Light weight wood

idcook · Post by **idcook** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 12:16 am

Hey ya’ll

I followed a link recently posted here and liked a folding wall bench designed by Shopsmith.

Besides building one for myself I’d like to build something for a 3-5 year old child of a coworker. I’d like her’s to be something she can carry easily. If not immediately within a year or so. (Something for her to grow toward)

I’d like to know what’s the lightest weight wood that would still be strong enough to serve as a portable desk without falling apart.

I’d considered balsa, but that seemed too light weight for the purpose.

Suggestions?

skou · Post by **skou** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 6:23 am

Basswood.

It is what most hand carvers use, from what I've been told.

On the other hand, if you would laminate balsa, it would be both strong and light enough. The cabin floors of the aircraft I was working on, (Douglas MD-11) were aluminum laminated end-grain balsa, about 1/2 inch thick.

steve

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 9:25 am

This link will tell you about the different species of wood properties and a pic of them, just click on the species. Yes basswood is light and beech too.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 10:28 am

rbursek wrote:This link will tell you about the different species of wood properties and a pic of them, just click on the species. Yes basswood is light and beech too.

What link?:D

idcook · Post by **idcook** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 9:24 pm

skou wrote:Basswood.

It is what most hand carvers use, from what I've been told.

On the other hand, if you would laminate balsa, it would be both strong and light enough. The cabin floors of the aircraft I was working on, (Douglas MD-11) were aluminum laminated end-grain balsa, about 1/2 inch thick.

steve

1/2" aluminum laminated end-grain balsa.

Sounds tricky. Will I have to look for a WWII USAF boneyard to find this?

idcook · Post by **idcook** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 9:24 pm

rbursek wrote:This link will tell you about the different species of wood properties and a pic of them, just click on the species. Yes basswood is light and beech too.

Yeaaaah! What link?

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:09 am

NAG, NAG NAG, YO MOMA NAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO I FORGOT TO HIT THE PASTE BUTTON!!!!
YOU THINK YOUR DAY WAS BAD, WATCH THIS!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxwot4sGTrM

NOW TO THE WOOD LINK!!!!!
http://www.woodfinder.com/woods/woodindex.php
YOU ALL HAPPY NOW?????

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:16 am

NAG, NAG NAG, YO MOMA NAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO I FORGOT TO HIT THE PASTE BUTTON!!!!
YOU THINK YOUR DAY WAS BAD, WATCH THIS!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxwot4sGTrM

NOW TO THE WOOD LINK!!!!!
http://www.woodfinder.com/woods/woodindex.php
YUZ ALL HAPPY NOW?????

forrestb · Post by **forrestb** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:46 am

Don't overlook alder. It is strong and fairly light weight.

Forrest

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:59 am

Kiln dried clear white pine is fairly light. If you build it without over engineering it to able to hold a 500 lb motor, you can build a nice workbench/desk for the child that they should be able to move around fairly easy. My daughters managed using and moving white pine tea tables very nicely.

My guess is no matter what wood you use you will tend to oversize it adding extra weight to what is really needed. And you will over engineer it to hold up to a 300 pound weight lifters use instead of a child's.

Shopsmith Forums

Light weight wood

Light weight wood

finally, a good link!