Douglas Fir for a stand or Pine

[banzai75x]

Anyone ever use Doug Fir to build a stand? Or would you recommend Pine?

[Triterium]

I just used doug fir....but isn't that pine??

[ReeferAl]

Never used it for a stand. Personally, I find fir easier to work with, straighter, fewer knots. Strength and anti-rot properties I believe are about the same. Either would require good paint/sealer.

[banzai75x]

i dont know. is it the same?

[Lt Hudson USMC]

Douglas Fir and Pine are both Deciduous(have needles), Douglas Fir has more character(striations from growth rings) than regular pine and is a little harder than pine boards as well as having fewer knots. Doug Fir is also more expensive than pine.

[Lt Hudson USMC]

Douglas Fir is a Pine tree :)

[banzai75x]

OK. That makes sense. What about Poplar? Ever make a stand out of poplar?

[ryan72]

I've used poplar for a canopy before. It worked pretty well. More expensive though.

By the way, Firs and Pines are Coniferous trees. Deciduous trees lose their leaves annually like oaks, maples, and birches.

[jbmoz]

I just built a stand....Get the best wood that you can afford. If you don't your stand will look like it was done by an amateur

[sabalough]

also "soft woods " = pines (conifers)
"hard wood" = deciduous
this has nothing to do with density
balsa is actualy a hard wood.
yellow pine (a soft wood) is harder then most maples.

[banzai75x]

I am an amateur!

[Lt Hudson USMC]

Poplar is good, it can be stained to match most hardwoods.

[Lt Hudson USMC]

My father in law is a cabinet maker, he matched Poplar so well to Cherry, you can't tell the difference.

[Lt Hudson USMC]

Dang, I did write deciduois... oops, my bad

[kgross]

Lt Hudson,

Doug Fir is not a pine, they are 2 different types of trees, they are both conifers and are both pretty soft woods but douglas fir, is not a pine tree, pine trees have long needles, while fir trees have much shorter needles.

Kim

(Grew up in the Northwest in a logging family).

[Lt Hudson USMC]

I just read that the difference between the two are the needle groupings.
Both are confers but pines have needles in groups of 2 to 6 and firs have single needles.

[john rochon]

are we talking about the stand itself or the cabinetry? what is the best stand wood for strength. I'm building a 500g and will use 4x4 posts and 2x6 boards. I don't like pine for cabinetry as it is soft and marks to easy. Oak and Maple are nice. especially flame maple.