OK, so I guess this is how you start a "new post"

[bird]

I've missed everyone!!!!!!! How's everyone doing?  Everything is OK on my end. I'm "knee deep" in children s outdoor furniture.  Kid's picnic tables (which I'm trying to draw up a plan for .....), kids Adirondack chairs, and park benches.   In addition, flower boxes, planters, ect. are in demand at the moment. I'm also working on  some other tables that can withstand the "elements" that persons could pull up lawn chairs to. .... if that made any sense! I also have to make sure my plans do not exceed 44 1/2  inches wide. My car cannot stomach more than that.
       One of the largest problems with all of this furniture is that most of it will reside outside.  That means I have to come up with lumber that agrees with the weather, rather than succumbing to the elements.
       Cypress, Redwood, Red Cedar, and Teak are a pretty sure bet as far as surviving the elements.  But, my wallet and lumber tend to get in an argument over weather-proof lumber and money.
    Right now, I have a lot of Poplar.  I suppose I could paint the chairs.  If I threw a few layers of paint on Poplar wood, it would last for a while outside.  Although, it's against my religion to paint wood.  It's on the same level of buying a "box mix"  or "canned food item." It's all personal, silly,... ethics!!!!
       I've heard Walnut can "hold it's own" in the elements.  But, I hate to waste that wood on a kid's outside piece of furniture. Although, I made one bench out of heart pine and walnut... it was truly beautiful (not due to my craftsmanship, but due to the contrast of the wood).
      As for wrenches, I finally sold a set of my snap on wrenches..... payed my electric bill!!!!  I've run accrtoss a few brands I'm not familiar with.... "happy times," "USMC"--- some kind of army logo?,   "noRivell",  "SNT", "meteor", " firestone",  "Gusdorf", ............. those are the names I can think of off the top of my head.
       Anyhow, I'm glad to back... I've missed y'all
cheers, bird

[64longstep/Brian]

Howdy Bird, glad you made it over to the new site...

[Papaw]

Welcome back, Bird!
USMC is not military, it is United Shoe Machinery Corporation.

The United Shoe Machinery Corporation was a major manufacturer of production machinery for the shoe making industry. Formed in 1899 by a merger of three companies, USMC became the dominant supplier of shoe making machinery in the United States.

In addition to producing machinery, the company was also a maker of wrenches and other tools, probably primarily for repair and maintenance of its own equipment.
Tool Identification

Tools produced by USMC can be identified by the distinctive USMC-Script logo, typically forged into the tool. Note though that as the initials "USMC" are more famously associated with the U.S. Marine Corps, tools produced by United Shoe Machinery may sometimes be mistakenly considered as contract production for the military.

From Alloy Artifacts- http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/other-makers-p3.html

[Wrenchmensch]

What about the new type of treated lumber, using 1 x 6 lumber to fabric your outdoor furniture?

When you say poplar, are you talking about Liriodendron tulipfera (tulip poplar) or northern poplar that one finds in places like the Mohawk Valley of New York State. None of the modern preservatives work on wood for very long.

[rusty]

Up where I am dead poplar trees rot before the tree even has a chance to fall over. Not a good outdoor wood.

What's wrong with oak? Red Oak is nice looking, it wears well,it will put splinters in your but if you don't cut it with the grain and sand it, but hey, it's outdoor furniture ; P
Personally i think teak's ability to survive weather is overrated, the boat folks love it, but forget to treat it just for one season and it turns to gray fuzzy crap.

Used to be maple was the thing, but maple isn't cheap anymore....
Yellow pine weathers fairly well, but try to buy any...
Black walnut...that's the thing...*cough*

have you considered PVC tubeing? (Ducking)

[Branson]

What's wrong with oak? Red Oak is nice looking, it wears well,it will put splinters in your but if you don't cut it with the grain and sand it, but hey, it's outdoor furniture ; P

Red oak is not for outdoor furniture.  Because its cell structure is open (you can actually blow bubbles in water with it) it takes in water.  White oak has a closed structure, which is why it is used in wheel felloes, boats, and wine barrels.  Out West, at least, it's now cheaper than red oak, too.

[Mabel]

No, I don't have drawings woerkd up.  I vary the dimensions depending on need and lumber, make a few notes and go.  Its easy enough to sketch them out with some graph paper.  Maybe that would be a good Boy Scout project too for the older ones.  I will look later to see if I still have a sketch I know I made for someone else a while back.  If so, I'll scan and post it.  I actually made parts from some scrap that I keep as a template for myself.

[bird]

Guns, shoes... what's the difference (HAHA).

Welcome back, Bird!
USMC is not military, it is United Shoe Machinery Corporation.

The United Shoe Machinery Corporation was a major manufacturer of production machinery for the shoe making industry. Formed in 1899 by a merger of three companies, USMC became the dominant supplier of shoe making machinery in the United States.

In addition to producing machinery, the company was also a maker of wrenches and other tools, probably primarily for repair and maintenance of its own equipment.
Tool Identification

Tools produced by USMC can be identified by the distinctive USMC-Script logo, typically forged into the tool. Note though that as the initials "USMC" are more famously associated with the U.S. Marine Corps, tools produced by United Shoe Machinery may sometimes be mistakenly considered as contract production for the military.

From Alloy Artifacts- http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/other-makers-p3.html