Flying on the Cheap - Wood

pbc76049 (removethis) wrote:
There is another spec for Spruce and Doug Fir that is a bit easier to find
than "Spar Stock".
History lesson follows.... One of the biggest markets for dead straight
tight grain wood was for
the construction of fire department ladders, especially aerial ladders. The
ladder makers
created a standard for wood used in ladders. "Ladder Grade" spruce is a
commercial spec that is
indistinguishable from AC43 and in many cases tighter.. If you call around
and find the folks who sell it, you can save
hours of dumpster diving to find good stuff at box stores. It is reasonably
priced compared
to "airplans stuff" with only a moderate premium over regular wood prices.
Scott


If one is going to build anything of wood one needs to learn a great
deal about wood, at least in comparison to what most vendors know.
Dealing directly with mills is always advantageous, especially if you
are not in immediate need of the wood and can buy early and age it
yourself, at least partially. If you are contemplating building a
woodster, car, boat or plane, buy wood now and put it away. You can
always resell at no loss if you buy right.