Wood is good

While this may be titled "Bamboo Bike Trailer Project," it looks like my particular trailer will be built of wood. I discovered, or finally paid attention to, a cache of excess 2 x 2 lumber used for two other projects. As noted in earlier posts, I would endeavor to use what was available rather than purchase new materials.

According to the project plans provided by Carry Freedom, bamboo, steel, and wood are all acceptable or preferable materials. The plans show 2 x 2 lumber being used with a notch cut for added stability. The lumber I will use is fir or pine, I'm not quite sure. It would be better, I think, to be using hardwoods, but this is a somewhat experimental project. Should this wood prove to be too flexible or not strong enough, I can always salvage the hardware bits and use them with other material.


One aspect of using this particular material is that it offers a more "homegrown" alternative. Though I don't know its provenance, fir is an especially abundant resource in the Pacific Northwest. Rather than using bamboo, sourced in southeast Asia, I will be using something that is growing throughout the forests in our own area. Also, one of the requests by Carry Freedom is to "build something beautiful" and I am much more familiar with tree-based lumber than any other material. I have built pergolas for grape vines, outdoor tables and finished or refinished bookshelves and benches.

Today, I hope to get all of the materials out and examined. I may also have a chance to sort through decades of saved fasteners: bolts, screws, washers and nuts. Perhaps I will find some or all of the hardware necessary to put this thing together.