Gen- Ben spars. Is pine ok?

[Roostew]

Hi folks, I've started building a Benroy 8'x5' in last couple of weeks, and wasn't able to purchase poplar locally. I'm pretty sure poplar is a softwood, so I just bought some 19mmx42mm or 3/4"x1 1/2" pine. Will that do, or should I be using a hardwood or something? I'm taking plenty of pics and will start a build thread as soon as I work out how to upload photo's. Thanks Jim.

[mikeschn]

Yes pine is fine! Pine is light and strong. Just avoid the big knots.

Mike...

[boomboomtulum]

Poplar is a hardwood and is good for things like hinge supports, cabinet framing etc. it would be overkill to use it for all spars just adding weight to the project when not nessary. I used 2 pieces joined to make 1.5" as a backing for the hurricane hinge and pine 2x's for the rest of the spars.
Dave

[Roostew]

G'day Mike, nice to meet you! Thanks for creating this awesome site and the generic plans. The wealth of info here is unreal, and I have already started planning a design of my own, with a few original ideas , but mostly inspired by all the talented home builders here. You can really let your imagination go wild with these things (I'm like that with everything!) so who knows what I'll come up with. Thanks for the spar info, not that I am at that stage of the build, I have to think ahead 'cos if I don't have it here when I need it, it's a week away, and I wanna "GIT'R DONE"! Build journal coming, soon as I work out this photo upload buisiness. Are you tube video's ok with you guys? Easier for me if it is, as one touch upload on my camera, but will work it out if need be....... So far, 8x5 chassis built with eye to eye springs in place (thanks PaulC), floor built and walls cut out and sanded. Only change so far, is I have used Andrews doors from his Generic for two profile.Thanks again, Jim.

[Corwin C]

Pine is definitely OK as long as it is relatively straight grained and knot free. I wouldn't use it to attach the hatch hinge however, pine doesn't hold screws as well as hardwood.

[sleepcookiemonster]

Hi fellow Aussie , I would not use pine ,i would use tassie oak or maple

[Roostew]

G'day Boom boom, we've bumped into each other here before, I would never have guessed poplar is a hardwood. Well....I tried and I was wr.....wr.....wr........oh, uno. I've only seen it used for match sticks here. Oh, hi Corwin C, I just looked down while typing and there you were. Help coming out of the woodwork! Well, the pine I have should be fine as it's straight grained and have enough knot free sections to get the lengths required. Waiting on an axle at the moment before I start the dry fit, and I'll get some hardwood sent up with that. Anyway, say to much more and I won't need a build journal will I? Stay tuned.......on the other channel. Thanks again fella's. Jim.

[boomboomtulum]

Not trying to get off track but since you were wondering.
Woods are not based on their hardness in determining if they are hardwood or not, rather in how the wood pores and fibers are arranged. An easy way to remember the basics is if the tree loses its leaves annually it is generally a Hardwood tree or deciduous broadleaved. Balsa and Basswood are concidered a hardwood not because of their hardness or denisity but because the way its pores and fibers are arranged in the tree and it is deciduous.
Conifer trees like Pines, Fir, Redwoods, most Cedars and Cypress etc do not lose their leaves but replace them throughout the year, so it is always evergreen and come under the softwood catagory.

Dave

[Roostew]

Thanks for that Bomboom, I was suprised poplar wasn't a softwood, but I'm blown away that balsa is a hardwood! Excellent bit of info. Most of my woodwork to date has been a welded frame with ply or MDF screwed to it, such as this computer table I just spilled bourbon on (the budgie's fault) so there is much to learn, which is allways fun. Cheers, Jim.

[bobhenry]

I ripped all my 2x2 spars from southern yellow pine. Most 2x8 2x10 and 2x12 here ( North of the mason Dixon line) are SYP while our 2x4 and 2x6 lumber are spruce pine fir mostly out of canada.

The Sothern yellow pine is stronger and more dense than the spf lumber with almost 50% more strength in bending. It will also hold screws better due to the density of the wood fiber.

[Gage]

I recommend 1"x2' Poplar and lay them flat. Plenty strong and works for me. I also do double wall sandwich construction But then again, what do I know?

[Roostew]

Hi BobH and Gage, thanks for the input. I am not sure if those timbers would be readily available in Oz, and I would prefer to use something allways kept in stock by local merchant so I can pick the lengths myself, as needed. I plan on building a few of these vans, so want to use materials easily sourced. BoomBoom, I went to sleep last night thinking about deciduous trees, and this morning I woke up leaning towards the sunlight! No, not really, but I think we only have one native deciduous tree in australia, that being the Tasmanian myrtle. Mosly eucalypt and acacia trees here which are evergreens, so not sure about that theory over here. The hardest wood I have found here is an evergreen called Ironbark. I can't get a nail in the stuff without pre-drilling, and we even used animal fat as lubricant for drilling or it blunts your drill bits after only a little work. If it was any tougher, it'd rust! Won't be using that stuff though, or the top half would weigh more than the bottom half! Cheers, Jim.

[boomboomtulum]

Remember that is the basics. Iron Bark is a eucalyptus and is very hard I even have a small piece. Not to be confused with Ironwood. We have a varieity of Eucalyptus here that is used for its bug resistence.

[Gage]

Jim, you need to contact PaulC, a fellow countryman. He's built a couple of teardrops and most likely could lead you in a good direction as what's best to use in your part of the world. Sorry, I didn't even notice that you were in Oz.

[Roostew]

Hi Gage, yes mate, PaulC is "the man" and I have spoken with Paul a couple of times. In fact, I rang him Thursday evening to pick his brains, again, but he was on his way to a teardrop gathering! Paul has been very helpfull, and his advice has already saved me from welding my springs too far forward. I had them tacked on so the axle was centred @ 36" from the rear on the 8x5 frame, and luckily checked with him just before I welded them on, and he said I should move them to 33". That saved me a couple of hours cutting them off, tidying up, and doing it twice, or, having to go on holidays with a tongue box full of rocks! Gotta love that. Cheers Jim.