Nov
7
It has been a little over 10 years since I built a layout [HO Gauge]. On that layout, I used Poplar for all of the legs and L-Girders. I liked Poplar, and found it to be very easy to work with. Generally, it is a clean wood with no knots and blemishes, lightweight, and strong.
Now that I am getting geared up for my O Scale layout, I decided to take a trip to Lowes to check out the current lumber situation. I was happy to find that Poplar still is available in a bunch of different sizes and lengths… but I was also a little surprised at the price. Back 10 years ago, Poplar wasn’t that much more than Select Pine. Now Poplar appears to be almost double the cost of Select Pine.
I’m not positive which way I’m going to go. Given today’s economic environment, cost is an issue. However, I want to build a layout that will last for years. I’m unsure whether the pine will eventually warp or twist. The layout will be going into a climate controlled room with central heat and A/C… but, I have seen pine do some weird things over time. However, I really have not worked with Select Pine all that much, so I may have some reservations based upon cheaper grades of pine.
In the next two weeks, I’m going to have to make a decision…
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