Scroll work for porch

[Steve Hayes]

I am going to be doing some scroll work for our porch I have rebuilt. They are 12" long and 8" high about 1/2 inch thick. They will be painted but I can't decide what wood to use to stand up to the Texas heat. Pine is soft and easy to cut but I am concerned about warping. Any ideas?

[Ned Bulken]

what about poplar, since it will be painted?

[John Brennaman]

Soft maple is another good option since you will be painting it.

[Ben Grunow]

I would use azek (PVC) for a porch especially if it is wide and only 1/2" thick. Never cracks and easy to use. Just MHO.

[Steve Hayes]

Where is it available and how do you think it will do on the sroll saw?

Thanks!!

[skip coyne]

I had never heard off it either so I googled it

neat stuff

http://www.azek.com/

[Ben Grunow]

Sorry Steve, have not logged on in while. Azek is a manufacturer of extruded PVC boards and sheet products (1x and 5/4 and 1/2, 3/4, 1" sheets up to 4' x 20') and the stuff is great. Here in CT we use it for lots of things because it will never rot and paints well with new acrylics. I just made 11 craftsman style tapered columns over flat panel bases for a front porch on a job. I also used it for the corner boards, water tables and window/door trim on my house. THe glue bonds the boards by actually melting the product together (like vulcanized rubber of pvc pipes when glued). If you glue two pieces and pull them apart before cured they have strings of the melted plastic stretching between them (like mozzarella on pizza) and when the glue cures the joint is stronger than the piece (even miters). I get it at the lumber yard and I can even get mouldings in PVC.

It works well with routers, saws and sanders etc. but it tends to melt onto the jigsaw blade (never used a scroll on it) if you use too fine a blade so less teeth/inch will probably be better-shouldn't be a problem. It doesn't actually need paint (it is white like pvc pipe) if you can figure a way to install it without big nail holes. There is a new 2 part filler that sands out pretty well but still leaves a shadow of the fastener hole. I have used screws with plugs with some success. Good luck.