What is your suggestion for....

[bill36]

suggesting wood is a tricky subject because it depends on your location. Where i am, in an hours drive i can find a dozen sawmills and a huge variety of Appalachian Hardwoods, some of the best in the world. I have some very fine Black Cherry which is not black the bark looks black in a woods of standing timber. The wood ranges from a light cream color (sapwood) to a dark rich brown color. Cherry is the best i have used for planking hulls and decks. So many Maples, Beech, Poplar, dogwood, hornbeam and the list goes on.
As far as Holly is concerned personally i find it makes an ugly looking deck because it is stark white then adding black caulking lines is worse. Plus the outrageous price. I like Tulip Poplar for decking the wide sapwood is a light yellowish cream color, the heartwood is a lime green to light olive color. When you expose the wood to UV light or sunlight the green turns light tan to a mellow yellow perfect for decks. I do have exotic woods here in the barn but i find they are more hype as you can find common local woods just as good. Plus the high cost of the wood and shipping makes them too expensive to bother with.

another thing is, are you selecting woods for their color and general appearance or for their working properties?

 

[Bob Ellis]

We are talking holystone? Yes, pure white no, but glaringly bright under strong sunlight, certainly when comparing against the shadow and darker fittings. On a model it would look out of place in my view. Personally I use alaskan cedar for the tight linear grain. In the UK I haven't seen holly supplies here or in Europe. The UK is pathetically poor when it comes to scale ship supplies!