1,073
My old extension ladder was made of oregon for the risers and spotted gum for the rungs
-
6th May 2015, 07:48 PM #3
Yep, Spotty is the go. Used extensively for pick/mattock/shovel /axe handles because of it's strength and spring.
-
9th May 2015, 09:56 PM #4SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jul 2004
- Location
- Adelaide
- Age
- 76
- Posts
- 768
In days gone by before aluminium was used, yacht masts were made of oregon due to their light weight, flexibility, and strength.
Keith
-
13th May 2015, 07:16 PM #5Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2013
- Location
- melb
- Posts
- 187
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.
-
13th May 2015, 07:19 PM #6
Sure looks like it.
-
13th May 2015, 07:21 PM #7GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jan 2013
- Location
- Tasmaniac
- Posts
- 1,470
Well it does look like oregon. If it smells like it and tastes like it then it could well be it.
-
13th May 2015, 07:23 PM #8
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....
-
13th May 2015, 07:27 PM #9Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2013
- Location
- melb
- Posts
- 187
-
13th May 2015, 09:09 PM #10Intermediate Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2014
- Location
- dubbo
- Posts
- 45
old growth oregon, or sitka spruce?
-
14th May 2015, 06:08 PM #11Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2013
- Location
- melb
- Posts
- 187
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.
-
14th May 2015, 07:08 PM #12
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.
-
15th May 2015, 01:28 AM #13
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.
-
15th May 2015, 04:55 PM #14
For strength, wood for ladders is rived. Do not make rungs out of non-rived wood.
Regards from Perth
DerekVisit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.
-
15th May 2015, 08:05 PM #15
The Ladders.
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 ???Regards,
issatree.
Have Lathe, Wood Travel.
Similar Threads
-
recycled veneer/flexible wood: light work: help
By GeorgeForbes in forum WOODWORK - GENERALReplies: 0Last Post: 31st May 2010, 04:18 AM -
Thin Wood
By wombatie in forum SCROLLERS FORUMReplies: 0Last Post: 19th March 2010, 08:07 PM -
suppliers of thin wood
By RipCat in forum SCROLLERS FORUMReplies: 18Last Post: 2nd April 2008, 07:42 PM -
Seriously thin wood shavings
By derekcohen in forum WOODWORK - GENERALReplies: 15Last Post: 25th March 2005, 10:51 PM