OK . . . What type of wood would be best for this application? Not sure what the old post wood is.
Teak would be considered by many to be the best choice, but it is very expensive and probably isn't necessary unless you expect the portion of the post under the deck to be exposed to water regularly. A much harder, denser, stable and beautiful wood that can be substituted for teak is Jatoba a.k.a. Brazilian Cherry, which you could order from most lumber yards. Here's a source that can supply you with 4 x 4 stock Link . It has been used for planking on piers and railroad sleepers and has naturally occurring anti-fungal chemicals in it. I've used a lot of Jatoba, and the key for a Samson's post would be to get tight grain wood. Specify that you do not want sapwood, as that is less dense and less rot resistant. I would use epoxy for gluing.OK . . . What type of wood would be best for this application? Not sure what the old post wood is.
Not a bad idea. On a prior boat, the post was such a lamination of hardwoods with a stainless steel 1" pin through it which looked quite good. I would stay away from oak, since it shows mildew spots, is less hard and dense than alternatives, isn't particularly rot resistant and doesn't look that interesting.This sounds like something you could have some fun with. Laminate some different woods together. Use a strange colored wood like Purple Heart or Sapodilla. Use your imagination and make it a show piece.
Three replies from the GB Owners forum....
From another member--- "Make sure you use white oak as red is more apt to rot. Not only seal soak the foot of the post with CPES but bed the base with 5200 or 4200. Most posts appear to rot just after they enter the deck. The strain and movement placed on the sides of the post appear to push out and break down sealants over time."
As well as better rot resistance, White Oak has a denser, longer grain, providing much more strength than Red Oak.