Magnolia as an outdoor bench?.

[Mreagleeyes]

Greetings all. A newbie here hoping to get some advice from you guys.
I was recently fortunate enough to acquire a rather large piece of Magnolia from the grounds of Inner Temple in London and was wondering if it's use as an outdoor bench is viable?. I am thinking of placing the piece on a steel foot structure that will raise it from the ground.

The tree before we cut it down.

Squaring up.

What I have ended up with.

Initial drawing.

Steel base design.

Model.

Final design.

Thanks for looking. The timber seems to settling well and I'll plane the edges using my Festool HL-850 and use an Arbortech Industrial Woodcarver to take out the heart of the piece.
Any advice would be very welcome.

 

[big soft moose]

something seems to have gone pearshaped with your image upload.

 

[Mreagleeyes]

Looks that way. I've used Flickr to get the pictures up but that dose naot seem to work. Will have a look at getting it fixed.

 

[Tom K]

Yeah you should be getting a report to moderater warning until your third post :lol:

 

[Mreagleeyes]

Two!

 

[Mreagleeyes]

Three!

 

[big soft moose]

Looks that way. I've used Flickr to get the pictures up but that dose naot seem to work. Will have a look at getting it fixed.

when you are inserting images in the "post a reply box you ought to have your img and /img tags in square brackets [] with the img address in the middle - theres a how to thread around somewhere i'll see if i can find it for you.

edit : yur tis https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=29582 see the fourth post down (by johnbs) for a how to using flickr

 

[Mreagleeyes]

I found that advice page. I'll give it another go. Thanks.

 

[Mreagleeyes]

Thanks 'big soft moose', got there in the end.

 

[big soft moose]

yay - sorted

thats a nice chunck of wood - i cant see any reason why you cant do what you are intending so long as you are aware that it will split as it dries

incidentally what happened to the other bits of tree - i can think of a few people who would like to get hold of some of that for turning and the like.

 

[Ironballs]

I have no idea about magnolia as a timber, but treating it as a piece of recently felled timber, you will need to let it dry. Whether magnolia can be used as a green timber or not I don't know, but to leave a piece such as yours effectively solid it may take decades to dry fully, but then could become wetted again if an outdoor bench.

Until you know the answers as to how your timber is likely (emphasis on the likely) to behave I don't think you can move to construction.

On the assumption it will behave like oak (and I bet it won't) I would say that you should expect a number of cracks and splits and that your thinner edges may be too thin for outdoor furniture, ie they'll break. Do you know if magnolia is durable as a constructional timber.

I think your design looks great, but you need to be working with the right medium. Someone like Mike Garnham may be of use to you here

 

[Mreagleeyes]

The rest of the timber unfortunately was sent through the Chipper, I know, it's criminal but the guys just get on site and get the job done. I do a days work with them for any nice big trees that they fell and I get the large pieces.

I have no idea about Magnolias durability as a constructional timber was hoping someone on here might know. I have a feeling that the design may have to be changed slightly, maybe not have the hole in the middle and just curve the sides in slightly. The timber has been left outdoors and is indeed cracking slightly but once it has got wet again it closes up.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Magnolia is classified as non-durable meaning it is not really suitable for exterior use without additional preservative treatment.

However your design is pretty chunky so it should last several years before it rots away to the point where perhaps it will need disposing of. As it is a wood that rots fast used externally, it may start to show signs of mould attack fairly quickly, eg, within six months or a year. Slainte.

 

[Mreagleeyes]

Many thanks Richard. I had a feeling that may be the case. Will have a look at wood preservation but not holding up much hope on that one.

 

[wizer]

You could always let me come and take it off your hands and wait for a nice piece of oak to turn up. :lol:

In fact if you do get some nice pieces like this often then can I ask that you keep me/us in mind. I'm sure we can have stuff picked up from you pretty quickly if it's interesting. Walnut is high on my desirability list.

 

[head clansman]

hi

what a beautiful tree, why was it cut down in the first place, sheer waste , that seat could be made from something else and placed under the tree in the shade .hc

 

[big soft moose]

You could always let me come and take it off your hands and wait for a nice piece of oak to turn up. :lol:

In fact if you do get some nice pieces like this often then can I ask that you keep me/us in mind. I'm sure we can have stuff picked up from you pretty quickly if it's interesting. Walnut is high on my desirability list.

oi - i saw it first :lol:

and think of your back

 

[wizer]

yebbut i'm nearer

 

[big soft moose]

yebbut i'm nearer

yerbut you've got a bad back and a smart car

I'm tall and muscular and have a pick up truck

 

[jimi43]

I used to go and sit in that park for lunch when I worked in Holborn....

I too would like to know why - if it wasn't diseased - was it felled....shame?

When I first read the title I thought you wanted painting advice....magnolia is out this year mate!!!!

Jim