Use for willow?

[Doug Abbott]

I want to make some porch parts that will be painted (railings, etc) and that will have no ground contact out of wood thick enough that I don't have to glue up thicker boards. I can get 8/4 willow that comes in slabs 12" wide and 12" long for a price half of what I can buy anything else for. Any reason not to use it? What is it normally used for?

[Todd Burch]

Black willow has traditionally been the wood of choice for prosthetics (wooden legs, hands, etc.) since it is light in weight. I'm thinking that plastic or other resins or alloys might be taking over in that department though.

Not sure of the weather resistant qualities, but a quick web search would probably land you more info than you have time to read. :)