wood advice

[Haynie]

I need advice on a type of wood that can take repeated heating and cooling, not warp, not have to be finished, will not leach oil and looks nice. My mind is kind of blank on this one.

I am making a contact Photography printing frame and it will be under a very hot light repeatedly.

Any ideas for me to start looking for?

 

[plantman]

I need advice on a type of wood that can take repeated heating and cooling, not warp, not have to be finished, will not leach oil and looks nice. My mind is kind of blank on this one.

I am making a contact Photography printing frame and it will be under a very hot light repeatedly.

Any ideas for me to start looking for?

I would suggest Mahogany. It is very tight grained, looks good, and dries without distortion. If you don't want it to leach oils, I would put a spar varnish over it, the kind used on boats. Jim S

 

[Haynie]

Mahogany? That never crossed my mind. Thanks. It should stand the test of time too. What about one of the rose woods?

I could easily make this out of plywood and paint it, since it is a utilitarian piece. But that is not what I want to do. I want something that is nice to look at too, and practice some cabinet making.

 

[KenV]

Marine plywood meets your specs. That can be as fancy as you are willing to pay.

 

[Haynie]

I thought about marine stuff but am concerned about what it is treated with. Call me anal but I don't need gas cooking out of the wood around my negatives. Any idea what it is treated with?

 

[plantman]

Mahogany? That never crossed my mind. Thanks. It should stand the test of time too. What about one of the rose woods?

I could easily make this out of plywood and paint it, since it is a utilitarian piece. But that is not what I want to do. I want something that is nice to look at too, and practice some cabinet making.

:bananen_smilies051:Rosewood would be a good choise also. It's an oily wood that makes it a little more resistant to moisture. It's used a lot for knife handles, but darkens when put in a dishwasher with heat. Very costly because of the bans of some exports from South America. Plywood could be very interesting if you use a router and a moulding cutter to bring out the plys. As Ken says, use marine grade, it has no voids. I have made very interesting pens with plywood. Jim S

 

[robersonjr]

Purple heart will stand up to those requirements.

 

[KenV]

I thought about marine stuff but am concerned about what it is treated with. Call me anal but I don't need gas cooking out of the wood around my negatives. Any idea what it is treated with?

The marine plywood used here in alaska has no treatment other than waterproof glue. Thin plys and no voids does drive the cost up. Made with mahogany veneers, tis priced to be dear, but it is very stable.

 

[Jim Burr]

Teak might be a good choice too.

 

[Fibonacci]

Teak or mesquite

 

[nava1uni]

What about maple? It is a stable wood and won't leach any oil onto any thing in the frame.

 

[Haynie]

Thanks folks. I found some teak that might work, and I have some maple too. I hope I can get my thickness planer back up and running so I can do this. Amazing how one tool down can toss a monkey wrench into everything.