Information on Wood Projects Made Out of Two-by-fours
Many things can be built from two-by-fours, including picnic tables, saw horses, work tables and bed frames. This stocky sized wood has its own special designs and demands.
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Actual Size
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A standard-sized two-by-four is no longer milled at the actual dimensions of two inches by four inches. Instead the lumber industry mills a two-by-four at 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. These dimensions should be used when designing any woodworking project that uses two-by-fours.
Type of Wood
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Two-by-fours are milled from many different types of trees. Some of the more common sources are Douglas fir, southern longleaf pine (also called yellow pine), spruce, cypress and redwood. Each type of wood has its own benefits and drawbacks.
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Wood Properties
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As a general rule of thumb, spruce wood is durable and inexpensive but has a tendency to turn dark. Douglas fir has the best tensile strength, few knots and a natural red tint to the grain that readily takes a stain. However, it costs more. Yellow pine is inexpensive, knotty and warps easily but works well as a pressure-treated wood. Both redwood and cypress are resistant to water decay but cost more and have mediocre tensile strength.
Considerations
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Always check out the overall quality of each piece of two-by-four for straightness, loose knots, chipped edges and bowing. If possible, this should be done at the time of purchase.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Goat on picnic table image by Allen Stoner from Fotolia.com
