Great information Paul. I should have explained that I am an avid woodworker. Been building furniture lately but it's time to build somethings for myself. I also restore antique woodworking machines. I just finished up two turn of the century machines. 12" jointer 1915 +/- and a 30" bandsaw of similar vintage. Well it's almost finished, not cutting wood just yet.

The building part doesn't intimidate me in the least! Just trying to sort out the wood issue. I can find cypress but the only place I know that stocks it is HIGH! I built two sets of carriage style garage doors from cypress. I still have some scrap in the shop.

Your right that I was staying away from pine because of the weight. But the birds mouth shaft is such an obvious answer. I never thought of it except in masts or flag poles. But this is a perfect application too. Hats off to Kurt! Suddenly pine isn't such a bad choice for shafts. Or some of the hardwoods I have available to me either.

Like you I am always telling people building laminated bench tops to skip the 2x4's and go to the big lumber. 2x10 and 12's and just rip them down. It's always so much better quality than the 2x4's. When I built my bench top that is exactly what I did. 12" board ripped to 3".

I think your right about SPF. I heard it called White Wood but I seem to remember seeing SPF stamped on it and just didn't know what that stood for. Still it's rare to ever see a decent board around here. You could cut out the clear sections and scarf up longer boards but I was trying to avoid that. But thats the only way to get any length and is probably not such a bad idea. I could build a cutting guide and clamping jig if I was going to so a lot of it.

Cedar, except what I mentioned is not stocked. Most deck and piers are built with pressure treated SYP. Use to could find some redwood but not anymore. Unless they have some stuffed in a corner they have forgotten about. And I need to see if they do. I pretty much have run of the place I have spent so much with them over the years.

When I am at the lumber yard (fairly often) and out in the yard I walk by and look at whats on top of the "spruce" lumber. Always full of small knots. The furring strips I saw today were actually decent. I didn't pick any up and sight down them. But they were clearer than the 2x's and that is why it caught my attention. Maybe just a fluke, but I was surprised. I saw several 8 footers with 6 foot clear or with just a couple small knots that could I deal with. Much better than the framing stuff.

Again, thanks. Good information and lots of food for thought.