KNOW YOUR WOOD
Well, you don't have to, but its important to know that we do. Below is a brief description of different wood options and the benefits of each.
Reclaimed Scaffold Board
This is a softwood, its been designed and produced for the construction industry and is therefore all strength tested. Its been seasoned through its use and is then sold on often to people like me to clean up and make furniture from. In the present climate seasoned scaffold board is very hard to get hold of. This has resulted in many furniture makers using new boards or downgrades (these are rejected scaffold boards as they failed testing) both of which are problematic. Mainly because both of these are new wood , which is referred to as green wood. Its still full of moisture and hasn't dried out. This means its likely to cup and warp once its in a centrally heated environment.
The popularity of reclaimed scaffold board means that scaffolders often sell on their boards early and replace with new making a profit in the process. Its hard to tell how old the wood is and therefore how green it is, and instead of using waste (As was the case when I started in 2017) we are actually creating more demand for boards.
Kiln Dried Solid Wood
This is now my personal preferred option. I have started to use kiln dried furniture graded solid wood which is more stable, more hardwaring and much kinder to tools. When buying new I can control the source of the wood ensuring that it is sustainably farmed, and from an ethical and close region. Scaffold boards can be from all over the world and there is no guarantee on the logging ethics behind it.
Conclusion
I don't know which wood is best. Reusing and recycling is as close to my heart as woodworking but are we actually creating more waste? This is why I leave it to you to decide. I am and continue to be passionate about the environment and our impact on this planet, and until I have decided how this is best achieved I will be offering both the option of using kiln dried solid wood, and scaffold boards.