I'm new to wood working and I want to build my wife a bathtub tray that can hold a laptop (for Hulu watching) and a glass. It doesn't need to hold anything else really. But I don't know what type of wood to use for this. What wood would be good?!
Tell me more
×
Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for
contractors and serious DIYers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
|
|
I would suggest using a hardwood like "teak" as it is commonly used in environments where it is exposed to water such as on boats and for outdoor furniture. |
|||||
|
|
I would suggest a wood that dries and doesn't mold easily. Something like a bamboo or cedar should work well. Also, don't bother polyurethane'ing it, because the coating will just start to peel off with the humidity in the tub. |
|||
|
|
|
Teak, finished with tung oil, is beautiful and very humidity-resistant. It is, however, insanely hard to work with. Same for mahogany. Another option would be any tight-grain, dimensionally stable hardwood, like cherry or birch, and finish with a marine-grade urethane spar varnish. This is a bit more work than normal wood finishing, but the results are beautiful and very humidity/water resistant. The varnish is available from boat supply stores, and the keyword to google the technique to apply it is "brightwork" - the art of finishing woodwork for marine applications. |
|||
|
|
|
I built one out of a knotty laminated pine panel, which looks good, was quite cheap, and doesn't warp easily. Coated it with wax, and water hasn't been a problem for it. Details and pics here: http://www.hodgebodge.com/?p=117 |
|||
|
|
